Treatment for Sleep Problems near Richmond, VA

Sleep and Airway Treatment Near Richmond, VA

Appliance treats. Therapy completes.

At Chester Dental Care, we take a whole-body, airway-centered approach to treating sleep problems, snoring, TMJ pain, and mild to moderate sleep apnea.

Our philosophy-rooted in Prevention, Management, and Rehabilitation-focuses on addressing causes, not just symptoms

By aligning structure, muscle, and breath, we help patients restore balance, achieve better sleep, and experience long-term wellness.

1. Prevention

Guiding Growth. Protecting Function.

For children, early airway and jaw development lay the foundation for lifelong breathing and sleep health. Through interceptive, muscle-guided approaches, we can guide growth naturally-preventing problems before they begin.

Treatment options may include:

• Growth-guidance appliances (Vivos® or similar) to support jaw and airway development

• Early myofunctional training to establish proper tongue posture, lip seal, and nasal breathing

• Airway-focused orthodontics to align teeth while preserving airway and facial balance

The goal: guide healthy growth early-creating space for the breath and stability for life.

2. Management

Reducing Symptoms. Supporting Stability.

In adults and teens already showing signs of sleep-disordered breathing, TMJ tension, or bite imbalance, management focuses on symptom relief and functional balance through precise, non-surgical techniques.

Treatment options may include:

• Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) to reduce airway collapse and improve airflow in mild to moderate sleep apnea

• TMJ orthotic splints to decompress the joint, reduce muscle tension, and improve comfort

• Occlusal stabilization and bite balancing using T-Scan digital bite analysis and DTR (Disclusion Time Reduction) therapy to refine bite timing and restore neuromuscular harmony

• Lifestyle and sleep-positioning guidance to support airway patency during rest

The goal: reduce symptoms, stabilize the bite, and prepare the airway and muscles for deeper rehabilitation.

3. Rehabilitation

Restoring Function. Rebuilding Balance.

Rehabilitation is the transformative phase-addressing the root causes of poor sleep, snoring, and chronic tension through airway remodeling, muscle retraining, and breath restoration.

Treatment options may include:

• Vivos® airway development appliances to expand and remodel the jaws, improving structure and oxygen flow

• Myofunctional therapy and guided breathwork to strengthen oral and facial muscles, optimize tongue posture, and reestablish nasal breathing

• Fotona NightLase® laser therapy for gentle, non-surgical tightening of soft tissues to reduce snoring and improve tone

• Collaborative care with sleep physicians, ENTs, chiropractors, and physical therapists to ensure comprehensive structural and functional recovery

The goal: restore harmony between structure, muscle, and breath-for sustainable wellness and truly restorative sleep.

Why Our Approach Works

Traditional sleep and TMJ treatments often focus on isolated symptoms. At Chester Dental Care, we uncover why the dysfunction occurs-whether from underdeveloped jaws, mouth breathing, bite imbalance, or muscle fatigue-and guide the body back to balance.

Appliance treats. Therapy completes. Together, they create the foundation for better breathing, improved sleep, and lasting whole-body health.

Take the Next Step

If you or your child experience snoring, fatigue, jaw pain, or restless sleep, schedule a consultation to discover how airway-centered care can transform your health.

Oral Appliances:

Vivos appliances can help with jaw remodeling, teeth straightening and tooth positioning, and help alleviate symptoms of sleep disordered breathing, mild to moderate sleep apnea, and snoring.

Snoring Laser Treatment:

Fotona's NightLase® therapy is a non-invasive laser treatment for increasing the quality of sleep. A gentle, laser-induced tightening effect causes the contraction of collagen in oral mucosa tissue, resulting in improved sleep for patients suffering from sleep apnea and snoring.

The Fotona laser technology optimizes the length of laser pulses, allowing for penetration of heat into the oral mucosa. It is gentle enough to be used on the sensitive tissue inside the mouth, yet strong enough to provide clinically efficacious heating.

NightLase, a non-surgical laser procedure that can be performed in a doctor's or dentist's office, can help reduce and attenuate snoring and provide an effective, non-invasive method of treating sleep apnea. Research has shown that it is highly effective.

Myofunctional Therapy:

Myofunctional therapy is a type of physical therapy that focuses on the face, mouth and jaws. If you breathe through your mouth or have an imbalance in the way your tongue rests in your mouth, you may be a candidate for this type of treatment.

You can reduce snoring through nasal breathing and/or strengthening throat muscles. Myofunctional therapy exercises seem to be helpful in treating other types of sleep-disordered breathing, as well.

Airway Orthodontics:

Improving or correcting crowded teeth is sometimes motivated by a desire to improve the appearance of one's smile, but it may have more pressing underlying motives as well.

Airway orthodontics, by analyzing a person's anatomy, physiology, neurology and breathing patterns, helps detect the underlying cause of crooked teeth. A treatment plan will then be developed to ensure whole body wellness. Treatment can result in the following improvements:

• Straight teeth
• Correctly positioned jaws
• Well balanced faces
• Healthy TMJ
• Stable upper cervical spine