breathFunctional Orthodontics for Children
Cosmetic and Neuromuscular Dentistry in Burke, VA
Grow with confidence and balance
At Pamela Marzban DDS, orthodontics should support your child’s overall growth, development, and well-being. Functional Orthodontics takes a proactive, whole-body approach to orthodontic care by guiding jaw growth, improving facial balance, and supporting healthy breathing. This approach not only helps children develop straight, confident smiles but also creates the foundation for proper airway, bite, and posture as they grow.
What is Functional Orthodontics?
While traditional braces focus mainly on aligning teeth, Functional Orthodontics looks deeper. It addresses how the jaws, teeth, muscles, and airway work together—because true alignment begins with balance.
By working with the body’s natural growth processes, Functional Orthodontics helps children achieve:
Proper jaw development
Balanced facial proportions
Correct bite alignment
Healthy nasal breathing
Early intervention means your child’s jaw and airway can develop to their full potential—often preventing the need for tooth extractions, complex orthodontics, or breathing-related treatments later in life.
Why Early Functional Orthodontics Matters
Many of today’s children develop narrow jaws, crowded teeth, or receded chins due to modern lifestyle factors like soft diets, mouth breathing, and poor oral posture. These habits don’t just affect appearance—they can influence sleep, speech, and long-term health.
Functional Orthodontics helps correct these patterns early, while a child’s bones and muscles are still growing. This approach doesn’t fight the body’s natural development—it enhances it, helping your child breathe better, sleep soundly, and grow into their healthiest, happiest self.
How Functional Orthodontics Works
Dr. Pamela Marzban uses gentle, biologically guided orthodontic techniques that mimic the body’s natural muscle forces. These light forces help guide jaw growth, align teeth, and improve airway function.
For children, treatment may include:
Growth-guiding appliances that expand and align the jaws
Light braces or aligners to refine tooth position
Myofunctional therapy to retrain tongue and facial muscles
This combination of tools and therapies ensures your child’s orthodontic treatment is both functional and aesthetic—creating a smile that looks great and feels natural.
Benefits of Functional Orthodontics for Children:
Encourages natural jaw development and facial balance
Supports airway growth for better breathing and sleep
Promotes healthy oral habits that last a lifetime
Reduces risk of TMJ issues and bite-related discomfort
Creates a harmonious, confident smile that grows with your child
By addressing the root causes of misalignment early, Functional Orthodontics helps children avoid orthodontic relapse.
The Role of Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional Therapy is an essential companion to Functional Orthodontics. It retrains the muscles of the tongue, lips, and face to function correctly—supporting the orthodontic changes being made.
Through customized exercises, children learn:
Proper tongue placement and nasal breathing
Correct swallowing patterns
Balanced oral posture
When combined with orthodontic treatment, these habits create stable, long-lasting results and promote overall health and development.
With over two decades of experience, Dr. Pamela Marzban brings together expertise in cosmetic, neuromuscular, and airway dentistry to create orthodontic results that go beyond aesthetics. Her signature approach—Beauty, Balance, and Breath™—ensures every child’s smile supports healthy function, confident appearance, and lifelong well-being.
beauty, balance, and breath
Start Your Child’s Functional Orthodontic Journey
Early guidance makes all the difference. If your child has crowded teeth, mouth-breathing habits, or signs of jaw underdevelopment, Functional Orthodontics can help them grow with confidence and balance.
Call 703-323-8200 or contact us online to schedule your child’s Functional Orthodontics Consultation at Pamela Marzban DDS in Burke, VA.