EpigeWHAT?!?!? Guiding Your Child’s Genetic Expression Through Holistic Orthodontics
Me: Wow, that sounds . . . . bad. I had terrible immune function as a child that lead to lethargy AND I am near-sighted. Not surprisingly, I have a narrow jaw. I’m hoping my kids facial structure will develop properly thanks to good nutrition and breastfeeding, but what if that doesn’t happen for some reason? I read on your website that a prolonged struggle in the birth canal can affect proper skull development. That describes my son’s birth pretty well. Factoring that with his tongue tie I’d say I’m pretty concerned. We’ve just begun cranio-sacral therapy to try to address these issues, but if there are lingering problems is there a way we can correct them? I’m thinking of bottle fed babies, too. Is orthodontics the solution?
Dr. Liao: A 28 y.o. man was referred to me by a patient for teeth grinding, “homeless” bite, overweight by 30 pounds, heel pain both feet, waking up tired, medically-diagnosed sleep apnea, C-PAP intolerance, and ED. His history included braces twice for a total of 7 years, and four teeth were extracted in high school. The spaces left by the extraction were closed with retraction orthodontics. So he now has straight teeth with a miserable body. The cause: reduced oral volume from extraction and retraction orthodontics. His tongue is now a 6 foot tiger in a 3 foot cage. His sleep test shows an average of 25 arousals per hour because his body is struggling with Code Blue to get more air past the tongue in his throat. That’s why he wakes up tired, and that’s also why he is putting on wads of fat around his belly. His body is experiencing stress alarms during sleep, and stocking up on fuel to deal with siege is exactly what survival calls for.
Me: So you’re saying that traditional orthodontics can do more harm than good?
Dr Liao: Traditional orthodontics does a lot of good when properly practiced. To avoid having a 10 foot polar bear hunting in a 6 foot igloo, however, you want expansion rather than extraction and retraction orthodontics. Typical orthodontists are well-trained in dental schools on how to line teeth up straight. I am a general dentist who champions the idea of a holistic mouth — one that is an asset rather than a liability to whole body health. This is not yet taught in dental schools. Dentists are trained to be good tooth mechanics and safe operators. But the mouth is more than teeth, as the case above illustrates. You need a mouth doctor just like you need a heart and brain doctor. The mouth is pivotal organ for overall health and natural wellness. Sleeping with the tongue partly or most in your throat is sure way to look and feel old fast. So my concerns go beyond just straight and white teeth. My concerns include:
- Alignment of jaws and teeth with cranial (skull) bones and spine
- Breathing without tongue blocking the airway
- Circulation without dental and periodontal infections
- Digestion without dental and environmental toxins
I am sure there are enlightened orthodontists who do the same for their patients. Holistic mouth care as a universally recognized health requirement is still like the New World before Columbus put it on the map, i.e. too new for most doctors who are satisfied with their professional education.
Me: Okay, I am sooooo close to hopping on a plane and bringing Micah to you right now for a consult. But, um, at 1.5 years old I’m guessing he wouldn’t be a very cooperative patient. Is there an ideal age to bring a child to someone like you?
Dr. Liao: Optimal dental-facial development has two parts: bone-to-bone orthopedic alignment, and teeth-to-teeth orthodontic alignment. Orthopedics refers to the relationship between cranial bones and jaw bones, and spine. The dental-facial skeleton has a set of rules on postural health and comfort, just like the spinal and pelvic skeleton. If the dental-facial skeleton is off balance or not symmetrical, some signs will show up. After age 12, adult teeth come through and locks in the existing orthopedic problems for life. Symptoms in head, neck, jaw sometimes do not show up until after age 20 when growth stops in milder cases, but will show up during growth years during severe cases. Mouth breathing from nasal obstruction is a critical factor for initiating dental crowding and orthodontic problems. So it is best to recognize and treat early while the bones are soft and easy to re-align:
Age 0-1
Evaluation by parents and a physician, be it medical, naturopathic, osteopathic, chiropractic or dental physician trained in recognized head-neck misalignment. Symptoms can include spit-up regularly after feeding, irritability, incessant crying through the night without let up. Also checkup on tongue tie.
Age 3-4
Valuation of developing baby teeth and bite by dentist. Best to bring child into dentist as a tag along when Mom or Dad is having teeth cleaned to show such visits are safe. Observe for mouth breathing, tongue tie, overbite, cavities, diet, dental hygiene, cross-bite, teeth grinding, finger sucking, frequent yawning during day, energy level, etc.
Age 5-7
Evaluation for arch width and facial asymmetry such as one eye higher, one ear more flared, one mouth corner higher, head tilt, forward neck, weak chin, flat feet, etc.
Age 7-9
Treatment of all orthopedic issues and allow teeth to come into jaws already in good orthopedic alignment with head and neck. Best practice is to correct mouth breathing, ensure full nasal breathing, and align head-jaws-neck orthopedics before age 10 when cranial-jaws-neck orthopedics drives the orthodontic relationship (how teeth come together). All too often, the mouth and the bite is left out of holistic care.
Palate Expander used in Dr. Liao's practice to promote orthopedic alignment
Top row: Before palate expander Bottom row: After palate expander
Me: Alrighty, Micah is seeing a cranio-sacral therapist to correct orthopedic misalignment due either to his birth or tongue tie so I think we’re right on track. But I want to do MORE! What steps can you recommend for mamas that want to be proactive in these early years?
Dr. Liao: Dr. Weston Price, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, found that the maxilla, the bone that forms the mid-face from the base of the eyes to the smile line of upper teeth, is susceptible to nutritional factors. I find that the maxilla is easily stunted development by mouth breathing from allergies and stuffy nose. Our bodies are taking more and more hits from environment and processed foods that can affect dental facial development. Just compare the faces of actors and actresses in the black & white era compared to today. Gone are the broad faces smiles of Gina Davis and Julia Roberts.
One reason is that our bodies are taking more and more hits from environment and processed foods that can affect dental facial development. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) did a study (2005) that shows 10 cord blood samples across US has 297 chemicals in them, 180 of them carcinogenic, and 217 are toxic to brain and nervous systems. They are in our clothing, food packaging, and furnitures. So join EWG and the Weston A. Price Foundation to get educated and stay informed. EWG offers a lists of fruits and vegetables with highest pesticides and safe cosmetics list, while WAPF.org offers Shopping Guides and many educational materials and workshops.
What can you do for your child as a parent? Breastfeeding and good nutrition are natural and important starts. Next, observe the child for the signs and symptoms listed above, they can take corrective steps under the guidance of like-minded health and dental professionals. Osteopathic and chiropractic physicians who do cranial work are invaluable resources. Ask them for dental referrals, and ask WHY. Look for WAPF and EWG members who are nutritionally conscious and offer educational information. For example, I will be speaking to Holistic Moms’ Network next month — another great resource for your readers.
For adults like you, look up Epigenetic Orthodontics, or go to the DNA appliance system website for information and referrals. DNA is a new orthopedic appliance that can restart the dental-facial development in adults that was blocked by mouth breathing and allergies during growth years. It has helped my patients stop snoring, widen narrow jaws, resolve neck and back pain, reduce facial creases, restore energy, and uplift mood.
Me: You bet I will! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us today, Dr. Liao. I learned a lot!
Do you have questiona for Dr. Liao?? Ask them in the comments for a follow-up Q&A post!
Photo credit: Braces
Mali Korsten (The Korsten Chronicle)
Such an interesting post – thanks Mommypotamus and Dr. Liao! My question is, what can one do to correct such problems later on in life? I am 22 and have terrible neck, back and shoulder pain which I believe stems from my jaw, which aches and clicks and always feels tense. I had dental overcrowding and underwent palate expansion as a teenager, but I feel my jaw wasn’t quite expanded enough as my mouth still feels crowded, I have a slight over-jet and my wisdom teeth have come through all wrong (upper two growing out towards my cheek, bottom two towards the other teeth). Is it too late to correct these problems, and if not what would you recommend?
Mali Korsten (The Korsten Chronicle)´s last [type] ..Cookie Dough Milkshake (GAPS-Friendly)
Heather
Hi Mali! Dr. Liao mentions the DNA appliance as a way for adults to possibly widen the jaw. You can check it out and find a list of practitioners at http://www.dnaappliance.com/index.html
Wyndie Pereira Mileski via FB
Oh my, we are right in the middle of my 12 year old son’s braces…and I am unhappy with his ortho’s recommendation to extract a bunch of teeth…I needed this article; thank you!
Mommypotamus via FB
Sounds like it came at just the right time! So glad you found it helpful, Wyndie Pereira Mileski!
Gittele
I would love to know what treatment an adult can do to correct teeth grinding. I have never had a brace but grind my teeth terrible and it has caused me no end of issues. My teeth are being destroyed from it! What treatment would Dr Liao have a patient do?
Thank you!
Also is there a worldwide database of Dentists who practice like this? i am in the UK.
Brianne
I second the teeth grinding question. I’ve tried so many treatments (yoga, exercise, running, accupressure, essential oils) and mouth guards, and ultimately spent a lot of money. But none of it has been a permanent solution. My current mouth guard I have to wear every night. If I forget to put it in, I get migraines, damaged teeth and very tense jaw/neck/shoulder muscles, not to mention I wake up everyone else in the house. Doctors and dentists keep saying that the usual cause is stress, but I would not consider myself stressed at all (despite what they say, I think I would know). I feel like there has to be some underlying cause that no one is looking for!
Cheryl Jazzar
Tooth grinding can be attributed to low magnesium, parasites and exposure to heavy metals such as mercury. Up to 90% of people have intestinal parasites and nearly as many have magneisum deficiency. “Silver fillings” are 49% mercury.
cmh
My question is where and how to find such practitioners. I have called everywhere in my state with no success, I found one holistic dentist however she would not take children.
Mandy
These are such great posts! Thank you so much! I do have a couple of questions….is there anything that can be done for adults to improve their alignment? I had a bionator (I think that was what it was called) as a child. It worked so well to correct a very severe overbite. However, I still have a very deep bite. I probably could have had it corrected as a child, but we moved away from the only dentist who addressed these issues. Also, my second little boy had tongue tie, and a very rough birth. Is there anything that I should be doing for him (he is 3 now)? He also has an overbite and a very deep bite. Is the bionator a good option when he gets older? It was such an easy and painless fix for me as a child, but I don’t know it is what is “best”. I don’t have any jaw problems, but I do notice that I have become more of a mouth breather as I have gotten older. I have also recently noticed that my head is definitely jutting out and causing headaches and neck aches. This is all so fascinating for me, and I have a ton of questions! I really need to dig deeper and research more. Mommypotamus, have you seen good results with the Cranial Sacral Therapy? My Dad was a Chiro, so I was regularly adjusted; however, it wasn’t enough to help my dental alignment. We do a WAPF diet, so I do feel like the butter oil and CLO are helping my son’s face/jaw develop, but I notice that his mouth is often slightly open or slack. Like most parents, I want to do the best thing possible for my kids….I just hope that I can find out what that is! I think that I might just need to make the drive and visit Dr. Liao!
Heather
We have seen amazing results with cranio-sacral therapy. For example, the last time I took Micah in I mentioned that Micah pulls his head back when he nurses. He latches on and then arches himself into a position that is not comfortable for me. The doctor gave him a quick adjustment to address that and Micah does it about 80% less now than he did before. Yay!
Sharon
Oh my gosh, this describes my 11 year old daughter. Though she was born by c/section and though she was breastfed for over 2 years, I did not know how to eat right during my pregnancy and she has a very small mouth. A year and half ago we had her tonsils and adenoids removed and her turbinates in her nose shaved due to breathing issues. NO change since the surgery. She is a very competitive athlete and her fatigue and breathing issues are a still a struggle. I wish we had never done the surgery and until now I had no idea of what to do. Diet changes have not helped (WAP and GAPS). I think this is the answer. The website lists a doctor two hours away. I want to know if this treatment is then followed by standard orthodontia?
Trish
I’m curious about pacifiers/binkies. Is there research or evidence suggesting whether they are helpful/harmful? I’ve used one with my son because he really always wants it. When he was younger I gave it to him because I wanted him to breathe through his nose instead of through his mouth. So with all the talk about nose breathing, I’m just curious about your opinion on binkies/pacifiers.
Beka
What does one do to correct mouth breathing in kids? I feel this is part of the reason for my son’s tooth decay because he doesn’t close his mouth for saliva to do its job.
A. B.
I second the pacifier question – I know that the children who were photographed by Price had perfect teeth and probably were nursed ’til they were three or four, but pacifiers are probably different than real nipples. I’d love to hear a professional opinion!
Martina
Thank You, for this post! I have major concern regarding this matter.
We were never a processed food family, but neither traditional either. My second child is 7 months old and was born with a cleft lip and palate. I was shocked to say the least…..
During my second month of pregnancy my own aching teeth caused me to find WAP. I immediately began FCLO and began traditional eating. He had a lip repair in Dec. and his palate repair is just a month away. I have been told he will need braces later in his childhood, along with implants if there are any missing teeth.
It pains me that we don’t get those special nursing sessions that I had with my daughter, as he is unable to get complete suction. I still have hope that my change with the palate repair. But, with that said, what can I do to help his facial/oral development? Does he need treatment sooner than a typical child?
He gets FCLO on his bottom each night, exclusive breast milk (via haberman bottle) up until 3 wks ago, when table foods were introduced.
PS He (we) LOVE your beef stew recipe from Nourished Baby! THANKS:)
Heather
Martina, have you connected with Kendahl at http://www.ournourishingroots.com? I think you two would find that you have a lot in common. So glad your son likes the stew . . . makes me SO HAPPY to hear!
Kristine Winniford via FB
I really enjoyed reading your interview, it was nice to read about warning signs to look out for and the whole mouth breathing thing was very interesting. Thanks for doing this post!
Mommypotamus via FB
So glad it was helpful, Kristine Winniford!
Monica
I would to know more about fixing sleep apnea with this device. My husband uses a CPAP at night and would love to stop using it, but is exhausted when does. Can you really fix this problem, what is involved and how long does it usually take? Thanks for all the helpful info!
Anna D
Great post, got me thinking and analyzing things. Thank you!. I would also like to find out about correcting mouth breathing in kids please, as we have the same problem here and the pacifiers too.
Anna D´s last [type] ..Super Easy, Super Quick and Super Thick Mayo
Genevieve Mama Natural
Interesting interview. Thanks so much for sharing, Heather!
In thinking about jaw formation and strength, I often wonder about MIchael Phelps and his amazing athletic abilities and yet he has a very narrow jaw and crowded teeth. Not sure what that’s about… good food for thought
>
XO
Genevieve Mama Natural´s last [type] ..WHAT’S IN YOUR MAMA PURSE? (MNShow 33)
Heather
I think personal determination has a lot to do with it.
Michelle
Wow! That was really interesting and informative. I had 4 adult teeth extracted and then braces to straighten as a child. I have always been told I just had a “small jaw” it’s been eye opening to read this! Thankfully I don’t mouth breath, that I know of anyway but yeah my tounge doesn’t fit inside my teeth. I’m definitly going to check out the DNA Appliance site, thanks!
Also I’m curious about the cranial sacrel therapy. What does that help with? Neither of my children (4 & 2) had a tramatic birth or tongue tie. But my daughter has some allergies and some sensory issues. Someone reccomended cranial sacrel therapy once to me to help with her hair pulling and eating. So I’m even more curious about it now. Thanks!
Heather
Cranio-sacral therapy is beneficial for a lot of conditions because it improves nervous system function. You can read more at http://www.craniosacraltherapy.org/FAQ.htm
Sonia
Any tips for someone who has already gone through having teeth pulled and getting braces? I’m 24 and had 5 teeth pulled and braces for 2 years, due to a “narrow jaw”. I am also a mouth breather, which I try to correct, but there’s not much control over that when I’m asleep! I also deal with lots of neck and shoulder tension (despite regular chiropractic), and, oh yeah… found out that I had Hodgkins Lymphoma the year after I got my braces off. Done with treatment for that, but I really need to figure out a way to help get everything back in alignment so that I can remain healthy.
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Mary@FitandFed
Wow, that was interesting. I had teeth pulled for my braces, too, so this makes me wonder. I have the same question as the other commenters– what can adults do about these problems now?
Mary@FitandFed´s last [type] ..Homemade Almond Butter
Emily
HI – So glad I found this article. My son (5 yrs old) always have his mouth open. He can’t seem to close it for more then 5 seconds. He was born with his mouth opened and it is always opened. His teeth looks okay, there are no protrusion or anything. However, his lips does not close when relaxed. My husband complained that his upper lip is too short so it is not easy for him to close. We asked his pediatrician and dentist about this and they pretty much just strung it off. Saying we can deal with it if it really becomes a problem. Right now he eats well and sleeps okay but he seems to always be tired and yawning but hates to go to sleep like any pre-schoolers. I am wondering what we need to do help him. He needs to close his mouth. I see that he will get teased in school for always having his mouth opened if this does not get fixed.
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gwen
I have a question for Dr. Liao and wondering how I might get the question answered?
My son is due for a palate expander. He is nine years old. However, we are off to Indonesia for one year! So, we need to wait until we get back so that he can get regular checkups in order for the expander to work correctly. Does Dr. Liao have any advice for me? Will it still work after he is 10 years old? My son has a narrow jaw, as do I. He has an immense amount of plaque accumulation on his lower front teeth. He has also been diagnosed with either fluorosis or hypoplaysia.
Thanks.
Heather
Hi Gwen! The best way to reach Dr. Liao is through is dental practice: http://wholehealthdentalcenter.com/
I believe he offers video consults
Cheryl Jazzar
How can we contact Dr. Liao? I am in the habit of traveling for holistic dentistry already, as we have no competent dentists in Oklahoma.
I’d love to invite Dr. Liao and Mommypotomus to my holistic dentistry group on FB, Get the Lead Out (and the mercury, antimony, palladium; etc…). If you’d care to friend me on FB I can add you. There are many parents and care providers there sharing great information. We have some CST therapists there, too but we need to stimulate more discussion on holistic orthodontics.
Thank you so much for your work on this excellent article!
Heather
Hi Cheryl! You can find him at http://wholehealthdentalcenter.com/meet-dr-felix-liao/.
Elizabeth Mayer
for emily i have a short upper lip and it is not comfortable for me to close my mouth. i never had trouble about it in school, but a babysitter once became raving mad and kicked me out of her house because i couldn’t chew with my mouth closed. i was a mouth breather for most of my life, but have tried to correct it.. although when i do breathe through my nose my mouth still remains open. my mouth is also “small” as the dentists say and i frequently bite my tongue or the sides of my cheeks on accident. my wisdom teeth have come in straight but because of that my front teeth are too crowded and are now crooked. i also grind my teeth and have a hole in one tooth from a piece breaking off that needs to be corrected. the only good news is that i have no metal fillings and have had no extractions or braces in my life. i can look back at my childhood and see all the mistakes my family made and how they affected me. thankfully i have educated myself and my daughter at 4 years old has not shown any of the same problems i faced so far. i was so worried those traits would be passed to her, now i see i have more control over it than i thought. this makes me very happy!