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Airway orthodontics
An honest look at your child's jaw and breathing, from an orthodontist just west of Orlando.
Your child sleeps with their mouth open, or snores loud enough to hear from down the hall, or gets a full night in bed and still wakes up tired. Maybe you've also seen people online promising an expander will fix all of it.
Not ready to come in? Send a few photos of your child's teeth and the office will follow up with what Dr. Ogden sees. Photos show the teeth and bite. They can't tell anyone why a child snores.
Dr. Robert Ogden, an orthodontist since 1994, believes a narrow upper jaw can make breathing harder for some children, and that widening it can help the right child. He also knows it isn't the answer for every child who snores or breathes through their mouth, and he will tell you when he doesn't think it will help.
Snoring most nights or pauses in breathing are also worth raising with your child's pediatrician. Dr. Ogden looks at the jaw and bite. A physician looks at the rest.
Snore yourself? Dr. Ogden treats adults too, including a sleep appliance for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea.
The upper jaw holds the teeth and forms the base of the nasal passages above them.
The teeth often crowd or the back teeth bite inside the lower ones. In some children, it also leaves less room for air to move through the nose, and for the tongue to rest where it should.
He checks the teeth and bite like any orthodontic exam, and he also looks at whether the jaw's shape could be one of the things affecting how your child breathes.
A narrow upper jaw, a crossbite or crowding that points to a narrow arch are orthodontic problems with orthodontic fixes. Widening the jaw makes room for the teeth and corrects the bite.
When that narrow jaw was also making nose breathing harder, breathing can improve too. Dr. Ogden treats the jaw problem as the reason for treatment, and any breathing improvement as a possible benefit, not a promise.
Many children who need expansion also need braces or Invisalign later to finish lining up the teeth.
Orthodontists don't diagnose sleep apnea on their own. The American Association of Orthodontists describes their role as spotting warning signs, referring you to a physician and, when the physician agrees, being part of the treatment. The physician makes the diagnosis, usually with a sleep study.
Many children who snore have large tonsils or adenoids. For children with sleep apnea and enlarged tonsils or adenoids, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends removing them as the first treatment. An expander does nothing about tonsils.
Expansion does have a recognized place. For some children whose sleep apnea continues after tonsil and adenoid surgery and who have a narrow upper jaw, often but not always with a crossbite, a 2024 American Thoracic Society guideline suggests considering orthodontic treatment, typically between ages 6 and 13.
The guideline calls that a conditional suggestion based on very low-certainty evidence. It is not a recommendation to use expanders for snoring in general.
Mention any of these when you come in, even if they seem unrelated to teeth:
The American Academy of Pediatrics lists daytime learning problems, labored breathing and restless sleep with gasps or pauses among the reasons a snoring child should have a sleep study. Your pediatrician orders that test.
None of these signs means your child has a jaw problem. They help Dr. Ogden see the whole picture.
Two minute check
Three quick questions, then what we think we can do for you. Dr. Ogden makes the real call after he looks, and he'll tell you if nothing is needed.
Who is this for?
What have you noticed most?
Has a doctor looked at the breathing side yet?
You will get what we think we can do for you, and what to bring to your visit.
When a narrow upper jaw needs widening, Dr. Ogden uses the Leaf Expander, made by the Italian company Leone. It was developed with Dr. Claudio Lanteri, an orthodontist, and Filippo Francolini.
Most parents picture the traditional expander, with a key a parent turns at home every day. The Leaf Expander works differently. Two nickel titanium leaf springs press outward with a steady, measured force, so nobody turns anything at home.
Dr. Ogden uses the Leaf Self-Expander. Once it's placed, it keeps working on its own, with no reactivation at home or at the office.
At Ogden Orthodontics, the metal framework is 3D printed from a scan of your child's mouth so it fits closely. Getting one takes two appointments, a scan at the first and the expander placed at the second, with no separators needed.
The Leaf Expander, a palate expander that widens the upper jaw with two nickel titanium springs.
An intraoral scanner takes a digital scan of the teeth at Ogden Orthodontics. No goopy impressions.
Researchers in Italy have compared the Leaf Expander with a traditional rapid expander in small groups of children, most of them between about 7 and 9 years old. On 3D scans, nasal cavity and upper throat volume increased with both expanders, and the study found no significant difference between them. Two related studies measured nasal width and changes to the jaw and teeth and also found no significant difference.
That's encouraging, but it isn't proof the two are equal in every case, and none of these studies measured sleep. They show the Leaf Expander changes the jaw and nasal passage in ways comparable to the traditional expander, without the daily key. They don't show that an expander cures snoring or sleep apnea.
These studies looked at the original Leaf Expander. The Self-Expander Dr. Ogden uses is a newer version of the same design.
Most visits take about half an hour, and nobody asks you to decide in the chair. The Windermere office page has more about the office and the team.
Windermere office
Dr. Ogden checks the jaw and bite. You leave knowing whether an expander makes sense, or whether your next call is to the pediatrician.
Sometimes the jaw is fine and something else is going on. Large tonsils or adenoids, allergies or a blocked nose can all cause mouth breathing and snoring.
When the jaw and bite look healthy, Dr. Ogden says so and won't recommend an expander for breathing. You don't pay for an appliance he doesn't think will help, and you know the next call is to your pediatrician or an ear, nose and throat doctor.
Some children need both. A child can have large tonsils and a narrow jaw, and the two get treated by different doctors. Dr. Ogden can talk you through the timing on the orthodontic side.
Airway care at Ogden Orthodontics isn't only for children. Dr. Ogden treats adults in two ways.
For adults who snore, or who have mild to moderate sleep apnea, Dr. Ogden offers the Silent Nite sleep appliance from Glidewell. You wear it at night, and it holds your lower jaw slightly forward, which helps keep your airway from collapsing while you sleep.
Glidewell lists the Silent Nite for reducing snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea in adults 18 and older. It comes out in the morning, and it's adjustable, so the fit can be fine-tuned.
A sleep physician comes first. Under the oral appliance guideline from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, a sleep physician diagnoses snoring or sleep apnea and prescribes the appliance, and a dentist or orthodontist makes and fits it. Ogden Orthodontics doesn't order sleep studies. If you've already had one, bring the results to your consultation. If you need one, the office can connect you with a company that handles sleep testing.
The Silent Nite fee ranges from $625 to $1,200.
Dr. Ogden also uses the Leaf Expander for some adults with a narrow upper arch.
Once growth is finished, the two halves of the palate have joined. In an adult, expansion mostly widens the arch of the teeth rather than the bone itself. The studies on the Leaf Expander so far were done in children, so Dr. Ogden will tell you what it can realistically do in your case.
The first consultation is free, including the look at your child's jaw and bite.
A Leaf Expander at the Windermere office is $1,050. When an expander is part of a first phase of treatment, that fee is separate from any braces later. Both are priced up front so you are not surprised partway through. The Silent Nite sleep appliance for adults ranges from $625 to $1,200.
Many dental plans include an orthodontic benefit, often a lifetime maximum per child. The practice works regularly with Delta Dental, DeltaCare USA, Cigna, MetLife, United Healthcare, Ameritas and The Standard, and the front desk checks what your plan pays before you commit.
In-house financing is 0% interest. Cherry payment plans and military discounts are also available.
Price in writing
A Leaf Expander at the Windermere office is $1,050, with 0% in-house financing. The consultation is free, and the price goes in writing first.
4.9 stars across more than 200 reviews at the Windermere office.
The Windermere office sits on Maguire Road, close to Windermere, Horizon West, Gotha, Dr. Phillips, Ocoee and Winter Garden.
1805 Maguire Rd, Suite 101, Windermere, FL 34786
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Dr. Ogden also sees patients at the Clermont office and the Mount Dora office. If another office is closer to school or work, you can switch without changing doctors or plans.
Airway orthodontics is orthodontic care that looks at how the jaw's shape relates to breathing as well as how the teeth line up. At Ogden Orthodontics in Windermere, Dr. Robert Ogden checks whether a narrow upper jaw could be one factor in a child's snoring or mouth breathing.
Sometimes. If a narrow upper jaw is making nose breathing harder, widening it can help. Mouth breathing also comes from allergies and large tonsils or adenoids, which orthodontics doesn't treat, so your pediatrician should be part of the conversation.
It can when a narrow upper jaw is restricting the nose. Expansion widens the jaw and the floor of the nasal cavity, and studies have measured increases in nasal volume. It isn't likely to help when the jaw is already a healthy width or the main cause is tonsils or adenoids.
No orthodontist should promise that. The American Association of Orthodontists says orthodontists can't diagnose or treat sleep apnea on their own. A physician diagnoses it, usually with a sleep study, and orthodontic treatment can be one part of a plan when a physician agrees.
A physician, usually through a sleep study your pediatrician orders. An orthodontist can notice warning signs, such as snoring, mouth breathing or a narrow jaw, and suggest you raise them. Dr. Ogden will tell you if he sees something worth mentioning to your pediatrician.
If the main worry is loud snoring or pauses in breathing, start with your pediatrician, who may refer you to an ear, nose and throat doctor. If you've also noticed a narrow jaw, crowding or a crossbite, a free orthodontic consultation in Windermere looks at the jaw.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check by age seven. That timing matters for airway concerns, because expanding the upper jaw works best while the palate is still growing. Most seven-year-olds Dr. Ogden sees don't need treatment yet.
The Leaf Expander is a palate expander made by Leone that widens the upper jaw with two nickel titanium leaf springs. Nobody turns a key at home, because the springs supply the force. Ogden Orthodontics uses the Leaf Self-Expander for children and some adults at the Windermere office.
Small studies comparing the two in children found no significant difference in measured changes to the jaw, teeth, nasal width and upper airway volume. That isn't proof they're equal in every case, and the Leaf Expander works more gradually.
No. Ogden Orthodontics uses the Leaf Self-Expander, which keeps working on its own after it's placed. There's no turning at home and no reactivation at the office. Dr. Ogden checks progress at your child's regular appointments.
Most children feel pressure for a few days after it's placed. Speech and eating can feel odd for the first week or so. A gap often opens between the front teeth during expansion, which is expected.
The Leaf Expander usually stays in for 3 to 6 months at Ogden Orthodontics in Windermere. How long your child wears it depends on how much the upper jaw needs to widen.
A Leaf Expander at Ogden Orthodontics in Windermere is $1,050. The consultation that tells you whether your child needs one is free, and the price goes in writing before you decide anything.
Often in part. Many dental plans include an orthodontic benefit with a lifetime maximum per child, and an expander usually falls under it. Ogden Orthodontics checks what your plan pays before you commit.
Yes. Ogden Orthodontics offers the Silent Nite sleep appliance for adults who snore or have mild to moderate sleep apnea, and uses the Leaf Expander for some adults with a narrow upper arch. A physician diagnoses sleep apnea, usually with a sleep study.
The Silent Nite is a removable sleep appliance from Glidewell that holds the lower jaw slightly forward during sleep to help keep the airway open. It's made for adults with snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea. Dr. Ogden offers it at the Windermere office.
Usually, yes. The oral appliance guideline from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine says a sleep physician should diagnose snoring or sleep apnea and prescribe the appliance. Ogden Orthodontics doesn't order sleep studies, so bring your results to your free consultation. If you need a test, the office can connect you with a company that handles sleep testing.
The Silent Nite sleep appliance ranges from $625 to $1,200 at Ogden Orthodontics. The consultation is free, and the front desk can go over the price for your case.
Yes. Most children who come in for an early check don't need treatment yet, and Dr. Ogden says so. If the jaw and bite look healthy, he won't recommend an expander for breathing, and he'll suggest following up with your pediatrician.
Ogden Orthodontics has an office in Windermere on Maguire Road, west of Orlando, convenient for Dr. Phillips, Winter Garden, Ocoee, Horizon West and Gotha. Dr. Robert Ogden, an orthodontist since 1994, also treats patients in Clermont and Mount Dora.
You've been watching your child sleep and wondering whether you're missing something. One half-hour visit tells you what Dr. Ogden sees in the jaw and bite, and what he'd do about it.
If a narrow jaw is part of the picture, you leave with a plan and a price while your child is still growing. If it isn't, you know that too, and you know your next call is to the pediatrician.
