Early Intervention · Ages 2–7

Is Your Child
Breathing the
Right Way?

The way your child breathes every day shapes their face, their sleep, and their health for life. Dr. Matt Pingel specializes in catching and correcting airway problems before they cause lasting damage.

Does your child show these signs?
  • Snoring, restless sleep, or waking at night
  • Mouth hanging open during the day
  • Teeth grinding or clenching
  • Daytime tiredness, difficulty focusing, ADHD-like behavior
  • Crowded or crooked teeth starting to form
  • Dark circles under the eyes, puffy appearance
Book an Airway Exam → See the Warning Signs
Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist
17+ Years Experience
Granville, OH

The Silent Problem No One Talks About

Mouth Breathing Changes How Your Child's Face Develops

Most parents never connect the dots between a child's breathing pattern and their jaw shape, sleep quality, and long-term health. But the science is clear — and early treatment changes everything.

Mouth Breather

Untreated airway obstruction

Mouth breather front view Mouth breather side view
  • Long, narrow face shape developing
  • Recessed chin and weak jaw muscles
  • Crowded, crooked teeth forming
  • High, arched palate (M-shaped arch)
  • Dark circles, puffy eyes from poor sleep
  • Forward head posture, neck strain
  • Enlarged tonsils, frequent congestion

Nose Breather

Healthy airway and jaw development

Nose breather front view Nose breather side view
  • Wide, balanced facial development
  • Well-defined jaw and chin projection
  • Room for teeth to erupt properly
  • Wide palate, tongue rests naturally up
  • Clear, bright eyes and alert appearance
  • Natural upright head and neck posture
  • Deep, restorative sleep every night
1 in 3

Children have some form of sleep-disordered breathing — most go undiagnosed for years.

Age 7

The critical window when jaw growth is most responsive and treatment is most effective

90%

Of facial development happens before age 12 — early intervention makes the biggest difference

Concerned about your child's breathing or sleep?

An airway evaluation takes just one visit. Early detection can prevent years of orthodontic and health problems.

Call Us Today Book an Airway Exam →
Dr. Pingel with patient

Why Timing Matters

The Window for Change Closes Earlier Than You Think

By the time traditional orthodontics begins around age 12, up to 90% of facial growth is already complete. Dr. Pingel's approach works with your child's natural growth — not against it.

Guide the Jaw Before It's Set

Between ages 2 and 7, the bones of the upper and lower jaw are still soft and highly responsive. Light orthopedic appliances can gently expand the palate and encourage proper forward jaw growth — changes that are impossible once growth is complete.

Create Room for Permanent Teeth

No spacing in baby teeth is an early warning sign. It means there won't be enough room for adult teeth to erupt straight. Expanding the arch early is far less invasive — and far more effective — than extractions at age 12.

Reduce or Eliminate Future Orthodontics

When the jaw develops properly and teeth have room to erupt correctly, the need for traditional orthodontic treatment — including braces and extractions in the teenage years — is dramatically reduced.

Establish Nasal Breathing for Life

The nose filters, warms, and humidifies air. It produces nitric oxide, which opens airways and kills pathogens. Children who become habitual mouth breathers often carry that pattern into adulthood — along with all its consequences.

Protect Sleep and Brain Development

When the jaw develops properly and the airway is open, children sleep deeper. Deep sleep is when the brain consolidates memory, regulates emotions, and releases growth hormones — critical for development.

Better Eating, Speech, and Function

Tongue position affects every act of swallowing, speaking, and chewing. When the tongue rests properly on the roof of the mouth and the jaw has adequate volume, all of these functions improve — often dramatically.

Book A Consultation →

Real Transformation

What Treatment Can Change

Dr. Pingel's airway-focused approach works with your child's growing bones to create lasting, structural changes — not just cosmetic improvements.

Before Treatment
Before treatment illustration
  • ✗Narrow, constricted upper jaw (M shaped palate)
  • ✗Crowded baby teeth with no spacing
  • ✗Tongue has nowhere to rest properly
  • ✗Restricted airway during sleep
  • ✗No room for permanent teeth to erupt
  • ✗Snoring, grinding, poor sleep quality
After Treatment
After treatment illustration
  • ✓Wide, U-shaped palate with room for tongue
  • ✓Baby teeth have natural spacing
  • ✓Tongue rests properly — nasal breathing established
  • ✓Airway is open and unobstructed during sleep
  • ✓Permanent teeth have room to erupt straight
  • ✓Deep, restful sleep — more energy and focus
1
First Visit
Comprehensive airway evaluation
2–4
Ages 2–4
Address habits, monitor breathing
5–7
Ages 5–7
Palate expansion if needed
8+
Ages 8–12
Monitor eruption of permanent teeth
12+
Ages 12+
Less orthodontics — or none at all

The Airway Exam

What Dr. Pingel Evaluates During an Airway Exam

A thorough airway evaluation goes far beyond checking teeth. Dr. Pingel looks at the whole picture — because the cause of airway problems is almost never just one thing.

01 · Breathing Pattern

How Is Your Child Breathing?

Is your child breathing through their nose, mouth, or both?

Does the mouth hang open at rest or during sleep?

02 · Tongue Posture

Where Is the Tongue Resting?

Is the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth, or sitting down between the teeth?

Are there "scalloped" indentations on the tongue edges, indicating lack of space?

03 · Tonsils

Are the Tonsils Interfering?

Are the tonsils enlarged enough to block proper tongue resting position?

Could enlarged tonsils be contributing to abnormal swallowing or eating patterns?

04 · Jaw and Spacing

Is There Enough Room?

Is the upper jaw wide enough for the tongue to rest at the roof of the mouth?

Does the upper arch look like an "M" shape instead of a wide "U"?

Is there natural spacing between baby teeth — the space needed for permanent teeth?

05 · Sleep and Airway Symptoms

What Happens at Night?

Does your child snore or grind their teeth at night?

Do they move around a lot, or wake frequently?

Daytime fatigue, difficulty focusing, or ADHD-like symptoms?

06 · Oral Habits

Were There Any Early Habits?

Thumb sucking or pacifier use past age 1?

Could these habits have contributed to a small, constricted upper jaw?

Prolonged bottle or sippy cup use affecting oral development?

Schedule Your Child's Airway Evaluation →

Takes about 60 minutes · Most insurance accepted · Granville, OH

Dr. Matt Pingel
Dr. Matt Pingel
Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
Residency · Nationwide Children's Hospital
Residency · Children's Hospital of Michigan
17+ Years in Pediatric Dentistry
Granville Pediatric Dentistry · Est. 2015

Meet Your Doctor

A Dentist Who Changed His Practice to Change Children's Lives

Dr. Pingel is a Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist who, after 17 years of practicing traditional dentistry, made a decision that changed everything. He shifted his entire focus to airway-focused growth and development treatment — because he kept seeing the same preventable problems in his older patients that could have been corrected years earlier.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Pingel completed his dental education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, followed by a General Practice Residency at The Ohio State University, a Fellowship with Nationwide Children's Hospital Pediatric Dentistry in Columbus, and his Pediatric Dental Residency at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.

"My mission is to help patients optimize their growth and development before the age of 7 — while the window for change is still wide open."
— Dr. Matt Pingel, Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist

Since opening Granville Pediatric Dentistry in late 2015, Dr. Pingel has focused his continuing education on airway-focused early orthopedic intervention. His proactive approach guides proper jaw development to increase oral volume — where the tongue can function ideally — resulting in better sleep, improved breathing, and better function with eating and speech.

With increased space for permanent teeth to erupt, this approach also dramatically reduces crowding and the need for extractions during traditional orthodontic treatment around age 12.

Book a Consultation with Dr. Pingel →

Your child's jaw is still growing. This is the moment to act.

The earlier Dr. Pingel can evaluate your child's airway, the more options you have — and the simpler treatment will be.

Call Us Today Book an Airway Exam →
Dr. Pingel

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Give Your Child the Healthy Start They Deserve

Dr. Pingel can evaluate your child's airway, breathing pattern, jaw development, and sleep in a single comprehensive visit. The sooner you know, the more you can do.

📞 Call (740)-609-2089 Book an Airway Exam Online →

COME
ON OVER!

Call (740)-609-2089 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We'll be in touch soon.

Book Appointment Contact Us

Monday: 8 AM–5 PM

Tuesday: 8 AM–5 PM

Wednesday: 8 AM–5 PM

Thursday: 8 AM–5 PM

Friday: Closed

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed