Snoring, mouth breathing and crowded teeth often share one cause. Dr. Allison Hamada looks for it.
You can hear it through the bedroom door. Your child snores most nights, sleeps with their mouth open, and still wakes up tired. Maybe your dentist mentioned crowding, or a narrow upper jaw, and nobody has connected the two.
Dr. Allison Hamada is an airway-focused orthodontist who has treated children and adults since 2004. Families from Houma, Thibodaux and the rest of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes can see her at our Luling office, just off Highway 90 and about 45 minutes from Houma.
Serving Houma and Thibodaux families at our Luling office. Off Highway 90 · about 45 minutes from Houma
Dr. Allison HamadaYour orthodontist. From the first visit.
Reviewed by Dr. Allison Hamada, Orthodontist. LSU School of Dentistry, orthodontic residency at Columbia University, practicing since 2004.
What does an airway orthodontist do?
An airway orthodontist checks how the size and position of the jaws affect breathing and sleep, then treats the structural problems behind them along with the crooked teeth. For a child, that often means widening a narrow upper jaw while it is still growing. For an adult, it can mean expansion without surgery, plus braces or Invisalign.
The upper jaw is also the floor of the nose. When it grows too narrow, there is less room for the tongue, less room for the nasal airway, and less room for adult teeth. That is why snoring, mouth breathing and crowding so often show up in the same child.
Dr. Hamada doesn’t diagnose sleep apnea. A physician or sleep specialist does that. What she does is find the jaw and bite problems that can contribute to poor breathing and sleep, and treat the ones orthodontics can fix.
This quiz can’t diagnose anything. An exam can. If you notice pauses in breathing, gasping or choking during sleep, talk to your pediatrician or doctor right away. Trouble breathing while awake needs urgent medical care.
Kids who breathe through their mouths often rest their tongue low in the mouth instead of against the roof of it. The tongue is part of what shapes a growing upper jaw, so the jaw can grow narrow. A narrow jaw then leaves less room to breathe through the nose. Each problem feeds the other.
Waiting doesn’t keep options open. The upper jaw responds best to expansion while it is still growing, and that window starts to close as kids reach their pre-teen years.
After that, the same problem takes more to fix.
Dr. Hamada knows this as a parent, too. She came to airway orthodontics through her own daughter, Sophia, who struggled with snoring, restless sleep and trouble focusing. She recognized the signs of an airway problem that traditional orthodontics wouldn’t address, and it changed how she treats every patient.
Four years old and snoring
A young Hamada Orthodontics patient whose snoring changed once a palate expander gave the upper jaw room to grow.
How does Dr. Hamada treat airway-related orthodontic problems?
Not every mouth-breather needs an expander. Mouth breathing can have several causes, and an expander is for specific problems, like a narrow upper jaw. Your plan starts with a full exam that includes 3D imaging, so Dr. Hamada can see the jaws and airway as well as the teeth.
Children
Palatal expanders for children
A palate expander gently widens a narrow upper jaw while the bones are still developing. That makes room for adult teeth and widens the floor of the nose.
Growing kids
Phase 1 orthodontics
Phase 1 treatment guides jaw development before all the permanent teeth arrive. It can correct a crossbite, widen the upper jaw, and often makes later treatment shorter and simpler.
Kids and adults
Myofunctional therapy
Myofunctional therapy uses exercises that strengthen the muscles used for swallowing and breathing, so the tongue rests where it should and nasal breathing is easier to keep.
Expansion for teens and adults (MARPE)
Once the upper jaw has finished growing, a regular expander can’t widen it. MARPE uses small temporary anchors in the roof of the mouth to widen the jaw without surgery, and Dr. Hamada places them in-office. It isn’t right for every adult, and she’ll tell you if it isn’t right for you. See our page on palatal expansion for adults.
Dr. Hamada teaching other providers about MARPE expansion.Team care
Working with your child’s ENT and other specialists
Snoring and mouth breathing can also come from tonsils, adenoids or allergies. When something is outside orthodontics, Dr. Hamada works with ENT specialists, sleep specialists and myofunctional therapists so the whole problem gets treated.
Opening the palate does more than make room
Dr. Hamada explains how proper expansion can improve the way the upper jaw develops.
Parents tell us the change shows up at night first. Quieter sleep, a closed mouth, a kid who gets out of bed without a fight. Then it shows up in the mirror, with room for adult teeth and a wider smile.
“Very insightful and helpful in improving our daughter’s airway and lack of room for incoming adult teeth. … Incredible experience with having her braces and expander on and off in about a year! With her expanded jaw and open airway she is sleeping through the night again and in turn functioning better throughout the days.”
“3 out of 4 kids needed braces. We’ve trusted Allison Hamada with all of them. … Our kids not only have great teeth but they can also breathe better!!! An Orthodontist who truly cares about your children and their health!!”
Every child is different, and Dr. Hamada will tell you what she expects for yours before anything starts.
When better breathing shows up at school
A Hamada Orthodontics family shares how airway-focused treatment changed more than their daughter’s sleep.
Braces and Invisalign for Houma and Thibodaux families
Plenty of families come to us just for straighter teeth, and that’s fine. Every braces and Invisalign patient gets the same airway and jaw growth check, so nothing gets missed along the way.
Clear removable aligners for teens and adults, including Invisalign Teen.
Coming from Houma or Thibodaux: the drive and the first visit
We don’t have an office in Terrebonne or Lafourche Parish. Our closest office to you is in Luling, at 118 Lakewood Dr, just off Highway 90. Airway-focused orthodontics isn’t something every orthodontist offers, so one free exam here can answer questions a regular orthodontic check may not ask.
Starting from
Closest office
Drive
Route
Houma
Luling
About 45 minutes (35 miles)
US-90 East
Thibodaux
Luling
About 50 minutes (37 miles)
LA-308 to US-90 East
Houma
Destrehan
About 50 minutes (43 miles)
US-90 East
Drive times are typical and change with traffic.
A few notes for families making the drive:
Families in Gray, Schriever and Bayou Blue are already close to US-90, which runs straight to Luling.
Raceland sits right on US-90, so you’re already partway there.
From Thibodaux and the Nicholls State side of town, LA-308 along Bayou Lafourche connects you to US-90.
When you call, tell our team you’re coming from Houma or Thibodaux, so they can help you pick the office and appointment time that work best.
All three offices, Luling, Destrehan and Metairie, are open Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:45 PM. Before treatment starts, ask for the expected visit schedule so you know how often you’ll make the drive.
Dr. Hamada completed her dental training at the LSU School of Dentistry and her orthodontic residency at Columbia University. She has practiced since 2004 and personally leads your care at every visit.
She has advanced training in airway-focused treatment, palatal expansion including RPE and MARPE, and collaborative care with myofunctional therapists and ENT specialists. She also founded The Airway Exchange Group, a peer-to-peer study club where local dental and medical providers work together on airway care.
Airway orthodontist in Houma: questions parents ask
Is there an airway orthodontist in Houma or Thibodaux?
Hamada Orthodontics doesn’t have an office in Houma or Thibodaux. Families there see Dr. Hamada at our Luling office, about 45 minutes from Houma and about 50 minutes from Thibodaux by US-90. We also have offices in Destrehan and Metairie, and your consultation is free at all three.
What age should my child see an airway orthodontist?
As soon as you notice signs like nightly snoring or mouth breathing. Dr. Hamada sees children as young as 5 or 6 to check for early airway and jaw development problems. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check by age 7 for every child.
Can an orthodontist diagnose sleep apnea?
No. Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician or sleep specialist, usually with a sleep study. Dr. Hamada looks for the jaw and bite problems that can contribute to poor breathing, and she coordinates with your child’s doctors when a sleep evaluation makes sense.
Does mouth breathing mean my child needs an expander?
Not necessarily. Mouth breathing can come from allergies, large tonsils or adenoids, habit, or a narrow upper jaw. An expander only helps when the jaw is part of the problem, which is what the exam is for.
Is airway orthodontics legitimate?
Widening a narrow upper jaw in a growing child is a long-established orthodontic treatment, and it can make more room for nasal breathing. It isn’t a cure for every snoring child, which is why Dr. Hamada works alongside ENTs, sleep specialists and myofunctional therapists and tells you plainly what orthodontics can and can’t do.
Is airway orthodontic treatment covered by insurance?
Expanders and braces are orthodontic treatment, so your orthodontic benefits may help cover them, depending on your plan. We accept most major dental and orthodontic insurance plans, and we’ll check your benefits before anything starts.
How much does airway orthodontic treatment cost?
It depends on what your child needs, from monitoring to an expander to full braces, so we don’t quote a fee before the exam. Your consultation is free, you’ll get the exact cost before treatment begins, and we offer flexible, low-interest payment plans with low down payments. Our braces cost guide explains how fees work in our area.
Can adults get airway orthodontic treatment?
Yes. Adults with snoring, jaw pain, or crowding that came back after braces may be candidates for MARPE expansion, braces or Invisalign. Expansion isn’t right for every adult, and the exam tells you whether it is right for you.
How often will we need to drive to Luling?
That depends on the treatment and its stage. Ask for the expected visit schedule at your consultation, before you commit to anything, so you can plan around school and work.
Do I need a referral from my dentist or pediatrician?
No. You can book directly, and the consultation is free. If your dentist, pediatrician or ENT sent you, we’re glad to keep them in the loop.
Find out what’s behind the snoring
You’ve noticed the signs. The next step is a straight answer about your child’s jaws and airway, from an orthodontist who looks at both. It’s one free visit, about 45 minutes up Highway 90.
