How dentists can offer solutions to your child's bed-wetting

Bed wetting is quite a common occurrence amongst young children, however bed wetting is concerning after the age of 5 years, not only socially, as it can be an embarrassing occurrence for children to go through, but it also is an indication and sign of breathing disturbances during sleep.

Recent studies show that there are numerous links between bed wetting and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). These studies also highlight that children with OSA often have a high palate, a more vertical facial growth pattern and nasal obstruction.

Does sleep apnoea in children lead to bed-wetting?

Yes. There is very strong evidence to suggest that your child's bed-wetting could be a symptom of poor sleep health.

When there are changes in obstructed breathing, this causes the blood pressure changes in the abdomen, hindering the bladder’s capacity to hold urine. The increased stress in blood pressure also leads to the release of hormones and sodium ions that increases urine production and excretion.

How do I get my kid to stop wetting the bed?

You're reading this because you've probably already tried encouraging your child; scheduling toilet breaks; shifting drinking times; and likely many other tactics. Right now you might even be running out of clean bedsheets to put on your child's bed.

Don't worry. There is a more scientific approach to helping your to stop wetting the bed.

Because we already know that poor sleep habits can lead to bed-wetting in children, let's work out whether your child's bed-wetting is a result of some form of sleep apnoea.

Now, the obvious question is how can you tell if your child is getting poor quality sleep? Apart from bed-wetting, look for these symptoms when your child sleeps:

• Snoring, even if it's no very loud
• Difficulty breathing at night
• Breathing with their mouth open

If your child shows these symptoms, our gentle and patient children's dentists may be able to help.

Solutions like removal of adenoids and tonsils as well as palate expansion have proven to show great outcomes in reducing bed-wetting and better sleep quality.

A widened palate can also reduce resistance to airflow, and improve breathing outcomes in children. Due to new digital technology, this widening can be achieved with new techniques such as Myofunctional therapy or Myobrace, as it's commonly known. 

Myobrace is also proven to be quite effective as opposed to conventional surgery and orthodontic treatment, whilst addressing the critical long term solution to airway obstruction and disruptions to sleep.

Bed-wetting can be difficult to deal with for both you and your child. It is important for you to understand that this is a common first line sign of OSA. 

If left untreated in childhood, OSA can is proven to lead to cognitive development issues, concentration problems and an impaired overall quality of life.

Our gentle and patient gentle and patient children's dentists will be able to discuss the options with you and help you choose an option that helps your child stop wetting the bed and enjoy a more fulfilling life, but also fits your budget. 

Kids' Myobrace Treatment

Or you can book an appointment by calling us on (03) 9459 6300 during business hours

Publisher: Heidelberg Dentist

Straighten kids teeth without braces

Have you started worrying about your childs crooked teeth?  Did you know that crooked teeth could  indicate underlying serious health problems?  Your childs crooked teeth could lead to misaligned jaws which could lead to an array of serious health problems into adulthood.

Most parents ensure that their childrens dental habits are looked into.  Even more is that most forward thinking parents actually make sure their childs teeth and jaws are growing properly which can lead to a balanced jaw growth.  

 Crooked teeth can lead to confident issues in children and nowadays we don’t wait till the children have reached in their teens to do something about it. We have techniques and technology for as early as the age of 3 where we can help children develop better jaws, teeth and a healthier smile. 

The (BIG) side benefits are that if you take these steps now, you can potentially save yourself thousands of dollars down the line and help your child get the best possible facial growth and smile.

Have you been told…

…that you should just wait until all your child’s permanent teeth have come through and THEN put braces on. However, often by this stage there has been irreversible damage that can lead to expensive surgery and the painful need to remove teeth that could have been saved.

If the cause of the crooked teeth is not addressed, placing braces on teeth could be like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic - sure they will look straight, but the delay would have done nothing to ward off impending disasters like poor sleep into adulthood, chronic pain or airway problems.

Mums and dads are often shocked when I tell them that crooked teeth are usually the result of poor oral health habits:

•           Not swallowing properly
•           Not breathing through the nose
•       Not keeping the tongue in the right place

A (fun) fact: The tongue is one of the strongest muscles and can exert up to 500g of force, but it only takes 1.7 g of force to move a tooth (ie via braces)

If that surprised you:

Scientific research proves that it only takes 6 months of poor sleep to cause permanent damage, to the brain, to the heart and throughout the body.

You see, the REAL point of orthodontic treatment and braces is to give your child longer-term health benefits to improve their quality of life in adulthood. Beautiful, straight teeth are just a happy bonus!

How, you ask? Because by fixing the combined forces of the tongue, cheeks and lips, which is what orthodontic treatments correct,  you will help to minimise the chances of your child relapsing into the bad habits above.

So does my child now have these problems for life?

No, the underlying issues can be fixed. Its not always necessarily by me, but I can help with either directing you to the right place or with training the oral habits and testing out the origin of the poor sleep, mouth breathing, or misalignment of teeth.

But that’s only if you take action now, because these preventive treatments only work during certain stages in your child’s physical development.

Preventive orthodontic treatment is a combination of exercises (breathing, lips, tongue position) that corrects poor oral habits and sometimes along with the use of a removable dental device.

Its been proven preventive orthodontics are a better option in every sense for your child and your wallet.

But how do I know that my child even has these problems?

There are many signs that point to a potential problem, which may be fixed by preventive orthodontics :

•         Mouth Breathing (Day or night)
•         Snoring
•         Fussy Eating (especially with certain food)
•         Restless Sleep
•         Bedwetting (Between the ages of 5-8+)
•         Night terrors/Sleep talking/Sleep walking
•         Teeth grinding in their sleep
•         Prolonged colds or repeated ear infections
•         Difficulty to wake up or getting tired during the day
•         Neck pain/Back pain

I can confidently promise you that we can help. We will listen. If you tell us that your child has these symptoms you won’t be dismissed as a paranoid parent.

Why? With over 10 years experience in this field and helping hundreds of kids avoid braces and promote healthy facial growth. I have seen first hand how 3 out of 4 children have some form of malocclusion. Seeing years of consistent results (better sleep and behaviour, no need for braces) it’s clear that early intervention is the key.  Instead of waiting until all their adult teeth appear and ultimately being left with expensive and painful options (a higher chance of teeth removal or surgery) it is best that we assess children early to see if preventive orthodontics is an option.

For an obligation free chat, please call 94596300 

Publisher: Heidelberg Dentist