For most parents, the primary goal of taking their child to see an orthodontist is to achieve straighter teeth and a more beautiful smile. At LakePointe Orthodontics, it goes much deeper than that.
Dr. Brynn Jezdimir and Dr. Richard Frenchi are guided by a philosophy that looks beyond just straight teeth, focusing on a crucial, often-overlooked element of well-being: the airway. This forward-thinking approach, known as Airway Orthodontics, redefines the treatment goals.
"Our mission is to build a foundation for a lifetime of healthy breathing," explains Dr. Frenchi. "We look at the structure of the face and jaws to ensure there is an open airway, which can profoundly impact everything from growth and sleep quality to daily energy levels."
One common sign of a restricted airway is snoring. Other signs include mouth breathing, grinding of teeth, nighttime waking, and behavioral issues that mimic ADHD due to poor sleep quality.
Sometimes, he says, we are the first to notice a problem. "We spend a significant amount of time during our new patient exams asking questions about snoring, sleep quality, breathing patterns, and other symptoms. Kids who are mouth breathers will often have inflamed gum tissue, chronic ear infections, and allergies."
Years ago, airway health wasn't even part of an orthodontist's training. "I've been out of my orthodontic residency program for 15 years now," says Dr. Jezdimir. "I remember the first lecture I heard about airway and orthodontics from Dr. Dean Edwards, a leading pediatric oral maxillofacial surgeon from the University of Michigan. He told us that expansion was the number one way to treat sleep apnea in kids."
Discovering that there is often a structural reason for airway issues led to a journey of asking why, so that she could provide a more holistic approach. "We're finding that if we treat earlier and focus on the root cause, we're able to give a healthier outcome for the child
for their whole life."
When Dr. Frenchi joined the practice in 2020, he noticed right away that the practice performed a bit more expansion for patients than he was used to, but he recognized the difference the
treatment made. "After you put in an expander, some parents will come back after just one visit and tell us that their child has already stopped snoring," he says. "That convinced me that we were on the right track."
Often, the benefits of proper airways will never be seen or known because early intervention can prevent many problems. Children who may have had behavioral issues due to a lack of quality of sleep will instead be alert and ready to learn. They'll feel and look healthier overall.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children be assessed by the age of 7; however, when there are airway concerns, earlier intervention is often warranted.
The connection is surprisingly direct, they say. A narrow maxilla (upper jaw), crowded teeth, tongue or lip ties, or a recessed lower jaw can result in less room in the mouth, sinuses, and
throat, leading to a restricted airway.
"You don't need a referral to see us," says Dr. Jezdimir. "We give complimentary consultations so that we will complete a thorough exam of the teeth, jaws, and tongue, then review imaging and ask questions to screen help for sleep-disordered breathing.
Dr. Frenchi adds, "One of the biggest benefits of getting screened early is identifying any sort of breathing issue in patients, and they would never have known that until they were older and were having significant problems."
If the doctors conclude there's a potential airway problem, they develop a treatment plan that may include a referral to an ear, nose,
and throat specialist to assess if an obstruction of the nasal passage, tonsils, and/or adenoids is present and needs to be addressed.
Children may also be referred to a myofunctional therapist to help them train the muscles in their face, tongue, mouth, and throat to improve function. or a periodontist to help release tongue ties that can affect the natural development of the jaws and airway.
"We then follow up to normalize the width of the jaws so that they can breathe even better," says Dr. Frenchi. For children, this often involves intervention with custom appliances, such as palatal expanders. These devices gently widen the upper jaw, not only creating room for
all the teeth to fit naturally but also expanding the floor of the nasal cavity, which can increase the volume of the sinus.
Traditional orthodontics has often relied on extracting teeth to correct tooth crowding. "It's not normal to have crowding with baby teeth or crowding in itself," says Dr. Jezdimir. "The airway-focused philosophy at LakePointe Orthodontics sees crowding as a symptom of underdeveloped jaws. The goal, therefore, is to guide growth and create space, and extractions of permanent teeth are only recommended as a last resort."
Utilizing advanced techniques and working collaboratively with a team of
specialists—including ENTs, myofunctional therapists, and sleep physicians—create comprehensive solutions that enhance breathing and improve the quality of life for their patients.
"It's an aha moment when you help a parent after they've been trying to figure out what's been going on with their child's well-being," she says. "The passion of what we're doing comes from being able to help positively affect one's life."."
Dr. Jezdimir, a mom of three children, had her own "aha" moment. She recognized that her youngest child, Lucas, was having airway issues when he was around 2 years old. "He was snoring and also waking in the middle of the night," she says. "His tonsils were a little bigger,
and he sounded a bit more nasally in his breathing pattern. I knew I had to look into this further."
She found a pediatric ear, nose, and throat doctor and showed him a video of her son snoring. "Right away, he thought that we needed to do some surgical intervention, but I didn't want just to put my little sweet Lucas into surgery, so I asked to do a sleep study first."
The results showed that he had mild sleep apnea, which, at an average of three apneics an hour, was very concerning. "He had his tonsils
and adenoids addressed, and then I followed up to open his airway further with an expansion appliance that was made from a digital scan."
These days, thanks to technological advances, our appliances can be fitted much more easily than in the past, without impressions. "We can expand even earlier when there is an airway concern, and doing this with my own son gave me the courage to help other young children having apnea issues," she says.
"When we intervene at a young age, we can guide a child's growth to their full genetic potential," says Dr. Frenchi. "This can have a profound impact on their development and long-term health. We're excited to be a lighthouse in the area for parents and people with
airway concerns."
The ultimate goal at LakePointe Orthodontics, explains Dr. Jezdimir, is to provide holistic treatment that addresses the root causes of airway issues while respecting each patient as an individual, with their overall wellness in mind. "It's about ensuring a functional and adequate
airway while creating a beautiful smile."
She adds, "A healthy smile is a beautiful smile. But a smile that supports a healthy airway is truly life-changing. We're not just straightening teeth; we're helping our patients breathe, sleep, and live better."
To have your child or yourself assessed for airway issues, make an appointment with LakePointe Orthodontics soon and get ready to breathe easier.
Pull quotes:
"We're finding that if we treat earlier and focus on the root cause, we're able to give a
healthier outcome for the child for their whole life."
"When we intervene at a young age, we can guide a child's growth to their full genetic
potential. This can have a profound impact on their development and long-term health."
Dr. Brynn Jezdimir, a Michigan native, resides in Grosse Pointe with her husband, Ryan, and
their three children.
Dr. Richard Frenchi, also a Michigan native, lives in Royal Oak with his wife, Kathryn,
daughter, and two Labradors.
"We're finding that if we treat earlier and focus on the root cause, we're able to give a healthier outcome for the child for their whole life."
"When we intervene at a young age, we can guide a child's growth to their full genetic potential. This can have a profound impact on their development and long-term health.