What is airway-centric dentistry?

The structure of your mouth and upper airway can greatly impact the quality of your sleep, your dental health and your overall health. Airway Centric Dentistry focuses on addressing common and complex concerns related to the structure of the bite and palate, which affects how you breathe. The science of Airway Dentistry has shown that many adult sleep issues are related to undiagnosed oral development concerns. Airway insufficiencies during sleep can lead to SBD, Sleep apnea and several other problems varying from children to adults. This is more likely to occur due to structural abnormalities in the airways, joints or your bite. Airway dentistry addresses critical conditions of the airway that could affect multiple aspects of your health. 

The Procedure

To provide a life-changing experience for a patient, every treatment has to meet certain standards and dental professionals understand this well. They start from the beginning to reach the root cause of airway insufficiencies. Here is the process:

  • Evaluation
    Includes a detailed dental inspection, posture analysis, symptom review, and evolution of your overall health.
  • Sleep Study
    If an airway insufficiency is detected, a convenient sleep study will be prescribed.
  • Mapping
    After going through your personal sleep data, your dental professional will capture high-resolution pictures of your mouth and face using advanced 3D scanning and imaging technology to map and measure your craniofacial structure. It will be used to detect the root cause of any breathing disorders.
  • Personalization
    Your diagnosis and treatment will be customized with an expert lab based on your previous health record.
  • Treatment
    Right after your approval of the personalized treatment plan, it will be performed to meet your specific needs and required clinical outcomes. The duration of the airway centered dentistry treatment may vary from 12 months to 18 months depending on the condition and health history.

The Benefits

Well-functional breathing allows your body to get what it needs for a vibrant and healthy life. The benefits associated with airway dentistry treatment can thoroughly improve your overall health and daily quality of living.

  • Helps Breathing Functions
    A clean and properly aligned airway makes it easy to breathe and also minimizes the chances of sleep apnea.
  • Preventive Solutions
    Early airway centric dentistry can help patients prevent some serious conditions mentioned below.
  • Nasal Breathing
    This treatment focuses on nasal breathing and promotes jaw structure improvement and dental development naturally. Getting orthodontic treatment can help you cure long-term breathing difficulties and sleep problems.
  • Comprehensive
    Airway dentistry offers comprehensive dental treatments that allow you to breathe normally during sleeping and enjoy and better site along with stabilized dental health.
    If you experience either of the aforementioned symptoms or health issues, you just need to schedule a visit with a professional dentist who has expertise.

The science of Airway Dentistry continues to develop, focusing on how we breathe and what factors are leading to common sleep problems. To learn more about what treatments we offer here at Oceana, visit our Airway analysis and management page  or make an appointment!

About The Author


Dr. Jacqueline Gaudet
Chief Dental Officer - ASAP pathway comprehensive provider


Dr. Gaudet graduated as a doctor of medicine in dentistry (DMD) from the University of Montréal in 1998. Since then, she has spent thousands of hours on advanced training throughout Canada and around the world. With experience, she has found that the “drill and fill” approach to dentistry does not make for long term success in dental and overall health. Her research and education has inspired her to take a global health approach to dental care using an evidence-based system to address the whole body. “Many dental and oral health issues relate to lifestyle habits and/or underlying health issues,” she says. “The goal of Oceana Dental’s comprehensive new patient examination is to find the root cause of disease in the oral cavity so it doesn’t progress and cause more harm to the patient’s overall health.” Commenting on the pace of technological improvement and the advances in research, she says, “it’s a great time to be a dentist!”

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