Glossary

Contents

Terms

Airway-focused (or airway-centric) orthodontics

An approach advocated by a minority of orthodontists who recognise and treat the issues described here.

The airway is treated as central because sleep-disordered breathing is one of the more medically significant potential effects of improper jaw growth.

Airway compromise is also the immediate cause of forward head posture related to jaw underdevelopment.

Craniofacial dystrophy (CFD)

Craniofacial = to do with the face and skull; dystrophy = incorrect or unfavourable growth.

CFD describes a common pattern of unfavourable growth that occurs due to environmental factors. Common visual features include a long and narrow face, lack of eye support, and retruding (set-back) jaws. Common symptoms include dental crowding, TMJ (jaw joint) disorder, posture issues, and sleep breathing disorders such as snoring and sleep apnea.

Craniofacial dystrophy was introduced in 2014 in this paper. It is not yet a widely accepted term in mainstream medicine.

Extraction and retraction in orthodontics

The extraction (removal) and retraction (moving backwards within the mouth) of teeth for orthodontic purposes. These are routinely performed for both cosmetic and functional reasons in mainstream orthodontics.

Forward head posture

Head posture adopted in order to maintain an open airway. Sometimes referred to as “compensatory” posture as it is adopted to compensate for an airway that would otherwise be compromised (partially obstructed) or fully obstructed due to jaw underdevelopment.

Jaw epidemic

The jaw epidemic is the term used by Sandra Kahn and others to describe the increasing prevalence of jaw underdevelopment (which we might call craniofacial dystrophy), and resulting health problems, since the advent of agriculture and industrialisation.

Malocclusion

Malocclusion is the technical term for crooked teeth or bite problems (problems with the way the teeth of the upper and lower jaws fit together when biting down).

Malocclusion is one of the most noticeable potential effects of jaw underdevelopment.

Mewing

Mewing encapsulates John and Mike Mew’s techniques and recommendations for proper resting oral posture. It is more commonly known as a DIY “jawline-shaping exercise”, but it was originally developed with healthy jaw development in mind.

Sleep apnea (obstructive sleep apnea or OSA)

There are two types of sleep apnea, “central” and “obstructive”. When we say sleep apnea, we are always referring to the obstructive type.

OSA (mostly referred to as “Sleep apnea” throughout this site) is a condition where the soft tissues of the face and/or neck obstruct the airway during sleep, which causes “apneas” or pauses in breathing.

It is a serious health condition which can lead to an increased risk of death if untreated.

Improper jaw development can contribute to sleep apnea by forcing soft tissues such as the tongue further back in the mouth where they may be more likely to fall back into the airway during sleep.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

The joint (or two joints) that connect the lower jaw to the rest of the skull.

Disorder (such as pain, clicking, or popping) in the TMJs can be caused or exacerbated by improper jaw development and bite misalignment.

Tongue tie

A condition where the tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth restricts the tongue’s movement.

Tongue tie can be clearly visible, such as when the lingual frenulum pulls the front of the tongue into a loveheart shape, or harder to detect. A less easily visible tie may be referred to as a posterior tongue tie. Tongue tie diagnosis, classification, and treatment is an active area of research.

Tongue tie can impact jaw development by preventing the tongue from adopting its proper rest position on the roof of the mouth, as well as causing other issues such as postural tension.

See https://www.zaghimd.com/tongue-tie for more information.