Dr. Burr Bakke, a dental implantologist and co-owner of World Class Dentistry in Sarasota, is championing a cutting-edge method in dental medicine and taking a noninvasive alternative approach to orthodontics with myofunctional therapy.
A gentler, easier approach to orthodontics, myofunctional therapy is an exercise-based treatment designed to teach children how to breathe properly while correcting tongue position and oral muscles of the face at the same time.
On Dec. 4 and 5, Dr. Bakke, along with orthodontics technician Jennifer Meyer, attended a course on Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD) and Myofunctional Therapy at the Las Vegas Institute.
The two-day course focused on teaching the nearly 100 clinicians in attendance how to identify, diagnose and treat the most common OMD’s in their practices. Clinicians also learned valuable techniques for training people how to properly position their tongues while utilizing their knowledge of how faces develop.
“It was pretty incredible,” said Dr. Bakke. “We learned some great techniques to help people grow their airways and position their tongues for better breathing, which will help them live longer. This just adds to what we already do and helps add another piece to the puzzle. We’re helping not only children but adults also.”
Traditionally, orthodontics involved removing teeth to make space and then putting brackets on the teeth and using wires to move them. But while the process created beautiful straight teeth, it forced the tongue back in the throat, creating breathing problems and the possibility of sleep apnea.
“We have a lot of adults suffering from sleep apnea and on CPAP machines, and my belief is that one of the causes is the orthodontic technique requiring permanent teeth to be pulled,” said Dr. Bakke.
Generally speaking, orthodontics doesn’t correct the bad habits that often start at birth and can continue into adulthood. As a result, a lot of people have to have braces not once, but two or three times.
If improper tongue position and development isn’t corrected early on, it can lead to enlarged tonsils and adenoids and allergies, as well as crooked teeth, elongated faces and retruded chins.
“If you catch improper tongue position early enough, it helps stimulate proper growth of the upper jaw and the lower jaw will follow,” said Dr. Bakke. “If you give the jaws the proper amount of room to grow, the teeth will move into place without crowding.”
At World Class Dentistry, Dr. Bakke and his wife Dr. Jill Morris, an accredited cosmetic dentist and co-owner of World Class Dentistry, are using alternative orthodontics to teach children as young as 5 years old how to properly position their tongue on the roof of their mouth and how to breathe through their mouth. When the tongue is position properly, the upper jaw will grow with a wide forward arch, resulting in better facial development.
In addition to better facial development, myofunctional therapy leads to straighter teeth, improved nasal breathing and often eliminates the need for braces.
About World Class Dentistry
Dr. Jill Morris opened the doors to World Class Dentistry in 1987. She and her husband, Dr. Burr Bakke, have 60 years of combined talent and expertise. With advanced training and the latest equipment, the doctors are leaders in the field and teach many pioneering techniques. The team at World Class Dentistry can comprehensively treat a patient with a multitude of issues at the Sarasota facility, which maintains the quality control and streamlines treatment. With a focus on individualized patient care and connection, the doctors and their on-site dental laboratory technician offer implant surgery, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, biological dentistry and more.
Located at 3951 Swift Road in Sarasota, World Class Dentistry is one of only a small number of area practices that have a Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC)®, which is a machine that enables the doctors to fabricate and place exceptional restorations right in their Sarasota office. For more information, visit SarasotaDentist.com or call 941-451-5543.
About Dr. Burr Bakke
Dr. Bakke has over 35 years of experience in providing the highest level of patient care, with a commitment that puts him at the forefront of implant dentistry. He places the implants and the final restorations so his patients receive total comprehensive care in one office.
Dr. Bakke provides each patient with a very thoughtfully engineered treatment plan incorporating his surgical experience and other clinical aspects. His study of neuromuscular dentistry is applied to assure correct jaw position and bite alignment. Recognizing patients’ desires for aesthetically pleasing smiles as well as highly functioning teeth, Dr. Bakke applies his extensive cosmetic training to create these beautiful smiles.
This extensive background has earned Dr. Bakke a reputation for excellence. He was a clinical instructor in full mouth rehabilitation at the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dental Studies, where he educated dentists from around the world. He is a 1980 graduate of Baylor College of Dentistry and practiced for 24 years at the Dallas Center of Esthetic Dentistry. He relocated in 2004 to Sarasota, Fla., to be part of Dr. Jill Morris’ World Class Dentistry team.