Q: Why is airway health so important?
A: The airway is central to breathing, sleeping, swallowing, speaking, and overall health. Even small restrictions can impact:
- Quality of sleep (snoring, sleep-disordered breathing, apnea)
- Dental and facial development (narrow palate, crowding, relapse after braces)
- Feeding and swallowing efficiency
- Attention, behavior, and growth in children
- TMJ health, posture, and fatigue in adults
Q: Why does airway care require multiple providers?
A: Airway problems rarely have a single cause. For best results, care requires a team approach:
- ENTs manage structural and medical issues (tonsils, adenoids, nasal obstruction, sinus disease, allergies).
- Dentists & orthodontists guide dental arch development, jaw alignment, and oral appliance therapy.
- Therapists (BreatheWorks) retrain oral posture, strengthen airway muscles, and restore functional breathing and swallowing habits.
Working together ensures both the structure and the function of the airway are addressed.
Q: What role do ENTs play in airway collaboration?
A: ENTs evaluate and treat:
- Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
- Chronic nasal congestion or sinus infections
- Allergies and airway inflammation
- Deviated septum or structural nasal blockages
- Reflux-related airway irritation
Their care opens the airway medically and structurally—creating the foundation for successful therapy.
Q: What role do dentists and orthodontists play?
A: Dentists and orthodontists support airway health by:
- Identifying narrow palates, dental crowding, or crossbites linked to mouth breathing
- Using palatal expanders or orthodontics to improve space for the tongue and airway
- Providing oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnea or TMJ dysfunction
- Screening for oral restrictions (tongue tie) that affect function
Q: What role do therapists (BreatheWorks) play?
A: BreatheWorks therapists ensure airway stability through:
- Myofunctional therapy for oral rest posture, nasal breathing, and tongue-to-palate positioning
- Swallow retraining to eliminate tongue thrust and protect the airway
- Breathing drills to reduce mouth breathing and strengthen airway muscles
- Posture training to align the head, neck, and jaw
- Parent/caregiver coaching for infants and children
- Collaboration with providers before and after tongue tie release, orthodontics, or ENT surgery
Q: How does this collaboration benefit patients?
A: A team-based approach ensures:
- Children: grow with wide, stable arches, healthy nasal breathing, and fewer sleep/behavior problems.
- Adults: get relief from TMJ dysfunction, sleep-disordered breathing, and orthodontic relapse.
- Providers: see more consistent outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and fewer relapses.
Q: Can airway collaboration happen virtually?
A: Yes. While ENTs and dentists provide in-person procedures, BreatheWorks offers virtual therapy nationwide. Telehealth allows us to:
- Conduct airway and oral function evaluations
- Coordinate care plans with ENTs and dentists remotely
- Provide ongoing therapy without travel barriers
This ensures patients receive complete airway care—even across state lines.
Q: Where do you offer in-person care?
A: BreatheWorks clinics are located in:
- Portland, Oregon
- Eugene, Oregon
- Lake Oswego, Oregon
- Bellevue, Washington
- Amarillo, Texas
We also provide virtual therapy across the U.S.
Quick FAQs
Do ENTs and dentists work together on airway health? Yes—ENTs treat structural issues, dentists support growth/alignment, and therapists retrain function.
Can orthodontics improve breathing? Yes—expansion and alignment create more room for the tongue and airway.
Does myofunctional therapy help after tonsil surgery? Yes—therapy retrains oral posture and breathing habits to maintain results.
Why is airway-centered care important? Because treating only teeth or tonsils without addressing function often leads to relapse.
Next Steps
If you’re a provider seeking better outcomes—or a patient struggling with airway-related challenges—our team-based approach can help.
- Schedule an airway evaluation or collaborative care consultation
- Providers: Refer a patient for interdisciplinary airway therapy
