Modern, Holistic Orthodontics for the Whole Family
ORTHODONTICS AND INVISALIGN®
Straighter Teeth, Better Sleep.
Traditional Braces have Gone the Way of the Dodo.
The Airway Dentists combine functional dentistry with advanced cutting-edge orthodontics.
What is Holistic Orthodontics?
- Expand the airway
- Improve nasal breathing
- Straighten teeth
- Enhance sleep
- Improve overall health
Why choose the Airway Dentists for Invisalign®?
Holistic methods that mimic the body’s natural growth and alignment = no braces or tooth extractions. Our treatment combines cosmetic, functional, and sleep outcomes.
Get what your body is meant to have:
a big, broad, Texan smile!
DID YOU KNOW?
Orthodontic Myth-busters
- The Myth
Pull teeth to make room in a crowded smile
- The MAGIC
By expanding the upper and lower jaw, the teeth have plenty of room to move into the proper position without extracting. The result: a bigger, straighter, healthier smile. Pulling teeth has the exact opposite effect - it makes the mouth smaller, exacerbating airway issues.
- The Myth
Headgear corrects an overbite
- The MAGIC
An overbite occurs not when the upper jaw is too big, but when the lower jaw is too small. This simple but foundational misunderstanding has led to countless overbites being “resolved” with retraction instead of expansion, and subsequent airway problems. Fully developed jaws are a solution for sleep-disordered breathing, and we should never impede the natural growth and development of a child.
- The Myth
Retainers must be worn for life
- The MAGIC
When The Airway Dentists treat children early, our technique of expansion and musculoskeletal development can eliminate the need for retainers. In adults, retainers are prescribed at the end of orthodontic work.
- The Myth
The only way to correct crooked teeth is braces
- The MAGIC
Early intervention orthodontics with the use of guidance appliances often prevents the need for braces at a later age. Our techniques allow the child’s teeth to erupt in the proper position, reducing the need for braces.
- The Myth
You can’t expand the lower jaw on an adult
- The MAGIC
Research in modern orthodontic airway expansion at Stanford University (and thousands of results in our patients) proves you can.
Aligning Smiles for Better Health and Breathing
Treatment Options
Adult and Teen Invisalign®
Invisalign® is an effective solution for both teens and adults to straighten the smile with a series of clear plastic trays worn 22 hours per day. Invisalign® gently exerts force on teeth, guiding them into the proper position. This groundbreaking, removable, practically invisible technology allows us to treat mild, moderate, and severe orthodontic cases. You’ll smile with more confidence, straight teeth, and a healthy bite for life with our cosmetic and functional approach.
Invisalign® for Children
Invisalign® can be used to address orthodontic issues such as a small jaw and crowding, which may affect a child’s breathing during sleep. Invisalign is a series of clear, removable trays, worn all day and night except when eating, brushing, and flossing. By creating more room for the teeth, we create more room for the tongue, so that it does not fall back and restrict the airway during sleep.
- Early treatment of overbite, underbite, and crossbite problems
- Aligns the upper and lower jaws
- Creates space between baby teeth and guides erupting permanent teeth into the best position
- Increases the space for permanent teeth by gradually widening the arches
Removable Habit Corrector
These devices, worn at night by kids, are preventive pre-orthodontic appliances that target the root causes of crooked teeth, frequently eliminating the need for braces or wisdom teeth extraction. Children between the ages of three and fifteen are ideal candidates for treatment, which consists of wearing a series of removable mouth appliances for one to two hours every day, in addition to nighttime while they sleep. The appliances allow teeth to find their natural alignment by reducing the external pressure of lips on the teeth and allowing the tongue to make room for itself inside the upper arch.
Fixed Expander
The palate (or roof of the mouth) can be enlarged with palatal expansion. A specialized dental device called an expander helps your child's jaw and palate gradually enlarge, promoting the best possible orofacial growth. A key is inserted to turn the device and gently widen the airway. The larger airway facilitates nasal breathing, and provides enough space for adult teeth to erupt without crowding. When permanent teeth erupt in the correct position, this reduces the need for future orthodontic treatment. A key difference between traditional orthodontics & The Airway Dentists techniques is the use of a lower fixed expander. An upper expander alone has been proven to fail and our treatment protocols ensure a lifetime of stable expansion.
Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is a program used to correct the improper function of the tongue and orofacial muscles. This therapy, conducted by a certified oromyofunctional therapist, strengthens the tongue and orofacial muscles. These exercises are designed to improve issues with talking, eating or breathing. Research has shown that this is an effective treatment method for sleep-disordered breathing.
Adult Orthodontic Services
Children’s Orthodontic Services
Pop quiz: which is older—the state of Texas or… braces?
Answer: Braces!
We aren’t making this up! As all Texans know ;) The Lone Star state was formed in 1845 and joined the United States in 1846. Braces, on the other hand, date back to 1819, when a French dentist named Christophe-Francois Delabarre invented the device as we know it today. He was building on techniques and tools that go back even much further though - people have been moving their teeth since the ancient Egyptians and the Romans.
What to Expect
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Your First Visit
We begin with a health and sleep screening, and take a 3D digital scan of your mouth. Your hygienist will clean your teeth gently and effectively, and take a series of low and no-radiation images. We may need to gather additional data from your physician, or with an at-home sleep study. These comprehensive diagnostics will reveal a path forward to optimal health, in alignment with your goals.
Your Child’s First Visit
Healthy habits begin at home, and are ingrained at an early age. That’s why engaging education is fundamental to our oral hygiene program–so that parents and children can work together to prevent cavities and expand their possibilities. The first visit includes a health and sleep screening, a 3D digital scan of their mouth, and a preventive teeth cleaning. If there are any active cavities, we’ll address those.
Questions About Holistic Orthodontics
Ask the Experts
We never extract teeth to create space; instead, we concentrate on expanding the upper and lower jaw to facilitate a lifetime of proper sleep, breathing, and room for the tongue. We analyze the tongue, jaw, and facial muscles to ensure they are working properly and will maintain the orthodontics we perform. While traditional orthodontists concentrate mostly on aesthetics and making teeth easier to maintain, we straighten teeth and create beautiful smiles that breathe, sleep, eat, and live better.
A consultation including a 3D scan is $150. Book your consultation at Friendswood or Sugar Land.
As a preferred Invisalign® provider, we’re able to offer our patients clear pricing and exceptional value. Invisalign treatment with us costs $3299, regardless of case complexity.
Yes, we offer fast insurance filing and reimbursement, and work with most PPO dental insurance programs. For more information, visit our Payment & Insurance page.
Yes, we offer both in-office payment plans and interest-free financing through Care Credit. For patients without insurance, we offer discounted services through our Dental Savings Plan.
Clean & Modern Offices, Conveniently located in Sugar Land and Friendswood
VISIT US IN GREATER HOUSTON