Jaw Development Secrets: Nurturing Healthy Airways

Where Dentistry Meets Whole-Body Health — Michael Bennett, DDS, PhD & Cathy Bennett, MS October 2025

Good morning. This is More Than Teeth. The newsletter that helps dental sleep professionals get 1% better every week.

Healthy Jaws / Healthy Habits

Welcome back to More Than Teeth, where we connect the dots between dentistry, airway health, and whole-body wellness. I’m Dr. Michael Bennett, and today, we’re diving into another one of my favorite topics: Jaw Development Secrets: Nurturing Healthy Smiles.

If someone told you there was a way to reduce your child’s risk of needing braces, and maybe even help them keep their wisdom teeth, would you be interested?

In Today’s Edition

We are learning a few things that parents never hear about from their healthcare providers:

  1. Historical Perspective: What ancient skulls reveal about modern jaw problems

  2. Environmental Shifts: How soft foods, mouth breathing, and allergies reshaped faces

  3. Airway & Behavior: The link between jaw growth, sleep, and childhood focus

  4. Case Study: A 5-year-old whose headaches disappeared when his airway opened

  5. Practical Guide: Simple, low-cost ways to support healthy development at home

And yes, we will talk about why kids’ jaws aren’t developing the way they used to and what we can do about it.

5-minute read👇

Clinical Corner

From Ancient Arches to Modern Crowding

When you examine ancient skulls, you see broad arches, straight teeth, and room for wisdom teeth. Fast forward to today, and crowding, braces, and extractions have become rites of passage.

So, what changed? Soft diets, less breastfeeding, more mouth breathing, and environmental toxins. These subtle modern shifts have dramatically altered craniofacial growth.

Ancient skull and modern skull

“Healthy jaws aren’t a genetic lottery, they’re built by healthy habits and environments.”
— Dr. Bennett

When the nose is congested, the mouth opens, and when the mouth opens, the tongue drops from the roof of the mouth, halting the natural widening of the upper jaw.

The result: narrow arches, crowded teeth, poor airway volume, and long-term breathing and behavioral issues.

Case Study: A Child Whose Headaches Finally Resolved

A five-year-old boy presented with a three-year history of chronic, refractory headaches and a diagnosis of intracranial pressure. Despite consultations with multiple specialists and trials of several medications—including Lisinopril, a diuretic prescribed to reduce fluid volume and pressure—his headaches persisted. Over time, he also became increasingly emotionally withdrawn.

At the recommendation of a lactation consultant familiar with airway-focused care, his mother sought an evaluation in our office. We completed two nights of baseline home sleep testing (HST), followed by a board-certified sleep physician review and diagnosis. The results confirmed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Comprehensive CBCT imaging and a head and neck exam revealed a clear picture of the underlying problem:

  • Hypertrophied turbinates, adenoids, and tubal tonsils

  • Posterior crossbite and maxillary hypoplasia

  • Mandibular retrognathia with low tongue posture at rest

  • Fissured tongue and primary dental crowding

  • High, narrow palate with restricted tongue space

In short, this young patient’s airway was compromised from every angle.

We initiated a maxillary remodeling and nasal breathing protocol (Xlear for congestion and Butekyo Breathing Method) and to expand the airway and restore proper nasal respiration. Within three weeks, his chronic headaches completely resolved, and his emotional affect improved dramatically. He was taken off Lisinopril by his prescriber as he began to feel hypotensive, lightheaded, and dizzy within the first two weeks of therapy.

This case highlights a crucial reality: sometimes what looks neurological is actually structural and functional. When we restore airway health, we don’t just improve breathing; we often unlock healing throughout the entire body.

Research supporting this case outcome:

Article 1: “Primary Headache Relief in Paediatric Patients Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion”

  • Primary Headache Relief in Paediatric Patients Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion: a Prospective Study and Cephalometric Changes Analysis 

  • Population: 68 growing patients (ages ~7-12) with transverse maxillary deficiency and at least 12 primary headache episodes/year.

  • Intervention: Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE)

  • Key Findings: A statistically significant reduction in monthly primary headache episodes after RPE (p < 0.001) concomitant with skeletal/nasal morphological changes.

  • Why this helps your argument: It directly ties maxillary/facial skeletal expansion to headache relief in a pediatric population — very much in line with your case.

  • Limitations (tell it like it is): Pediatric only, and while it shows reduction in headaches, it doesn’t necessarily dissect every airway / physiological mechanism in depth.

  • Clinical takeaway: Supports using expansion in patients with headaches + maxillary constriction + suspected airway/nasal compromise.

Article 2: “Headache and Transverse Maxillary Discrepancy”

  • Headache and Transverse Maxillary Discrepancy

  • Population & Intervention: 41 growing patients with primary neurovascular headaches + transverse maxillary deficiency treated with RPE.

  • Key Findings: After RPE “all patients showed … a significant reduction in the mean nasal resistance, and a significant decrease or elimination of headache symptoms.”

  • Why valuable: Earlier work (2008) that adds to the body of evidence linking transverse deficiency + nasal resistance + headaches — an alignment with airway/nasal obstruction thinking.

  • Limitations: Didn’t focus in detail on long-term outcomes or full airway imaging but still quite relevant.

Practical Tips for Parents

Healthy jaw development starts in the home. Here are five practical ways to guide it:

  1. Chew with purpose.
    Serve crunchy vegetables like carrots, celery, and broccoli. Encourage 15 chews per bite.
    Chewing is nature’s orthodontic activator.

  2. Support nasal breathing.
    Use xylitol nasal spray, humidifiers, and HEPA filters.
    Family mantra: “Lips together, teeth apart, tongue on the roof of the mouth.”

  3. Observe sleep quietly.
    Use free apps like SnoreLab or SnoreClock.
    If you hear gasping, snoring, or restless movement — bring it up with an airway-focused dentist.

  4. Respect circadian rhythm.
    Dim lights at night. Avoid screens before bed.
    The body repairs while the sun is down — especially in growing kids.

  5. Partner with airway experts.
    Work with airway-centered dentists, myofunctional therapists, and ENTs early.
    Prevention beats correction every time.

Why It Matters

Underdeveloped jaws don’t just affect smiles — they affect breathing, behavior, sleep, and growth. When airways are narrow, sleep suffers, and kids compensate with hyperactivity, poor focus, or fatigue.

“Strong jaws, open airways, and confident smiles begin long before braces.”
— Dr. Bennett

Evidence Corner: Jaw, Airway, and Sleep Health

Airway: Narrow maxilla = restricted nasal space = fragmented sleep
Cognitive: Poor sleep reduces attention span and learning capacity
Orthodontic: Tongue posture guides jaw width; mouth breathing restricts it
Behavioral: Sleep-disordered breathing often mimics ADHD symptoms

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

🎙️ Jaw Development Secrets: Nurturing Healthy Smiles
Dr. Bennett discusses airway development, nutrition, and the modern habits that change facial growth.

Coach Cathy’s Take

“Chewing is more than nutrition; it’s neurology.

Every bite teaches the jaw how to grow, the tongue where to rest, and the body how to breathe deeply.

”Start simple:
🥕 Eat something fresh before anything processed.
🚶 Take a short walk after dinner.
😴 Sleep with the mouth closed and nose open.

💌 Share the Message

If this story inspired you, share it with a parent, grandparent, or colleague who cares about early airway health.
Because the best smiles start with every breath.

Something Sweet

🍭Stuff so sweet you might get a cavity..

CE Opportunities / Events

Event

Dates

Location

Link

AADSM Mastery Program

Ongoing dates (check website)

Online

Click HERE

Dentist’s Role in Snoring & Sleep Apnea

November 7-8, 2025

Chicago, IL

Click HERE

Miscellaneous

😅P.S. … A Word from Dr. Bennett & Cathy

As a husband-wife team — one dentist, one certified health coach — we’ve spent decades studying the links between the mouth, metabolism, and healing.

So many of today’s chronic conditions, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and even anxiety, can be traced back to inflammation, disrupted sleep, and poor recovery. And often, the earliest signs show up right in the oral cavity.

We’ve seen how changing what people eat, how they sleep, and how they breathe can change everything, from mood and migraines to blood pressure and brain fog. Our hope is that every dental practice, parent, and provider joins this movement of upstream healing. Because it’s not just about avoiding disease, it’s about building strong, vibrant, deeply rested lives.

For our 10 beautiful grandchildren, and for yours, too.

Dr. Michael & Cathy Bennett
More Than Teeth | A Mission for Generational Health

What did you think of today's newsletter?

Please leave feedback! We actively work on improving your experience!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Reply

or to participate.