Orthodontists straighten teeth, right? Of course! But what about helping a child have a more balanced profile rather than a weak chin? Opening a child’s airway to enhance athletic performance or get rid of ADD/ADHD? Possibly helping someone get rid of headaches, neck or jaw pain? Helping someone look younger? Getting rid of snoring &/or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? He never promises results or relief of any symptoms for anyone, but has been successful in dealing with all the above issues.
William M. Hang, DDS, MSD was trained as a traditional orthodontist and taught orthodontics at the University of Minnesota before going into private practice. He began to look critically at his results. The teeth were straight, but too often the faces were not as attractive as when he began. Then Dr. Hang started looking at how orthodontics sometimes affects the airway…and he didn’t like what he saw! Today Dr. Hang treats patients from 3 to 80, from across the street and from places as far away as Switzerland, Malaysia, and Australia!
Even when children still have baby teeth things can be done to help them grow to have nice facial balance and healthy airways. To grow to their potential, children should breathe through their noses with the lips together. Dr. Hang treats children ages 3-10 to help them be nasal breathers so their faces develop forward with a nice jawline.
The late pre-teen and teenage years are the “traditional” time for braces. Although Dr. Hang prefers to see children much earlier than this age, the teeth can be aligned to form a big, broad attractive smile. He never removes teeth or uses headgears to make the smile small, with the teeth back in the face which may crowd the tongue back into the throat causing the airway to be compromised.
A large segment of Dr. Hang’s practice is treating adults. Some adults have never had orthodontics and finally are treating themselves to a nice smile. Others have had braces before, perhaps with teeth removed, and are either unhappy with their smile or have pain, snore or have obstructive sleep apnea. Beginning in 1989, Dr. Hang has been an innovator in reopening extraction spaces. Yes, opening the spaces where teeth were previously removed for orthodontics and having the teeth replaced with implants is a common treatment plan for Dr. Hang’s patients. He even named what he was seeing as Extraction Retraction Regret Syndrome™ or E.R.R. S.™. Reversing previous extraction/retraction orthodontics may relieve headaches, TMJ pain, jaw &/or neck pain, snoring, and even OSA! With the teeth replaced, esthetics can be improved with a broader smile and support for the lips which tends to give a younger appearance.
Check out his extensive website at www.FaceFocused.com or call 805-374-9377 for an appointment to learn more about how orthodontics can be a lot more than just straight teeth!
