Most people don’t realize that healthy breathing should be quiet, effortless, and almost entirely through the nose. We are designed to breathe nasally nearly all the time, including during sleep. When a child or adult consistently breathes through the mouth, especially at rest or during sleep, it is often not a habit but a compensation for an airway that is too small. This is where orthodontics, surprisingly, plays a critical role in overall health.

Amanda Vanderstelt, owner of aligned. Orthodontics, has lived in the neighborhood for over two years and practices orthodontics through an airway-focused, root-cause lens. Her passion for this work is deeply personal. As a child, she struggled with airway issues, mouth breathing, poor sleep, and large tonsils. Looking back, she can see how those challenges shaped her facial growth, jaw development, and long-term oral health. As she became an orthodontist and studied jaw growth, the connection became clear: jaws and airways develop together, and when jaws are small or narrow, breathing suffers.

Sleep apnea is often associated with older adults, but in non-obese individuals it is most commonly the result of underdeveloped jaws that began forming too small in childhood. Teeth are not the root problem; they are passengers on the jaws. When jaws are guided to grow properly at the right time, often between ages five and nine, there is more room for teeth, the tongue has proper space, and the airway can develop more fully. Waiting until all adult teeth erupt often means missing a critical growth window, making airway improvements less predictable later in life.

Amanda emphasizes that many children show signs of airway issues long before orthodontics is considered. Snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, dark circles, bedwetting, frequent infections, difficulty focusing, and crowded baby teeth can all be early clues. Early intervention is not about doing more treatment, but about doing the right treatment at the right time, often alongside pediatricians, ENTs, and myofunctional therapists.

This approach also shapes Amanda’s personal life. She prioritizes movement, nutrition, and healthy breathing for herself and her family. Her goal is not just straight teeth, but better sleep, better breathing, and healthier development that lasts into adulthood.

aligned. Orthodontics is located at 1215 S. Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80210, and can be found on Instagram at @alignedortho.