“When out of alignment, due to birth trauma or even improper tongue posture, the nervous system is very affected. The optic canal is superior to the superior orbital fissure (SOF), formed by a cleft between the lesser and greater wings of the sphenoid bone.” dimple in the dorsum of the middle third of the tongue, poor extension, and the Eiffel Tower fibers attached to the mandible. (Figure 2) Her breathing was assessed and found to be 16 breaths per minute, putting her in the high normal range. 3 Hyperventilating can lead to feelings of anxiety. 4 Without good mobility, the tongue cannot interact with the palate and the “circuit is open”, 5 contributing to generalized anxiety. The tongue can slump into the airway decreasing the airway space. 6 After six weeks of tongue strength and endurance she had her restriction removed. Figure 2 Collaborating Professions A functional frenuloplasty is multi-faceted. The restriction may be burrowed deeply between the muscles of the tongue and must be retrieved and released. In Patient A’s case, we see the restriction in the middle third of the tongue. In order to access the restriction, tongue strength and endurance is important to aid in the procedure. Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is key to building tongue strength, and endurance, so it can participate. The next facet of the treatment, in conjunction with the OMT, is chiropractic care. The chiropractic assessment addresses the cranial nerve func-tions that are affected by the teth-ered tissues under the tongue. Often seen are misalignments in the C1 and C2 vertebrae which affect the function of many of the cranial nerves, including the Vagus and the sphenoid bone. (see author’s note) Dr. Kevin Boyd, pediatric dentist and co-founder of the International Association of Pediatric Orthodon-tics, points out that dimensions of the face are decreasing due to epige-netic influences across generations. 7 The maxilla is smaller but, since antiquity, the teeth are the same size; the orbits are also smaller but the ball of the eye is not. The sphe-noid bone comprises the majority of the orbit. 8 When out of alignment, due to birth trauma or even improper tongue posture, the nervous system is very affected. The optic canal is superior to the superior orbital fissure (SOF), formed by a cleft between the lesser and greater wings of the sphe-noid bone. The SOF transmits cranial nerves III, IV, V, and VI, as well as the superior and inferior ophthalmic veins. So, you can see the implica-tions of the misalignments of this cranial bone in its function. Figure 3 www.orthodontics.com Summer 2023 25
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Summer 2023: Page 25
