San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland, CA
Has your child been diagnosed with ADHD or does he or she exhibit symptoms of a behavioral disorder? The Center for Disease Control estimates that nearly 6.1 million children have been diagnosed with ADHD. Attention problems, inability to focus, hyperactivity, and disinterest in academics or sports can all point to the same issue –Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but there is something else that could be to blame, and it could be as simple as the way that your child breathes.
How does breathing affect a child?
Of course, we all need to breathe, but it is how we breathe that matters. Nasal breathing, which is breathing through the nose only is the most efficient and healthiest method of breathing. It results in an optimal balance of oxygen levels in the blood and ensures that we receive enough air into our lungs when we breathe.
When chronic mouth breathing occurs, the opposite effect takes place. Our bodies suddenly are not receiving enough air, oxygen levels in the blood become low, and our health begins to suffer. For a child, their behavior can mimic symptoms of ADHD. Sadly, there are children being medicated for ADHD when in fact, it isn’t an actual behavioral disorder at all, but instead is a breathing problem.
Why does my child mouth breathe?
Mouth breathing typically occurs as a result of an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD) in which the muscles of the mouth and tongue do not function properly. These instances could result from tongue thrust, or even prolonged thumb sucking or pacifier usage. When an OMD exists, the child’s dental arch becomes narrow, and muscles of the mouth and tongue weaken due to improper usage. The good news is that these muscles can be retrained and strengthened to work properly.
How to correct mouth breathing
Myofunctional therapy consists of specially designed mouth and tongue exercises that retrain and strengthen the weak muscles causing the OMD or mouth breathing. By meeting for a consultation with a certified myofunctional therapist in the Bay Area, you can have your child on his or her way to breathing better, and exhibit an improvement in their behavior and performance at school and sports.
How long does it take to see results?
Length of treatment will vary, but the majority of the therapy takes place within the first couple of months of treatment, which is the most intensive phase. However, treatment may last anywhere between six months to one year known as the maintenance phase, depending on the severity of the case. It is important to only receive myofunctional therapy from a certified therapist such as the one on staff on Glen Park Dental.
If your child exhibits symptoms associated with ADHD or ADD, or has been diagnosed with one of these two disorders, we urge you to consider a second opinion by the experts at Glen Park Dental. Myofunctional therapy is a medication-free method of treating such behaviors.
Myofunctional Therapy in San Francisco
Contact the office of Glen Park Dental by calling (415) 585-1500 to schedule a consultation to learn more about myofunctional therapy and mouth breathing.
Glen Park Dental provides comprehensive, compassionate, quality oral health care for patients in the areas of Marin, Oakland, and San Francisco, California.
