They also provide you with a potentially compelling asset: a beautiful smile.

Alas, as with other areas of the body, they, too, can be effected by diseases and malformations. That’s where the importance of orthopedic dental care comes into play. At the office of Carlton & Chastain Orthodontics, our team of orthodontists specialize in the alignment of teeth by addressing the underlying structural problems of the mouth and jaw.

Orthodontists and dentists help patients improve their oral health, but their roles are different. Dentistry is an extensive medical field that deals with the teeth, gum, nerves and jaw. Meanwhile, licensed orthodontics is a dental specialty that focuses on correcting bites and straightening teeth, most commonly by employing braces.

Orthodontists also routinely diagnose and correct dental and skeletal issues that can affect the respiratory tract and/or be signs of obstructed breathing. Examples include an underdeveloped or recessed lower jaw; a high-vaulted palate (roof of the mouth); crowded teeth; and upper and lower jaws that are too narrow.

These dental specialists can also identify enlarged tonsils and adenoids, as well as other issues that can contribute to sleep disorders in children, such as pediatric sleep apnea. Pediatric sleep apnea is a disorder in which your child’s breathing is partially or completely blocked many times while he or she is sleeping. Working in harmony with an interdisciplinary medical team, orthodontists can help diagnose the condition and provide corrective treatment. One of the most popular therapies is the use of oral appliances, which are custom-made dental mouthpieces that a child wears throughout the night while sleeping. The appliance prevents the air’s obstruction, helping the child breathe easier and sleep better.