The face does not simply become a larger version of a child’s face as they grow.
The upper jaw, lower jaw, palate, dental arches, tongue and facial muscles develop and adapt throughout childhood and adolescence.
This is why timing can be important in orthodontics.
An early evaluation does not necessarily mean that treatment is needed immediately. Sometimes the best approach is simply to observe growth.
In other cases, orthodontic treatment may be appropriate while a child is growing to address crowding, crossbite, narrow dental arches, jaw discrepancies or other developmental concerns.
Dr. DeLurgio evaluates each patient individually and considers how the teeth and jaws are developing within the context of the patient’s overall facial growth.
In some patients, the upper dental arch may be narrow or constricted.
When clinically appropriate, orthodontic expansion can be used to develop the dental arch and create additional space for the teeth and surrounding oral structures.
Expansion is not appropriate for everyone, and it should not be considered a universal treatment for breathing or sleep problems.
Dr. DeLurgio determines whether expansion or another orthodontic approach is appropriate based on the patient’s individual anatomy, growth pattern and orthodontic diagnosis.
Parents sometimes notice that their child:
These signs do not automatically indicate an airway disorder.
However, they may be reasons to discuss your child’s breathing and development with a qualified healthcare professional.
At DeLurgio Orthodontics, Dr. DeLurgio can evaluate the orthodontic and dentofacial aspects of your child’s development and recommend additional evaluation when appropriate.
Sleep-related breathing concerns can be especially important in children because sleep plays an essential role in healthy development.
Frequent or loud snoring, pauses in breathing, gasping, restless sleep, unusual sleeping positions, persistent mouth breathing and daytime behavioral or concentration concerns can be signs that deserve further evaluation.
Importantly, snoring does not automatically mean that someone has sleep apnea.
When sleep-disordered breathing is suspected, diagnosis belongs with the appropriate medical professionals. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve a pediatrician, primary care physician, ENT, sleep physician or other qualified provider.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends screening children for sleep-related breathing disorders and facilitating medical referral when obstructive sleep apnea is suspected. {“fallbackMarkdown”:”(AAPD)”,”reference”:{“matched_text”:””,”prefix”:null,”start_idx”:8596,”end_idx”:8615,”safe_urls”:[“https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies–recommendations/obstructive-sleep-apnea/”,”https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies–recommendations/obstructive-sleep-apnea/?utm_source=chatgpt.com”],”refs”:[],”alt”:”(AAPD)”,”prompt_text”:null,”type”:”grouped_webpages”,”error”:null,”status”:”done”,”items”:[{“title”:”Overview”,”url”:”https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies–recommendations/obstructive-sleep-apnea/?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”attribution”:”AAPD”,”pub_date”:null,”snippet”:””,”attribution_segments”:null,”supporting_websites”:[],”refs”:[{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:0}],”hue”:null,”attributions”:null}],”style”:null,”fallback_items”:null},”showLoginRequiredCard”:false}
Orthodontists can play an important role in recognizing orthodontic and facial-development factors that may be relevant to breathing.
The American Association of Orthodontists’ 2026 white paper recognizes that orthodontists can screen for sleep-disordered breathing and collaborate with medical professionals. It also emphasizes the limitations of current evidence and does not support presenting orthodontic treatment as a way to prevent sleep-disordered breathing. {“fallbackMarkdown”:”(PubMed)”,”reference”:{“matched_text”:””,”prefix”:null,”start_idx”:9140,”end_idx”:9173,”safe_urls”:[“https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41770191/”,”https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41770191/?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889540626000351″,”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889540626000351?utm_source=chatgpt.com”],”refs”:[],”alt”:”(PubMed)”,”prompt_text”:null,”type”:”grouped_webpages”,”error”:null,”status”:”done”,”items”:[{“title”:”Sleep-disordered breathing and orthodontics: An American Association of Orthodontists white paper update – PubMed”,”url”:”https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41770191/?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”attribution”:”PubMed”,”pub_date”:1772409600,”snippet”:””,”attribution_segments”:null,”supporting_websites”:[{“title”:”Sleep-disordered breathing and orthodontics: An American Association of Orthodontists white paper update – ScienceDirect”,”url”:”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889540626000351?utm_source=chatgpt.com”,”pub_date”:null,”snippet”:””,”attribution”:”ScienceDirect”}],”refs”:[{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:7},{“turn_index”:0,”ref_type”:”search”,”ref_index”:13}],”hue”:null,”attributions”:null}],”style”:null,”fallback_items”:null},”showLoginRequiredCard”:false}
This distinction is important.
At DeLurgio Orthodontics, we don’t promise that orthodontics will “cure” a breathing or sleep disorder.
Instead, we evaluate the patient in front of us, identify orthodontic and developmental factors that may be relevant, and coordinate with other healthcare professionals when additional evaluation is warranted.
Dr. Andrea DeLurgio believes that excellent orthodontic care begins with excellent diagnosis.
Rather than looking only at where the teeth are today, she considers how the teeth, jaws and facial structures fit together—and how they are developing over time.
For children and adolescents, this means paying particular attention to growth and development.
For adults, it means considering the existing jaw relationships, dental arches, bite and functional concerns when developing an orthodontic treatment plan.
Whether your goal is a healthier bite, improved dental alignment, a more balanced smile or a better understanding of your child’s facial development, Dr. DeLurgio takes a thoughtful and individualized approach.
Consider an evaluation if you have questions about:
An evaluation does not mean that treatment is automatically necessary.
It simply provides an opportunity to understand how the teeth, jaws and facial structures are developing and whether orthodontics has a role to play.
At DeLurgio Orthodontics, we believe a great orthodontic result is about more than straight teeth.
It is about understanding the individual patient, respecting normal growth and development, and creating a treatment plan that supports a healthy, functional and confident smile.
