CBCT Scan for Kids: How 3D Imaging Helps Airway Evaluation and Growth Detection
Seeing the Unseen: How CBCT Scans Reveal Your Child's Airway and Growth Issues
Hello parents!
In our functional and biological dental office, our goal isn't just to straighten teeth — it's to ensure your child develops a wide, healthy smile and, most importantly, an open, functional airway. To do this, we use a powerful diagnostic tool: the Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scan for kids.
This post will explain why a CBCT is essential for evaluating children, how it links to issues like tongue tie and mouth breathing, and why these findings often point us toward palatal expansion for airway improvement as a critical early intervention.
CBCT: The 3D Window into Your Child's Head and Neck
A pediatric cone beam CT Walnut Creek is a non-invasive, low-radiation 3D imaging technology that provides a complete picture of your child’s facial skeleton, teeth, and airway. Unlike traditional 2D dental X-rays, a CBCT scan allows us to accurately measure and visualize structures in three dimensions — a breakthrough in airway evaluation in children.
Why the CBCT Is Essential for Functional Dentistry
Airway Measurement: CBCT allows us to precisely measure the volume and narrowest points of the upper airway (nasal passages, nasopharynx, and oropharynx).
Skeletal Assessment: We can analyze the size and position of the jaws (maxilla and mandible), identifying any structural deficiencies that restrict the airway.
Impacted Teeth: It reveals the exact position of developing permanent teeth, helping us plan early interventions to prevent impaction and crowding.
This detailed insight helps our team detect underlying causes of mouth breathing, sleep disturbances, and skeletal underdevelopment long before they become visible problems.
Connecting the Dots: CBCT Findings and Functional Issues
The findings from a CBCT scan often provide objective evidence for functional symptoms you may already observe at home — from snoring to difficulty breathing through the nose.
1. Tongue Tie and Lack of Orofacial Development
The Link: A tongue tie restricts the tongue from resting on the roof of the mouth (the palate). As explained previously, the tongue's pressure is the natural driver for maxillary (upper jaw) development. This is the essential tongue tie and mouth breathing connection that parents often miss.
The CBCT Evidence: The scan can reveal a narrow, high-arched palate and a jaw that has not grown forward adequately. This lack of proper development causes crowded teeth and, more importantly, reduces the floor space for the nasal cavity above, leading to airway restriction.
2. Mouth Breathing and Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB)
The Link: When the nasal airway is restricted — often due to a narrow maxilla — the child compensates by mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is a major risk factor for SDB (including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea).
The CBCT Evidence: The scan provides quantitative evidence of a constricted airway, clearly showing the point of obstruction in the nasal or throat passages. This objective data is crucial in guiding effective treatment plans and early intervention.
The Solution: Palatal Expansion to Open the Airway
When the CBCT confirms a narrow maxilla and a restricted airway, our primary functional treatment is often palatal expansion for airway improvement — a gentle, non-invasive solution.
What Palatal Expansion Does:
- Widens the Jaw: Using a slow, orthopedic appliance, we widen the upper jaw between ages 7–10, while the bone is still flexible.
- Creates Space: This process achieves two key benefits — it aligns teeth properly and expands the floor of the nasal cavity, improving nasal airflow and oxygen intake.
By addressing the structural cause early, we help correct mouth breathing and prevent sleep-related problems, ensuring better long-term development and health.
How Early Airway Evaluation Helps Your Child
Early airway evaluation in children allows dentists to catch growth limitations before they lead to chronic mouth breathing, sleep disturbances, or speech issues. CBCT scans help us measure progress, confirm treatment results, and ensure your child’s airway remains open as they grow.
If you’ve been searching for a pediatric dentist in Walnut Creek who takes a functional approach, CBCT imaging is one of the most advanced diagnostic tools available to protect your child’s long-term health.
A Message from Dr. Boloorchi
Using advanced tools like the CBCT scan transforms our practice from reactive to highly predictive and preventative. By identifying structural limitations related to the airway and jaw development early, we can intervene effectively. My role is to interpret this crucial 3D data, explain the connection between the airway, tongue tie, and development, and ensure your child receives the precise treatment they need to breathe well, sleep well, and thrive.
Dr. Negar Niki Boloorchi, Functional Dentist and Anesthesiologist for Children Owner of Tooth + Tongue Special Dentistry in Walnut Creek, CA
Schedule a Consultation
Your child’s airway health can shape their entire future — from how they sleep to how they grow. If you’d like to learn more about CBCT scans for kids, tongue tie and mouth breathing connection, or palatal expansion for airway improvement, our team is here to help.
📞 Call +1 (925) 949-8427 or fill out the contact form on our website to schedule your child’s airway evaluation in Walnut Creek today.
Give your child the gift of healthy breathing, restful sleep, and confident growth with the power of 3D imaging.
