Oral Posture And Function

Categories: blog

oral postureScotts Valley and Santa Cruz, CA

Fortunate are people who recognize and benefit from an opportunity that presents itself in a window of limited time in their lifetime.  How does this relate to our health?

We just attended the conference of International Association of Facial Growth Guidance (IAFGG) held in Calgary, Canada. The meeting was attended by orthodontists, general dentists, their teams, myofunctional therapists, and other healthcare practitioners from different countries.

One of the speakers was Dr.Ariana Ebrahimian. She presented cases showing the improvement of patients’ jaw alignment and airways. In the process she was not only well received but won the award presented to the practitioner with the best result in providing favorable growth guidance. Dr. John Mew, the inventor of Biobloc Orthotropics, presented her with the honor.

When it comes to our health we don’t always make good choices that help prevent disease. One SYMPTOM of suboptimal health is misalignment of jaws, teeth, or both. With few exceptions, such as congenital anomalies, orthodontic issues are not the problem but rather the symptoms of poor oral posture. So what causes poor oral posture?

Well for starters, improper breathing, meaning breathing through our mouth rather than through our nose. Nasal obstructions, over-sized tonsils, adenoids, and deviated septums, can also negatively affect our airway and can ultimately influence the alignment of teeth and jaws.

Industrialization, including changes in our diet, environmental allergens and toxins, inadequate exercise, inadequate sleep, etc., has had an epigenetic effect. Meaning, our genes have not changed from one generation to the next, but the expression of those genes has altered the way our bodies form and perform.

In a previous blog I had mentioned the role of oral posture on the development of our jaws.  As a child develops there is a window of time, usually between the ages of 6 through 12 years old, when the effects of poor oral posture and function can be redirected to guide the development more favorably as our genetics have intended. This will help overcome the adverse effects of improper posture and functional habits.

Jaws that are retruded or set back in relation to the rest of the cranium often result in constricted airways, snoring, sleep disordered breathing, and obstructive sleep apnea, just to name a few of the deleterious effects. This is why it is vital to help BOTH jaws develop and posture in a forward and expanded direction.

As of now the best, if not only, treatment that can accomplish this is Biobloc Orthrotropics, developed by Dr. John Mew in England.  This beneficial treatment is best administered during the developing years of a child up to age 12. After that window of time the only solution to retruded jaws involves surgery.

That brings me to the point of how fortunate are people that try to prevent disease whenever possible and more fortunate are those who are aware, recognize, and take advantage of the window of opportunity that can enhance the health of themselves and loved ones.

Yours in Prevention,
Dr Max Ebrahimian