Improve your oral health and overall well-being at our airway focused dentist office in Dana Point

Breathing: Most of us don’t think about this basic function we perform on a daily basis, but having a healthy airflow is vital to your overall well-being and quality of life. Many airflow problems can be resolved with dental treatments from a dentist with an in-depth knowledge of the integral relationship between oral structures, breathing, and airflow. At the dental office of Mark A. Cruz, DDS in Dana Point, patients receive personalized airway focused dental care to enhance their oral health and overall well-being.

What is airway focused dental care?

Airway focused dentistry is a field of dentistry that has been growing in recent years as more and more people begin to understand the critical link between oral structures and breathing patterns. The overall goal of airway dentistry is to restore the body’s natural breathing patterns through adjustments to one or more of the following:

• Oral structures – Several issues with the anatomy of the mouth can lead to disordered breathing. Common examples of structural problems that can restrict proper airflow while awake or sleeping include a dental arch that is too narrow, tooth misalignment, insufficient muscle tone, and soft tissues that collapse into the back of the throat while sleeping. Dr. Mark Cruz offers a variety of treatments that are individually designed to improve the alignment and function of oral structures, including myofunctional therapy, the ALF appliance, Myobrace treatment, and other orthodontic therapies.
• Behavioral patterns – Certain lifestyle factors can impede your ability to breathe well, both during daily activities and while you are at rest. Dr. Cruz works with you to identify and modify behaviors that could be affecting your breathing, including your sleeping position, use of alcohol or tobacco, body weight, and breathing with your mouth open.
• Air intake while sleeping – Sleep apnea is a very common sleep disorder that negatively affects the health of millions of Americans each year. Left untreated, sleep apnea is associated with several deadly conditions such as strokes and heart attacks. With oral appliance therapy or a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, your body is able to breathe properly while you sleep, providing essential oxygen to your brain and other organs and tissues.

Learn more in a consultation

If you think you or your child might be suffering from airway problems, we are here to help. Dr. Mark Cruz works with each patient to identify the source of their airway-focused issues and create a customized treatment plan that fits their needs. To schedule your consultation, call our Dana Point office today at (949) 661-1006.