Making Lifelong Impacts Beyond a Beautiful Smile
We focus on identifying and treating the underlying cause of your child's symptoms.
WHY CHOOSE US
Non-invasive, simple, effective treatment successfully used in over 100 countries, for over 30 years.
Interdisciplinary collaboration with specialists (ENT, sleep physicians, allergists, pedodontists, orthodontists).
OVERALL HEALTH
An early evaluation helps support your child’s overall growth and well-being.
A healthy airway leads to better sleeping, breathing, improved face growth, straight teeth and even treat/prevent symptoms associated with ADHD.
ORAL HEALTH
Crooked or misaligned teeth are more than a cosmetic concern and affect more than a child's appearance.
They contribute and increase:
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the risk of cavities, plaque buildup, and gum disease (since straight teeth are easier to clean
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teeth wear, jaw pain, headaches, TMJ disorders, chewing difficulties, and muscle tension
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speech problems
Straight teeth improve self-esteem and positively impact social life.
OUR PROTOCOL
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Free online screening to determine if our treatment is right for your child
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Free no obligation online virtual consultation
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Comprehensive myofunctional orthodontic examination and records
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Personalized treatment
Easy Steps
Once we receive your screening form, we will determine whether your child would benefit from a free virtual online consultation and will contact you to schedule one. It will help us evaluate whether your child is a candidate for the early interventions we provide before setting up a clinic appointment.
OUR TREATMENT APPROACH
Myofunctional therapy
Myobrace treatment (including Activities and Myotalea Appliances)
Breathing retraining
Referral to specialists (interdisciplinary care) as needed
The Success of your Child's Treatment begins with you understanding, motivation, and active participation
Why is Early Treatment Important ?
Snoring
When Should You Be Concerned About Your Child’s Snoring?
While occasional snoring may seem harmless or even cute, snoring in children should not be overlooked. The sound occurs when air passes through a partially obstructed airway. The louder or more frequent the snoring, the greater the likelihood of an airway obstruction.
Recognizing
Signs of
Sleep-Disordered
Breathing
While not every child who snores has sleep-disordered breathing, snoring is an important warning sign. Watch for symptoms children experience during sleep and day time hours. At night - gasping, choking, pauses in breathing, mouth breathing, bedwetting, or night terrors. During the day - fatigue, difficulty concentrating, behavioral or learning challenges, headaches, or excessive daytime sleepiness.
How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Child
Sleep deprivation isn’t determined by time spent in bed—it’s about the quality of sleep. Sleep-disordered breathing can disrupt your child’s sleep cycle, preventing the deep, restorative sleep their bodies and brains need to grow, learn, and function well.
Mouth
Breathing
Mouth breathing often develops early in life.
Breathing through the mouth allows unfiltered air to enter the sensitive, small airways of children and is associated with enlarged tonsils and adenoids; ear, nose, and throat infections; and chronic nasal congestion. It causes airway irritation and increased susceptibility to developing asthma
as well as abnormal facial and dental development, such as long, narrow faces, small and narrow jaws, gummy smiles, and crooked teeth.
Tongue-tie
A restricted lingual frenum (tongue-tie) contributes to difficulties with speech, chewing, swallowing, and breast feeding.
If untreated, it also affects facial development and occlusion (as the ideal resting posture for the tongue is to rest lightly against the roof of the mouth, which is not possible when a tongue-tie is present) and causes non-restorative sleep and increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea.
Meet Dr. Simona
Simona Awiszus DDS, MS, FOM
Dr. Simona is passionate about healthcare because it gives her the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives and to positively impact their well-being.
During her 25 years of treating patients of all ages as a general dentist, she discovered a particular passion for caring for children, helping them develop healthy oral hygiene and dietary habits while preventing dental caries and periodontal disease. She became increasingly aware of the prevalence of crowded teeth, malocclusions, and airway-related concerns, as well as the impact these issues can have on children’s general health and self-esteem.
This led Dr. Simona to pursue advanced training in airway-centered orthodontics, including Myobrace® certification with Dr. Raphael, a renowned orthodontist specializing in airway orthodontics. She also completed advanced training and became a Fellow of the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM).
Her passion soon evolved into a focus on early airway-centered orthodontics and myofunctional therapy, inspired by the potential for these approaches to support benefits that extend far beyond dental alignment and facial development.
Early identification and treatment of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing and unhealthy oral habits can support healthy airway development, breathing, sleep, and overall well-being, while also contributing to improved oral health and reduced risk of dental disease. Dr. Simona is particularly passionate about helping children establish healthy functional patterns early in life, with the goal of supporting their long-term health and development.
Dr. Simona grew up in Romania and came first to the United States as a summer camp counselor, and returned as a graduate student to pursue her Master’s degree at the University of Minnesota.
Outside of dentistry, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, traveling, swimming, skiing and outdoor activities. One of her greatest passions is animal welfare, and she actively supports several animal protection organizations through membership and charitable giving.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS
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American Dental Association (ADA)
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Minnesota Dental Association (MDA)
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Saint Paul District Dental Society
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Myofunctional Research – Myobrace
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International Association of Orofacial Myology
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International Academy of Biological Dentistry & Medicine
The video that inspired Dr. Simona below.
It presents the major impact early treatment can have on children's overall health.
https://aapmd.org/aapmd-blog/finding-connor-deegan-video