Airway-Focused Pediatric Dentistry in Newport Beach, CA
Helping families understand how oral development, breathing patterns and sleep symptoms may be connected.
Healthy breathing plays an important role in a child's sleep, growth, oral development and day-to-day comfort. At Daghlian Pediatric Dentistry & Sokolowski Orthodontics, Rita Daghlian, DDS provides airway-focused pediatric dental care in Newport Beach, California, helping families better understand how oral development, breathing patterns and sleep symptoms may be connected.
Concerned about your child's breathing, snoring or sleep quality? Call 949-706-7006 today to schedule an airway evaluation with Dr. Daghlian.
Explore Our Airway-Focused Services
What Is Airway-Focused Dentistry?
Airway-focused dentistry looks beyond the teeth alone. For children, it considers how the mouth, jaws, tongue, tonsils, nasal breathing and oral habits may affect the way a child breathes, sleeps and develops. While a dentist does not replace a pediatrician, ENT or sleep physician, a pediatric airway dentist can often identify signs that may deserve closer evaluation.
Our pediatric dentistevaluates your child's oral structures, bite development, growth patterns and symptoms to help determine whether airway-related concerns may be contributing to restless sleep, mouth breathing or other issues. When needed, she can coordinate care with other trusted health professionals so your child receives appropriate support.
Signs Your Child May Benefit From an Airway Evaluation
Many families search for an airway dentist near me or kids airway dentist because their child is struggling with sleep, breathing or focus concerns. An airway evaluation may be helpful if your child has symptoms such as:
Why Airway Health Matters for Children
Children need consistent, comfortable breathing to support restful sleep and healthy growth. When breathing is disrupted, a child may compensate by mouth breathing, changing tongue posture or developing sleep habits that affect energy, behavior and oral development.
Airway-focused pediatric dentistry can help identify contributing dental and developmental factors early. This may include evaluating jaw growth, arch width, tongue space, oral habits and signs of sleep-disordered breathing. Early recognition may help families address problems before they become more complex.
Airway-Focused Care With a Prevention-First Approach
Rita Daghlian, DDS, is a board-certified pediatric dentistfocused on prevention-first care for children. She trained at USC, completed a pediatric residency at Children's Hospital San Diego and completed a general practice residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego. She is also active in the AAPD and CSPD.
Families appreciate Dr. Daghlian's kid-friendly communication style. She helps children feel safe while giving parents clear, practical guidance about oral development, airway concerns and healthy habits at home.
For families in Newport Beach, California, and nearby Orange County communities, our goal is to provide thoughtful guidance and help children build a healthier foundation for breathing, sleeping and growing.
Airway Dentistry FAQs
A pediatric airway dentist evaluates how a child’s teeth, jaws, tongue, palate and oral habits may relate to breathing and sleep concerns. Our pediatric dentist uses this information to help parents understand possible contributing factors and appropriate next steps.
An evaluation may be helpful if your child snores, breathes through the mouth, grinds their teeth, sleeps restlessly, wakes tired or has crowded teeth and jaw development concerns. Dr. Daghlian can assess your child's oral development and discuss whether additional care may be needed.
Occasional snoring during a cold may happen, but regular snoring is not something parents should ignore. If your child snores often, has noisy breathing or seems tired during the day, an airway evaluation can help determine whether further assessment is recommended.
No. The evaluation is the first step. Our pediatric dentist will review your child's symptoms and oral development, then explain her findings. Some children only need monitoring or habit guidance, while others may benefit from additional dental or medical evaluation.