Airway Dentistry in St. Charles, IL

Guiding Healthy Growth with Expanders and Myobrace®

At our practice, we believe children deserve more than just straight teeth—they deserve healthy jaws, wide airways, and the foundation for lifelong wellness. That’s why we offer both fixed expanders and the Myobrace® series to help guide the natural development of your child’s smile and breathing.

Why Jaw and Airway Development Matters

A child’s jaws do more than hold teeth—they also shape the airway and affect overall health. Narrow dental arches and underdeveloped jaws can contribute to:

  • Crowding and misaligned teeth

  • Mouth breathing or snoring

  • Sleep and concentration difficulties

  • Long-term orthodontic challenges

By intervening early, we can encourage the jaws to grow in the right direction, often reducing or eliminating the need for complex treatment later in life.

Fixed Expanders

A fixed expander gently widens the upper jaw to create the proper space for teeth and support the airway. This treatment is especially helpful in younger children, while the bones are still developing. Benefits include:

  • Making room for permanent teeth to erupt naturally

  • Improving bite and jaw balance

  • Supporting nasal breathing by increasing airway volume

Myobrace® Series

The Myobrace® system is a series of removable oral appliances designed to correct poor oral habits that affect growth, such as mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, or incorrect swallowing patterns. When used consistently, Myobrace® helps children:

  • Breathe through the nose instead of the mouth

  • Keep the tongue in the proper resting position

  • Develop wider dental arches and more space for teeth

  • Improve posture and overall well-being

A Combined Approach for Best Results

For many children, using expanders alongside Myobrace® provides the most effective guidance. While expanders create the necessary physical space, Myobrace® helps retrain oral muscles and habits to ensure the changes last.

Building Smiles—and Health—for the Future

Our goal is not only to help your child achieve a beautiful smile, but also to support their overall health and quality of life. By guiding jaw and airway development early, we give children the best chance at growing up with confident smiles, better sleep, and easier breathing.

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Dental model with orthodontic braces, and a palatal expander showing the upper teeth, pink gum base, and metal brackets attached to teeth. This is demonstrating jaw expansion for airway development
Diagram showing different sizes of myobrace appliances for juniors, kids, teens, and adults.