Straight teeth and free breathing
Airway Orthodontics looks beyond the position of your teeth alone. We involve your airway and breathing in the treatment, because the shape of your jaw and palate also determines how well you breathe and sleep.
What is Airway Orthodontics?
Airway Orthodontics is not a separate brace, but a broader view within orthodontics. Alongside a beautiful, functional position of the teeth, we look at the space in your upper jaw and your nasal and throat airway. A narrow palate or a habit such as mouth breathing can affect jaw growth and breathing, especially in children who are still growing. By taking that into account, we work towards a result that not only looks good, but also functions comfortably.
When is the airway worth looking at?
Some complaints are linked to how you breathe and sleep. If you recognise these, it can be worthwhile to include the airway in an orthodontic examination. We do not make a sleep diagnosis ourselves; for that we work together with the right specialists.
In children
- Snoring or breathing through the mouth, also during the day
- Restless sleep or often waking up tired
- A narrow palate or teeth with little room
- Concentration or behaviour signals that can be linked to poor sleep
In adults
- Snoring or a restless night's sleep
- Often tired, even after a full night's sleep
- A known sleep apnea diagnosis or a suspicion of one
- A narrow upper jaw or little room in the dentition
We address it through your treatment
What makes Airway Orthodontics special is that it runs through your treatment. Whether you choose aligners, palatal expansion or fixed braces, we include the airway side in the same process. We often combine that with exercise therapy (OMT and speech therapy) for the tongue and nasal breathing.
DOME zero: expand and align in one plan
For adults with a narrow palate we work with DOME zero. This protocol combines bone-level expansion of the palate with clear aligners in a single treatment plan: the palate is widened while the teeth move into place at the same time. The goal is more room in the upper jaw and the nasal airway, with a balanced bite and no gap between the front teeth.
- Expansion at bone level, not just tilting the teeth
- Clear aligners within the same plan
- Aimed at more room in the nasal airway
- Based on the DOME protocol by Dr. Stanley Liu (Stanford)
From examination to aftercare
- 01
Examination
An orthodontic examination with attention to the position of your teeth, your jaw and your palate, with a 3D scan where needed.
- 02
Tailored plan
Together we decide whether and how to include the airway and through which treatment, in coordination with a specialist from our network if needed.
- 03
Treatment
The treatment runs through your aligners, brace or expansion, often combined with exercise therapy for the tongue and nasal breathing.
- 04
Monitoring and aftercare
We follow not only the position of the teeth, but also how your breathing and sleep are doing, and we hold the result in place with retention.
A multidisciplinary approach
The airway involves more than just the teeth. That is why we work together with a network of specialists and refer where that is better, so you get the right care in the right place.
- ENT specialists
- Allergists
- Maxillofacial surgery
- Speech therapists (OMT)
- Physiotherapists
- Sleep centres
We maintain close ties with, among others, DC Klinieken, Zaans Medisch Centrum and OLVG.
We do not make a sleep diagnosis ourselves and do not treat sleep apnea on our own. In case of a (suspected) medical sleep disorder, we refer to the right physician or a sleep centre.
A healthy smile starts with being able to breathe well.