The Tongue’s Role in Airway, Sleep, and Feeding Issues in Children by Dr. Richard Baxter

Pediatric airway issues, sleep issues, and feeding issues are very common and often last into adulthood if left untreated. Early identification and treatment of these issues are critical to allow children to thrive and have normal growth and development. The dentist is well-positioned to identify those at risk, and provide treatment or refer for treatment utilizing a team approach to care.

Many factors impact a child’s airway including enlarged tonsils and adenoids, a high and narrow palate, mouth breathing, and a restricted tongue (often referred to as tongue-tie). Often overlooked, a tongue-tie is likely one of the initial factors that can predispose children and adults to the other airway issues later in life such as mouth breathing, a high palate, and enlarged tonsils. It also can cause sleep, feeding, and speech issues in children.

Thankfully, a tongue-tie is the factor that is most easily treated by the dentist with proper technique, planning, and follow-up. In this course, we will help you to identify patients at risk for a restricted tongue and airway issues, and teach you evidence-based strategies to manage these patients and treat them effectively.

We don’t want any children to have a negative quality of life from something that can be released quickly and with minimal trauma to the child and family. Using the techniques in this course can be a starting point for those who wish to learn more about treating children with airway issues, and will help further inform those who have already started the journey of treating children and adults with tongue-ties.