Mac Lee: Craniofacial development

The “Craniofacial Development” book is also a step-by-step guide on how to prevent your child from having adult TMD issues. TMD stands for Temporo Mandibular Disorder, a disorder that can wreak havoc over a lifetime.

To my knowledge, the information in Marzban’s book is seldom, if ever, taught in dental or medical schools. A large percentage of conventional health care providers are simply unaware of the information in her book. On the other hand, her concepts are widely known among neuromuscular dentists, oral myofunctional therapists, lactation consultants, infant chiropractors and other out-of-the-mainstream health care providers.

Two very important goals starting at birth is that the child breathes through his or her nose and not to be tongue-tied. The book educates the reader on how to recognize both conditions and has photographs that clearly illustrate in ways the parents or guardians understand.

Epigenetics

Lack of facial development begins to show around four years of age. Many will say facial appearances are genetic and the child looks like the mom or the dad’s genetic line, which is obviously true. Epigenetics can alter genetics. Epigenetics, as described by CDC is “the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.”

If great grandad, granddad and dad, with a strong family resemblance, were genetically tongue-tied more than likely their faces developed the same because their tongues could not do its job of flattening out and sculpturing the palate and filling in the midface. However, if today’s child had their tongue clipped and he or she were allowed to breathe through the nose, normal development could occur. The genetics remain the same, but the outcome is a properly developed face. The book explains more with actual photos with advice for parents.

Treating patients with TMD pain, sleep apnea and painful jaw joints is now the focus of my dental practice. Common ground many of my adult patients have is an underdeveloped maxilla, tongue-tie and mouth breathing, which is totally consistent with the book. Under the guidance of the right health care provider, these problems are mostly preventable if treatment is started at an early age. You do not need to be a health care provider to understand all the principles in the book. Once you “see” tongue-tie, mouth breathing and underdeveloped maxilla, everything makes total sense.

Finding the right health care provider can be difficult. The more educated you are on these issues, the more confident you will be in picking the right professional to help. You can start your search at International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals (IATP.org), ICCMO.org, oral myofunctional therapist, lactation consultants or pediatric chiropractors, and there are some very interesting tongue-tie social media sites also.

It is my very biased opinion, based on my dental knowledge, understanding and experience, that if, in your search for a health care provider, you hear, “It’s not really important” and “The child will grow out of it,” you are in the wrong place. It is also my experience and belief that patients have the right to strongly vet any health care provider. Above all, find someone you can trust and be involved in treatment. It is your child, and you have that right.