Breathing, sleep disturbance, and ADHD

Wow, I've spent another weekend inside a hotel at a study club filled with brilliant people. I leave more convinced than ever that I can help many children with ADHD and ADD just by getting them to breathe better. When the airway is insufficient due to insufficient jaw growth or enlarged adenoids tonsils, the posterior pharynx collapses down during sleep just like a sleep apnea patient. During the day, the mouth breathing and shallow overbreathing robs the body of the ability to efficiently transfer oxygen from blood to tissue..things like brain tissue. We blogged earlier about how breathing correctly can also reduce asthma and allergy symptoms. It really all comes down to breathing training. So look for coming programs at our office to help straighten your child's teeth while also improving their overall health and performance in school. Imagine a life without ADHD medication or labels placed on your child. Imagine a child that is able to focus their thoughts and energies. Now I realize that there are many different reasons for ADHD and ADD diagnosis, but what if many of those brain imbalances are due to a lack of oxygen thats allows focus and proper function? It all starts with breathing, so someone needs to develop a good system to evaluate and improve breathing for children. It might as well be me.

IV sedation versus oral sedation

Intravenous Sedation (IV) sedation in a dental office has an anesthesiologist come in and put an IV into the blood stream for sedating a young child so the dentistry can be accomplished. It is very effective and has the advantage of wearing off quickly once the IV is out and the child is taken to a much deeper state of unconsciousness safely. It is also a lot more costly as you are paying for 2 doctors in the room.

Oral sedation does not put the child in such a deep state of sedation, so the extra doctor to administer and monitor the drugs is unnecessary. It effectively sedates the uncooperative child, allowing work to be accomplished without undue stress or negative memories. Since the drug is not delivered directly into the blood stream, it takes longer to wear off completely, leaving a sometimes irritable, slightly off balance child the rest of the afternoon, but it can save as much as 2000 dollars over IV sedation, accomplishing the same objectives.

Many pediatric dentists these days only offer IV sedation, which in these economic times can put a difficult burden on families. This is one of the reasons we choose to offer oral sedation as an alternative to IV sedation.

The following is what one parent who was quoted for IV sedation at a different office had to say about her experience:

"My son had his first experience with cavities, and needed to have multiple teeth filled. Dr. Gary and his staff presented us with two options for anesthesia, and we are thankful we went with the oral sedation instead of I.V. sedation, as this was not the most economical option for us, but the entire process was painless, which as parents, was our main concern. Thank you for providing options for parents, and for cultivating a peaceful, kid-friendly environment where my children can learn how to keep their teeth and mouth healthy. You all are a blessing."
-Susan J.