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

The specialists who may be involved:

• Pediatric dentists (Dr. Paulsen and Dr. Beck): monitor oral health, tongue-tie, and early airway-related dental signs during routine visits — often the first to notice something worth flagging
• Orthodontist (Dr. Zitterkopf): evaluates jaw and palate structure and provides growth-guidance or expansion treatment while the 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: works on articulation and oral motor patterns connected 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 this entire team — 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. The advantage of a coordinated team is that everyone works from the same picture instead of treating their piece in isolation.

At our Woodland Park office, orthodontics and pediatric dentistry operate under the same roof — Dr. Zitterkopf alongside Dr. Paulsen and Dr. Beck — 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 map out the right team based on what we find.