Orthodontics can cause sleep apnea - Class Action Lawsuit

Hi All,

If you had orthodontics when you were in your growing years and wore appliances that were designed to restrict the growth of your maxilla, and today you have obstructive sleep apnea, there is a strong chance that your sleep apnea was directly caused by the orthodontic work done to you.

I am launching a class action against orthodontic colleges and/or manufacturers of retractive orthodontic appliances, namely headgear and fixed retainers. This is my story in short, and many of you may have the same story: From the time I was 11 to 13 years old, I wore headgear. I was told that to correct my overbite, the growth of my maxilla needed to be restricted with headgear to allow my lower jaw to catch up. The problem with is is that the position of the maxilla plays a large part in determining the size of one's airway. The orthodontist did not inform me or my parents that a) my maxilla forms my upper airway, and b) that at my age then, my upper airway was still growing and c) restriction of the maxillary growth could also restrict the growth of my airway. Two years after I wore headgear, I was given a fixed retainer that I wore from the time I was 16 to 17 years old. While the bones in my upper and lower jaw were trying to widen, they could not because of the fixed retainers I was wearing. This prevented my airway from widening. My upper airway today is about 1/4 the size it should be and I sleep with a CPAP machine so that I can breath at night. Orthodontists are not taught to avoid damage to the upper airway when restricting growth of the maxilla. In practice, they assume the airway will be okay, however, they don't have any qualifications to make this assumption. In legal terms, this is called willful negligence and a class action lawsuit could prevent many children from having their airways (and other physical characteristics) compromised through negligent orthodontic work. The fact that orthodontic colleges miss this point all together in their curriculae and that manufacturers don't have warning labels on their products are both also negligent.

Join me in this mission to change orthodontic practice for the better.

Thanks,
Omar

Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges & Associations
- Organizing out of Vancouver, BC

Contact:
Omar Lalani
olalani@gmail.com

Were you ever given headgear or fixed braces/retainers and told they were designed to restrict to the growth of your upper jaw, so that your lower jaw could catch up to correct an overbite? Do you now have sleep apnea, a compromised airway, a narrow face and/or a flattened facial profile from the side, or constant fatigue and/or chronic neck and back pain? If so, you may want to consider taking part in a class action lawsuit against orthodontic manufacturers, associations and colleges for knowingly teaching and spreading practices that are harmful to the public without appropriate patient disclosure, when non-harmful alternatives to such practices have been available for decades. Orthodontic colleges teach that restricting the growth of the maxilla (upper jaw) through headgear will allow a child's mandible (lower jaw) to catch up in order to correct an overbite. Those colleges also teach that fixing the growing jaws of an adolescent with retainers to keep teeth straight, long before growth is complete, will not adversely impact a patient's health. The problem with this is that the position and width of the maxilla and mandible directly impacts the dimensions and shape of the airway; this is a known fact of anatomy. Restricting the growth of part of the upper airway this way can have disastrous lifelong health consequences, including but not limited to sleep apnea. Orthodontic colleges do not teach future practitioners of this danger, nor of the need to inform potential patients of this, yet professionals who govern the colleges are fully aware of the anatomical relationship between the maxilla and the airway. Since the 1920's, alternatives to restrictive - also referred to as retractive orthodontics - have been in practice in many parts of the world and have been well documented in orthodontic circles. These practices include the use of functional orthopedic appliances that encourage forward and lateral growth of the upper and lower jaws, and hence do not put restrictive forces on the growth of the upper airway. Despite these technologies being available, many orthodontic colleges continue to teach retractive methods, and many orthodontists today continue to adversely impact the airways of the children they treat, without informing parents and patients of this risk and the alternatives.

For this class action to be successful, enough people need to come forward in an organized way.

The class action lawsuit will contend that orthodontic colleges and associations have been engaged in willful negligence towards patients and society in general. No orthodontist can deny their knowledge of the anatomical relationship between the maxilla and the airway, nor can they deny that there are consequences to restricting the growth of the airway. No orthodontist can claim that they have the knowledge and qualifications to evaluate impacts to the structure and function of the airway, yet they continue to use techniques that adversely impact the airway. Worse yet, they are not taught to consult respirologists or ear, nose and throat doctors during the course of orthodontic treatment to fully understand the impact of the restrictive forces they are putting on the airway, nor are they taught to disclose all of this to parents and patients. This willful disregard of anatomical facts, treatment alternatives, expert opinions and patient disclosure is a classic case of willful negligence that is institutionalized.

If you were given headgear and/or fixed retainers, were not informed of potential adverse consequences to your airway and were not informed of non-retractive and non-fixed alternatives, please list your name, your contact information and send your story to be a potential claimant in this class action that is currently in the works.

Once again, my name is Omar Lalani and I can be reached at olalani@gmail.com. I will respect your privacy and your information will only be used for submission in the class action registration and proceedings. Alternatively, simply post your story here as a reply.

Where did you get your knowledge of growth and development? I think a class action suit is justified against Jack-in-the Box popcorn.

No orthodontist can claim that they have the knowledge and qualifications to evaluate impacts to the structure and function of the airway, yet they continue to use techniques that adversely impact the airway. Worse yet, they are not taught to consult respirologists or ear, nose and throat doctors during the course of orthodontic treatment to fully understand the impact of the restrictive forces they are putting on the airway, nor are they taught to disclose all of this to parents and patients. This willful disregard of anatomical facts, treatment alternatives, expert opinions and patient disclosure is a classic case of willful negligence that is institutionalized.

Good for you. I am glad to see this lawsuit being initiated. Hopefully it will have a huge impact on the practice of orthodontics and the schools of orthodontics.

I hope it causes the practice of orthodontics to consider the airway an important and crucial factor. (See my signature.)

olalani wrote:Hi All,

Once again, my name is Omar Lalani and I can be reached at olalani@gmail.com. I will respect your privacy and your information will only be used for submission in the class action registration and proceedings. Alternatively, simply post your story here as a reply.

I wore headgear and was never told of these risks. I now have unexplained UARS despite being young and fit.

Chasing ambulances also causes sleep apnea. Mine was caused because I ate one cheeseburger once when I was young. One person I know ate chile and got it. Life is tough, find something to blame for it, cash in. Jim

justinjustin wrote:
I wore headgear and was never told of these risks. I now have unexplained UARS despite being young and fit.

It was hard for them to tell you the risks because they weren't known until recently. Blame your parent for putting your pretty smile before your health instead - their crystal ball must have been cloudy.

Thank God! Finally!

This girl is way ahead of the curve on orthodontics.

Please contact her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li0lS0DV9jY

I've compiled information on this subject on this forum also (I'm "Sylvie" also). See: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=80539&p=761716&hili ... a+#p761716

I had my retraction orthodontia in the 70s, so probably too late for me. I fully support your efforts. God bless you!

I had extraction orthondontics that without a doubt caused my sleep apnea. I'd like to be part of this lawsuit. Many of these same practices are still going on and these children will have the same issues we've had. It's beyond criminal.

Omar, I've sent you an email. I'm thinking if we use social media (twitter, facebook) we might be able to get people to take note of this issue.

Omar

While I certainly think that re-tractive orthodontics can cause obstructive sleep apnea or help cause; I don't think there was any malice or negligence when I had that done to me. Do I think it exacerbated the issues? Yes, however I don't think the orthodontists were intentionally causing OSA.

I had upper tooth extractions and was a head gear user (as prescribed by my orthodontist) several decades ago. Looking back, I wish he had opted for growing/stretching my lower jaw instead of pulling back my upper teeth and jaw. BUT, I don't think there was any info or studies on the subject and outcomes way back then. The different treatment of expanding and growing the jaws and arches was in it's infancy. Things are a lot different today. Palate expansion, mandibular growth are both very common today. Even in adults.

I'm currently undergoing my second round of orthodontics at 40 years old. We're trying to fix the previous damage done; that will include jaw surgery next year. I have narrow arches and a high palate. My bite is off and I have TMJD issues. I'm a mouth breather and have limited breathing capacity breathing through my nose (hence the full face mask instead of the nasal masks.) If all this works out in the end, I hope I won't need xPAP or oral appliances to help me breathe at night.

I don't hold my previous orthodontist accountable for what he did; he did the best he could with the training and expertise he had. Things have changed and we know that OSA could be an issue in the future.

As for your lawsuit; I wish you all the best in trying to find the orthodontists liable for any type of malpractice; they were just doing the best they could with the available information and experience they had. We know better now.

Nozzelnut wrote: I wish you all the best in trying to find the orthodontists liable for any type of malpractice; they were just doing the best they could with the available information and experience they had.

Why don't you read the post you are replying to?

olalani wrote:I am launching a class action against orthodontic colleges and/or manufacturers of retractive orthodontic appliances

Not sure how I feel about a class action lawsuit. On the one hand I'm sure there was no intentional harm done. On the other hand I know that nothing spreads knowledge faster than financial liability.

DeadlySleep wrote:

Nozzelnut wrote: I wish you all the best in trying to find the orthodontic colleges liable for any type of malpractice; they were just doing the best they could with the available information and experience they had.

Why don't you read the post you are replying to?

olalani wrote:I am launching a class action against orthodontic colleges and/or manufacturers of retractive orthodontic appliances

Better for you?

My orthodontist was shocked that my dental surgeon pulled so many perfectly good teeth.
It is likely both are dead. I doubt that my apnea was instrumental in their passing.

chunkyfrog wrote:My orthodontist was shocked that my dental surgeon pulled so many perfectly good teeth.
It is likely both are dead. I doubt that my apnea was instrumental in their passing.

+1 (I had 8 pulled 1972)

I had 4 teeth pulled and braces when I was 15-17. It may have made it slightly worse, but not by much.

I was diagnosed with allergies at the age of 4. I had my adenoids out and tubes in my ears (recurrent ear infections) at age 5.

I had asthma symptoms at age 10 even though I wasn't diagnosed until age 19.

I had trouble taking pills right from the start. When I was 7 or 8, I had to take pills that I could not get down even though they weren't very big. My dad had to crush them give me gritty ice cream. I still struggle with pills though I can do a little better. I have to ask to see the pills before I pay for them, and if they are too big, find out if they can be crushed. If not, they special order a different version or my doctor prescribes something else.

I have always been a mouth breather, even as a young child, so that is nothing new for me. My airways have always been small. I remember doing pursed lip breathing (didn't know what it was called or the purpose for it) back when I was playing soccer as an 8 year old. It just seemed to work better.

My mom has severe sleep apnea also, and she has crowded teeth that were never corrected. Some of us just have a small mouth and a small airway. It would be good for the colleges to teach new methods and include sleep apnea in that training. But I don't see any negligence in their previous training. There are lots of things that we understand better now than we did before.