Invisalign, airway, and children
our philosophy
We are focused on long-term dental health, not just straight teeth.
We’re passionate about occlusion, which is the way your teeth bite and function together. Our goal is to help patients slow down the breakdown of their teeth, so you need less dentistry in the future to fix problems that could have been prevented today.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
children & orthodontic treatment
orthodontic evaluations are about much more than straight teeth.
Most parents know children should see an orthodontist by age 7, traditionally to check whether there’s enough room for the permanent teeth. But modern orthodontics has revealed something much bigger. Orthodontic evaluations can identify and address concerns that affect your child’s whole body development.
As a parent of three children and someone who’s seen non-dental benefits from properly timed orthodontic treatment at a younger than conventional age, Dr. Goldberg has seen firsthand how kids can be positively impacted in so many ways other than by just making room for the permanent teeth.
important milestones
As much as 80% of jaw growth is complete by age 8.
90% of jaw development is finished by age 12.
The best time to treat something is when we first find out about it. Traditionally orthodontists are trained to wait until all of the permanent teeth come in, which is usually around 12-13 years old, and then make the teeth straight. The issue is when a child doesn’t have enough space for all of those teeth they may need one or more of those teeth extracted. With properly timed orthodontic treatment, this more invasive and extensive treatment can oftentimes be avoided, which will avoid the domino effect later on in life.
what properly timed orthodontic treatment can address
- Airway concerns and sleep-disordered breathing
- Avoiding more invasive orthodontic treatment later
- Proper development of the jaw, face, and head
- Speech, posture, and hearing improvements
- Better brain development through improved oxygenation
- Reduced risk of sleep apnea long-term
The roof of your child’s mouth is also the floor of their nasal cavity. If the upper jaw is narrow, the airway is narrow, and the way a child breathes shapes the way a child grows.
airway & sleep
Could your child’s behavior be a breathing problem in disguise?
An obstructed airway can show up in surprising ways, many of which parents may not connect to orthodontics or breathing issues. These signs are often be mistaken, and sometimes misdiagnosed, for ADHD since sleep deprivation and attention disorders can look nearly identical during the day. A misdiagnosis may lead to unnecessary medications and a label throughout a child’s entire education when it may have simply been able to be treated with orthodontic treatment.
- Mouth breathing or sleeping with mouth open
- Snoring or gasping during sleep
- Daytime sleepiness or poor focus
- Night terrors or bedwetting
- Bags under the eyes
- Tantrums, meltdowns, or anxiety
- Chronic nasal congestion or allergies
- Enlarged adenoids
- Worn or flat teeth from grinding
- Longer, narrower facial structure
- Crowded teeth or no spacing
- Poor academic performance
Why sleep matters.
Growth hormone is released during deep sleep. Children who snore or have sleep-disordered breathing miss this vital stage, which can result in short stature, poor muscle tone, and slow recovery. Fragmented sleep is like being woken by a phone every five minutes, all night, and then the’re expected to learn and behave well the next day.
How many parents know that tantrums, meltdowns, anxiety, and poor attention may actually be linked to breathing and sleep problems?
our approach
timely action, not watchful waiting
Breathing problems are also associated with ear disease. Delaying evaluation and treatment, what is sometimes called “watchful waiting” is, in our opinion, supervised neglect. The window to make the most meaningful difference is as soon as you know about the issue, and we’re here to help you take advantage of your child’s growth and development
If you have any concerns about your child’s breathing, sleep, behavior, or dental development, we encourage you to schedule an evaluation. The earlier we look, the more we can do.
our expertise
Why our practice is different when it comes to Invisalign
Dr. Goldberg brings a level of Invisalign knowledge that goes far beyond everyday clinical practice actively shaping how dentists across North America and around the world learn to use it for their patients.
🎓Molis Coaching faculty
Molis Coaching is the #1 Invisalign training course in North America. As a member of the faculty since 2022 Dr. Goldberg has helped to give input to thousands of doctors so that they can provide consistent and predictable results for their patients.
📋ClinCheck support
Sometimes other doctors want more one-on-one guidance for their Invisalign cases. Dr. Goldberg has been trusted to help by working up Invisalign cases for them while teaching them in the process. He has worked with countless doctors, helping them with hundreds of Invisalign cases.
🔬Invisalign pilot programs
Invisalign is leaps and bounds above other clear aligners, and in order to remain ahead of the curve they need to continually be improving. Dr. Goldberg is often invited to participate in some of their pilot programs to test new systems and products before they reach the market.
