What the Medical Community Isn’t Telling You About Your Child’s Breathing Problems
Free Parent Education Guide
By Dr. Kathleen Schuster, Functional Airway Dentist
Important Disclaimer
This guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. In emergency situations involving severe breathing difficulties, seek immediate medical care. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers regarding your child’s specific condition.
Introduction: The Research That’s Changing Everything
As a mom AND a functional dentist, I’ve been watching the medical research evolve, and what I’m seeing is mind-blowing. There are studies coming out that completely change how we should think about our kids’ breathing problems, recurring infections, and even behavioral challenges.
But here’s the thing – most of these studies aren’t making it to the doctors who are treating your children. Your pediatrician probably hasn’t seen the Stanford study showing 97.5% of kids can avoid tonsil surgery. Your ENT might not know about the research proving orthodontic expansion shrinks enlarged adenoids by an average of 51%.
This isn’t anyone’s fault. Medical specialties are incredibly specialized, and research takes time to filter through. But as parents, we can’t wait. Our kids are growing RIGHT NOW, and the decisions we make today will affect their faces, their breathing, and their health for the rest of their lives.
So I’m sharing this research with you – translated into plain English, with the statistics that matter, and the questions you need to ask before anyone suggests surgery or more medications for your child.
The Stanford Study That’s Shaking Up Surgery Recommendations
What They Found:
In 2022, Stanford University and UCSF published research that should be printed on every ENT’s wall:
97.5% of children experienced significant tonsil reduction with orthodontic expansion
90% experienced significant adenoid reduction Average tonsil size decreased by 38.5%
Some children saw up to 75% tonsil reduction Average adenoid size decreased by 16.8%
Some children saw up to 51% adenoid reduction What This Means for Your Family:
Before you schedule tonsil or adenoid surgery, there’s a 97% chance that orthodontic expansion could make the surgery unnecessary. Not “maybe helpful” – actually unnecessary.
This isn’t some experimental treatment. This is widening your child’s upper jaw, which creates more space for breathing and allows swollen tissues to return to normal size naturally.
The Question Your ENT Probably Can’t Answer:
“Have you seen the Stanford study showing that 97.5% of children avoid tonsil surgery with orthodontic expansion?”
Most ENTs haven’t seen this research yet. If they dismiss it, you know you could benefit from a second opinion from someone who stays current with functional approaches.
The Sinus Research That Explains Your Child’s Chronic Allergies
What They Discovered:
When researchers used 3D imaging to study what happens to sinuses during jaw expansion, they found something incredible:
Nasal floor width increased from 17.7mm to 19.5mm Sinus volume dramatically improved
Better drainage = less chronic inflammation Kids breathing clearly without daily medications
The “Ah-Ha” Moment:
The roof of your child’s mouth IS the floor of their nose. When you widen the upper jaw, you’re literally expanding the nasal passages. It’s like adding a lane to a traffic jam.
What Parents Are Reporting:
- Kids (and parents) who’ve been on Flonase for years suddenly breathing clearly
- Seasonal allergies .. disappearing
- No more daily allergy medications needed
- Clear sinuses year-round
The Connection Most Allergists Miss:
They’re treating the inflammation (symptoms) with sprays and pills, when the real problem might be that there’s simply not enough space for proper drainage (structure).
The ADHD Research That Will Change How You Think About Behavior
The Shocking Connection:
New research shows a “medium to strong relationship” between sleep-disordered breathing and ADHD symptoms. But here’s the kicker:
ADHD symptoms improved after adenotonsillectomy in 12 studies involving 529 children
The researchers concluded: “Treatment of comorbid sleep-disordered breathing should be considered BEFORE medicating the ADHD symptoms”
What’s Really Happening:
Your “hyperactive” child might actually be exhausted. When kids can’t breathe properly at night:
- They don’t get deep sleep (constantly trying to breathe)
- Their bodies pump adrenaline to stay awake during the day
- They appear hyperactive (but it’s actually exhaustion masquerading as energy)
- They can’t focus (overtired brains can’t concentrate)
- Everything feels overwhelming (exhausted nervous systems can’t regulate)
The Questions to Ask Before ADHD Medication:
- “Has anyone evaluated my child’s sleep and breathing patterns?”
- “Could structural airway issues be contributing to these behaviors?”
- “Can we address any breathing problems before considering medication?”
The Mouth Breathing Research Every Parent Needs to Know
The Measurement That Changes Everything:
Research shows that for every ½ inch your child’s mouth is open, it closes off their airway by about 5mm.
Normal airway measurements:
- Average child: 7-12mm
- Average adult: 12-20mm
This means if your child’s mouth is open just 1 inch, they’ve lost 10mm of airway space – potentially cutting their breathing capacity in HALF.
The Cascade Effect:
Italian researchers found that mouth breathing is directly linked to:
- Increased overjet (buck teeth)
- Anterior and posterior crossbite
- Open bite
- Displacement of contact points
Translation: Mouth breathing literally changes the shape of your child’s face and the position of their teeth.
What Most People Don’t Realize:
This isn’t just a “bad habit.” Mouth breathing is your child’s body compensating for not having enough space to breathe through their nose properly.
The Myofunctional Therapy Research That’s Replacing Surgery
The Numbers That Matter:
- 50% reduction in sleep apnea severity in adults
- 62% reduction in sleep apnea severity in children
- 36% reduction in snoring frequency
- 59% reduction in snoring intensity
What Myofunctional Therapy Actually Does:
Think of it as physical therapy for your child’s tongue and breathing muscles. Just like PT retrains muscles after an injury, myofunctional therapy retrains the muscles that control breathing, swallowing, and tongue position.
Why It Works:
When your child learns to rest their tongue on the roof of their mouth (instead of low in their mouth), several things happen:
- Creates natural expansion of the upper jaw
- Opens the airway during sleep
- Improves nasal breathing patterns
- Reduces mouth breathing and its consequences
The Research on Preventing Relapse:
Studies show that orthodontic treatment combined with myofunctional therapy has significantly better long-term stability than orthodontics alone. This makes sense – if you don’t retrain the muscles, they’ll just push the teeth back to where they were.
The Jaw Development Research That Explains Everything
What Changed in One Generation:
Dr. Weston Price’s research in the 1930s documented something incredible. He studied indigenous populations who had never eaten processed foods and found they had:
- Beautiful straight teeth
- Freedom from decay
- Stalwart bodies
- Resistance to disease
- No breathing problems
But within just ONE generation of adopting Western processed foods, their children developed:
- Crowded, crooked teeth
- Facial deformities
- Overbites
- Narrowed faces
- Underdevelopment of the nose
- Pinched nostrils
What This Means for Your Child:
Those “pinched nostrils” and “narrowed faces” are exactly what create breathing problems. Narrow jaws = narrow airways = mouth breathing = inflamed tonsils and adenoids.
The Modern Food Connection:
Traditional cultures ate foods that required serious chewing – tough meats, raw vegetables, foods with texture. This constant jaw workout stimulated proper jaw growth and development.
What we feed our kids: Soft textures, refined carbohydrates, baby food purees long past the age when they should be learning to chew.
The result: Narrow jaws that don’t have room for proper breathing.
The Sleep Research That Connects All the Dots
What Sleep Apnea Really Looks Like in Kids:
Research shows that Class II malocclusion (overbite) and V-shaped palatal morphology are significantly more common in children with sleep apnea.
The Tongue-Jaw-Airway Connection:
The tongue is attached to the lower jaw. When the lower jaw is pushed back (common in overbites), it crowds the airway space. During sleep, the tongue can fall back and partially block breathing.
Signs Your Child’s Sleep Issues Are Actually Breathing Issues:
- Great behavior when they get extra sleep
- Worse behavior during allergy season
- Improvement when sleeping in different positions
- Better focus after being outdoors (easier nasal breathing)
- Crashes hard when they finally stop moving
The Research on What Surgery Doesn’t Fix
The Uncomfortable Truth:
Multiple studies show “incomplete resolution of sleep breathing issues following surgical intervention.” Surgery removes the inflamed tissue (symptom) but not the narrow airway that caused the inflammation (cause).
What Happens After Surgery:
- Mouth breathing often continues (because the airway is still narrow)
- Sleep issues may persist (because the obstruction wasn’t just the swollen tissue)
- Dental crowding gets worse (because the narrow jaw that caused the original problem is still narrow)
- Other respiratory issues develop (allergies, asthma, chronic congestion)
The Relapse Reality:
Research shows that many children need surgery again, or develop other breathing issues later, because the root cause was never addressed.
What This Research Means for Your Family
The Big Picture:
All of these seemingly separate issues – tonsils, adenoids, allergies, ADHD symptoms, crooked teeth, sleep problems – are often symptoms of the same root cause: inadequate airway space.
The Prevention Opportunity:
During your child’s growth years (roughly ages 3-12), you have a window of opportunity to guide proper development instead of just managing symptoms later.
The Choice You’re Making:
- Symptom management: Medications, surgeries, and ongoing treatments for each separate issue
- Root cause approach: Address the underlying airway and developmental issues that create multiple problems
Questions to Ask Before Anyone Suggests Surgery
For Your Pediatrician:
- “What’s the underlying cause of these recurring symptoms?”
- “Has anyone evaluated my child’s airway development and breathing patterns?”
- “Could structural issues be contributing to these symptoms?”
- “Before we add medication, what root cause options exist?”
For Your ENT:
- “Have you seen the Stanford study showing 5% of children avoid tonsil surgery with orthodontic expansion?”
- “What’s causing the chronic inflammation in my child’s tonsils?”
- “Could orthodontic expansion address the underlying airway issues?”
- “What’s the likelihood these problems will return after surgery if we don’t address the root cause?”
For Any Orthodontist:
- “Do you take a functional, airway-focused approach?”
- “How do you coordinate with medical providers?”
- “What’s your success rate with avoiding surgery through expansion?”
- “How do you address tongue function and breathing patterns?”
Red Flags That Should Make You Get a Second Opinion
From Any Provider:
- “It’s just genetics”
- “They’ll grow out of it”
- “Surgery is the only option”
- “These issues aren’t connected”
- “There’s no connection between breathing and behavior”
What to Look For Instead:
- Understanding of airway-development connections
- Willingness to coordinate with other specialists
- Interest in addressing root causes, not just symptoms
- Knowledge of current research in functional approaches
Next Steps: What You Can Do Right Now
Immediate Actions:
- Document patterns: Take photos of your child sleeping (mouth open/closed), note behavior patterns related to sleep
- Research providers: Look for “airway-focused dentist” or “functional dentist” in your area
- Ask questions: Use the question lists above at your next appointments
- Get educated: Learn about the connections between breathing, development, and health
Timeline Considerations:
- Ages 3-6: Optimal time for early intervention if issues are present
- Ages 7-9: Still excellent opportunity for guided development
- Ages 10-12: Last opportunity before major growth spurts
- Ages 13+: Correction becomes more complex but still possible
Emergency Situations (Seek Immediate Care):
- Child stops breathing during sleep
- Blue lips or fingernails
- Severe difficulty breathing when awake
- Cannot swallow liquids
- High fever with breathing difficulty
The Bottom Line
The research is clear: most of the surgeries, medications, and treatments we’re giving kids for breathing, sleep, and behavioral problems could be prevented by addressing the root cause during their growth years.
Your child doesn’t have “bad genetics” or “bad luck.” They have a narrow airway that’s creating a cascade of problems, and there are proven ways to address this before it requires a lifetime of management.
The medical system is set up to manage symptoms. But you now have the research to demand root cause solutions.
Your child deserves to breathe freely, sleep peacefully, and develop optimally. The research proves it’s possible.
The question is: what will you do with this information?
About Dr. Kathleen Schuster
Dr. Schuster is a functional airway dentist practicing in Melissa, Texas, specializing in early intervention orthodontics and helping families avoid unnecessary medical procedures through addressing root causes. She’s also a mom who has navigated these decisions herself.
Want the Complete Action Plan?
This research breakdown is just the beginning. If you want the complete roadmap for navigating the medical system and implementing root cause solutions for your child, including:
- ✅ Detailed protocols for each age group
- ✅ Provider vetting checklists
- ✅ Insurance navigation strategies
- ✅ Emergency intervention protocols
- ✅ Success tracking tools
- ✅ 12-month implementation timeline
Get “Skip the Surgery: The Complete Parent’s Guide to Preventing Unnecessary Procedures”
The comprehensive guide that helps you avoid not just tonsil surgery, but turbinate reductions, deviated septum surgeries, major jaw surgeries, and other procedures through early intervention.
References Available Upon Request
All research citations available in complete format for healthcare providers
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