Good Oral Posture
Did you know that your child’s resting posture will influence the way his or her face will grow? There are easy and simple things you can do to help change your child’s growth trajectory to help ensure that his/her face grows in a healthy and beautiful way.
The basics of good oral posture
For a face to grow properly, the following conditions must be met:
- 1. The infant or child’s mouth must remain closed at rest. Whether awake or asleep, the lips should be closed and in a relaxed state such that supporting muscles are not strained.
- 2. The infant or child’s regular breathing is continuous, quiet and slow nasal breathing.
- 3. The infant or child’s tongue tip habitually rests on the roof of the mouth behind the upper front teeth.
- 4. The child attains a functional, mature swallow by age 2 – 3.
Good Oral Posture is the foundation for:
- Nasal breathing
- Proper formation of the nasal sinuses
- Nitric oxide delivery which lowers blood pressure
- Defined cheekbones
- Beautiful and broad jaw development
- Symmetrical face and facial bones
- Broad jaws that have enough space to allow for all their adult teeth to erupt
- Straight teeth
- Better sleep
- Good spinal alignment
Conventional orthodontics (i.e. treatment with braces once your child is 10+ years of age) has a focus to provide your child with straight teeth. Orthotropics, on the other hand, focuses on the development of a beautiful and healthy face from a young age. Dr. John Mew, a founder of orthotropics once said “Straight teeth do not create a good looking face, but a good looking face will create straight teeth”.
Help your children develop into the most beautiful version of themselves: teach them and help them practice good oral posture.
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