Over the last few centuries malocclusion has been on a steady rise throughout the civilised world, and in recent decades an explosion in its incidence has occurred. A growing body of research has now shown that children who are mouth breathing and have airway dysfunction tend to disproportionately suffer from malocclusion and poor craniofacial growth. With the recent medical literature highlighting the dangers of airway dysfunction on a child's academic, neurological and overall health and development, practitioners worldwide are having to educate themselves and take action to intervene and improve their patient's lives.

This has since been reinforced by the World Dental Federation (FDI), the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), who have all prompted dental professionals to screen and help in the treatment of sleep related breathing disorders and airway dysfunction. Due to the nature of their profession and area of expertise, dental professionals are ideally positioned to meet this demand.