Few airway problems in children have a single cause or a single fix. A child who mouth-breathes, snores, or shows other signs of sleep-disordered breathing may end up working with several specialists — and it helps to know upfront who does what.

The specialists who may be involved:

• Pediatric dentist (Dr. Beck): monitors oral health, tongue-tie, and early airway-related dental signs during routine visits — often the first to flag a concern
• Orthodontist (Dr. Zitterkopf): evaluates jaw and palate structure and provides growth-guidance or expansion treatment while bones are still developing
• ENT: treats tonsils, adenoids, and nasal or structural obstructions that orthodontic appliances can’t reach
• Myofunctional therapist: retrains tongue posture, swallowing patterns, and breathing habits so structural changes actually hold
• Speech-language pathologist: addresses articulation and oral motor patterns tied to tongue posture, often overlapping with myofunctional therapy
• Sleep medicine physician: diagnoses sleep-disordered breathing through formal sleep studies and manages medical treatment
• Pediatrician: frequently the first to hear about behavior or growth concerns and can help coordinate referrals

Most kids won’t need every specialist on this list. A child with mild mouth breathing and a narrowing palate might just need orthodontic expansion. A child with snoring, enlarged tonsils, and a speech delay might need three or four specialists working in sequence. A coordinated team means everyone works from the same picture instead of treating their piece alone.

At our Falcon office, Dr. Zitterkopf and Dr. Beck work together under one roof — orthodontics and pediatric dentistry — with established referral relationships to ENTs, myofunctional therapists, SLPs, and sleep physicians throughout the region. When something falls outside our scope, we say so and make the introduction.

Not sure who your child needs to see first? Start with us, and we’ll help you map out the right team based on what we find.