Give your kids a healthy start in Annandale, VA

The Cleveland Clinic estimates as high as 30 percent of children suffer from sleep disturbances. Symptoms of a compromised airway are often left untreated or may be misdiagnosed. However, it is critical to identify them early and restore airway of young children during growth stages, to provide effective treatment with more permanent results. Dr. Richard Fischer and his team at Evergreen Dental Wellness in Annandale, VA are uniquely qualified to help children get a healthy start in life.

Developmental years are critical!

Consider those children among your family and friends who may suffer outward symptoms such as:

• Restless sleep
• Learning difficulties
•  Headaches
• Swollen tonsils and adenoids
• Teeth grinding
• Bed wetting
• ADD/ADHD
• Behavioral issues
• Night terrors

These health challenges may occur as a single symptom, or could be linked together suggesting a potential underlying situation – sleep disordered breathing. According to statistics, the number of children adversely affected by breathing difficulties and obstructive airway issues during sleep is enormous. It potentially affects millions of youngsters in the US alone. Evidence shows that sleep disorders in children interfere with physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Without proper treatment, these children are likely to be plagued with related health issues as adults.

Annandale, VA team is Healthy Start™ certified

Our office has been successfully treating adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea, sleep disordered breathing, and snoring for 15 years. In 2011, Dr. Fischer became only the second dentist in the state of Virginia to be awarded the Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine for treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea using non-surgical oral appliance therapy. Last year our entire team became Certified Healthy Start™ providers. That certification allows us to expand our care, providing profound health benefits to children as young as three years of age with sleep disordered breathing.

Healthy Start™ is a proven system that improves the health and well-being of children by correcting the root causes of a compromised airway. The technique utilizes a non-pharmacological and non-invasive procedure that straightens jaws and teeth, for a lifetime of beautiful smiles. This approach uses soft, pliable oral devices which are simply worn at night to correct thumb-sucking, mouth breathing, abnormal swallowing, and other harmful habits. Once the habits are corrected, the developing jaws and erupting teeth are gently guided into proper and stable position. This normalizes the child’s airway size for easy breathing, while at the same time establishing healthy TMJ anatomy and function.

Healthy Start™ was developed by a Board-certified orthodontist (Dr. Earl O. Bergersen) who taught growth and development for 25 years at Northwestern University. The system has enjoyed a 40-year track record of success, now having treated over three million patients worldwide.

Dr. Fischer and his team are excited about their ability to assist in the gentle care of the youngest patients of Evergreen Dental Wellness. Enabling their truly healthy start in life helps to prevent future TMJ and obstructive sleep apnea issues as these children mature into adults.