Functional Orthodontics: Creating Healthier Smiles from the Inside Out

Straight teeth are great—but what if the way we get there could also improve your breathing, facial growth, and long-term health?

That’s the goal of functional orthodontics, a modern approach that focuses on how the jaw, airway, and facial muscles develop—not just on aligning teeth.

At Centreville Family Dentistry, we believe in getting to the root cause of orthodontic problems, especially in growing children. That’s why we offer functional orthodontics as an alternative (or complement) to traditional braces.

What Makes Functional Orthodontics Different?

Rather than simply pushing teeth into place, functional orthodontics:

• Encourages natural jaw and facial growth

• Supports healthy airway development

• Promotes nasal breathing over mouth breathing

• Helps correct oral habits like tongue thrusting or thumb sucking

• Often starts before all adult teeth are in

By guiding the face and jaws as they grow, we reduce the risk of crowded teeth, underbites, overbites, and even future sleep or breathing issues.

Who Is It For?

This treatment is most effective for children ages 5–12 who show signs of:

• Narrow dental arches

• Mouth breathing

• Snoring

• Speech problems

• Tongue tie or lip tie

• Jaw misalignment

We often begin with removable appliances (such as the ALF appliance) or myofunctional therapy, followed by braces later—if needed.

Why We Offer This at Centreville

Dr. Libby and our team are passionate about whole-health dentistry, and that means looking beyond just the teeth. By intervening early and supporting proper growth patterns, we can help children thrive not just with a better smile—but with better breathing, sleeping, and confidence.

Ready to Learn More?

If your child has crowding, jaw issues, or chronic mouth breathing, we’d love to help. Schedule a consult and find out if functional orthodontics is right for them.