At first, doctors thought Lynda Dean-Duru was suffering from bronchitis or Lyme Disease. Migraines and other symptoms continued to plague her, but tests came back negative time and again until a fifth doctor found the culprit: sleep apnea.
With treatment, the symptoms went away. “I became myself again until seven years later it didn’t work anymore,” she said. “My option was to get my jaws broken to make more room for my tongue, [but] I chose not to do that. Looking for a more holistic option, I found out about the jaw growth, breathing, and sleep connection. How well your face grows determines how well you can breathe and sleep. Looking back at pictures of me at nine months of age, all the signs were there.”
Today, at Ashburn Children’s Dentistry, Dr. Lynda Dean-Duru and her daughter, Dr. Krystle Dean-Duru, work to put patients on the path to healthy mouths and bodies.
“We treat more holistically than just teeth,” Dr. Lynda said. “We understand that the body is all connected. Seeing babies as young as two days old, we can see if the tongue function is not optimal, and there are things you can do to help them get on a path where their jaws can grow better, wider, and more forward to develop nasal breathing as early as possible.”
A graduate of the University of Benin in her native Nigeria, Lynda spent her residency at Howard University Hospital and earned her Pediatric Dentistry Specialty from Children’s National Medical Center. Dr. Krystle completed her dentistry degree at Virginia Commonwealth University after graduating from Columbia University and is now an advanced integrative laser pediatric dentist. Working together, they go beyond routine dental care to treat a child’s whole-body health in a comprehensive, integrated approach.
The Story The Teeth Can Tell
Ashburn Children’s Dentistry addresses the root cause of issues that can escalate to other health problems, including sleep apnea, which occurs when breathing stops in your sleep, preventing oxygen from getting to your brain. “This is the end stage of the disease and why it’s critical to catch it early,” Dr. Lynda said.
Mouth breathing and snoring can also be signs that a child needs dental attention. Open mouth breathing can put pressure on the tongue, obstructing the airway and interrupting sleep.
“We can intercept it at the snoring part, so it does not become end-stage sleep apnea,” Dr. Lynda said. “That’s why we want to make sure parents are aware, because it’s a progressive disease. Sleep-related breathing disorders are a spectrum. You’re not breathing well while sleeping but also not during the day. At night there’s double the consequences, because when you’re sleeping, you’re repairing and growing.”
What are some other signs that your child may be suffering from disordered breathing? In infants, it could be acid reflux, spit ups, noisy breathing, open mouth posture, colic, or difficulty latching on for breastfeeding. In older children, signs could be constant sickness, mouth breathing, teeth grinding, crowded teeth, tossing and turning at night, difficulty focusing or sitting still, hyperactivity or irritability, picky eating, bedwetting, or frequent ear infections.
“Sometimes the bed looks like a tornado hit it, or they sleep with their butt in the air, their neck twisted back, and when they wake up, they are still quite tired after 10 or 11 hours of sleep, or they’re hyper, irritable, or defiant and can’t focus in school,” Dr. Krystle said. “If you don’t get the full rest you need, you’re going to be dead to the world or have difficulty focusing and sitting still.”
And yes, these symptoms mimic those found in ADHD. “If you’re told your child needs to get on medication for ADHD, have someone check their jaw growth and sleep first before changing their brain chemistry,” Dr. Lynda said.
Although these challenges may be common, they’re not normal, Dr. Krystle explained. “Kids don’t grow out of these symptoms but grow into other symptoms,” she said.
Treatment to Thrive
Dr. Krystle sees children who are failing to thrive come in for treatment and start shooting up in growth. “We know how the trajectory of the face determines how you’re going to grow as a human,” she said. “We can put a child back on the proper trajectory.”
Often the teeth do not fit and need more room for the tongue for overall function. “We intervene early for a better foundation, and the teeth come in nicer,” Dr. Lynda said. “If you do end up having braces or an aligner, it’s for a shorter period of time because the foundation has been built properly, and the teeth are closer to where they need to be.”
In the Growing Health Faces program at Ashburn Children’s Dentistry, the dentists follow a child’s facial structure and growth.
“For toddlers, we start with function and expansion on them slowly, working with their cranium and growth,” Dr. Krystle said. “We are facilitating their growth, following them as they get older, changing, moving, if they need a different appliance. We call it health-centered, pro-nature orthodontics and growth guidance. The types of appliances are unique to each patient, but we use biomimetic appliances that work with the patient’s body to be predictable, gentle for their growth and balance their nervous system. They may not need braces because we’re fixing it at the root cause.”
One of the risks of mouth breathing is more cavities, since it changes the microbiome of the mouth. Although Ashburn Children’s Dentistry can treat cavities with a laser, removing the need to numb the gum with a needle, no one wants their child to have frequent cavities.
“A lot of people are frustrated their kids have cavities, even if they stay away from sugar and are eating organic and brushing well,” Dr. Lynda said. “There is a root cause to it that can be treated and helped, and parents don’t have to keep blaming themselves.”
Early intervention can mean living free from jaw pain, migraines, sleep apnea, and a host of other issues for a lifetime. “It’s the gift of a healthy face that has grown well, sleeps well, and breathes well,” Dr. Lynda said, “and you know your child can reach their full potential.”
Interested in comprehensive preventative holistic dental care for your child? Find out more about Ashburn Children’s Dentistry, the programs they offer, and their cutting-edge technology at kidzsmile.com/ or call 703-723-8440.
“We treat more holistically than just teeth. We understand that the body is all connected." —Dr. Lynda Dean-Duru
“It’s the gift of a healthy face that has grown well, sleeps well, and breathes well, and you know your child can reach their full potential.” —Dr. Lynda Dean-Duru