Enjoy that straight smile feeling
Specialist orthodontics for all
Specialist orthodontics for all
Your trusted orthodontist in Amersham
If you’re looking for a 5* rated highly experienced specialist orthodontist near you in Amersham, our world renowned team offer stunning results at competitive prices.
Our orthodontic and dental team has a wealth of knowledge and have helped transform the smiles, lives and confidence for thousands of children, teens and adults from Amersham, Buckinghamshire and beyond.
Courses or Mentoring by Dr Decker
If you are interested in our courses on 1 to 1 mentoring with Dr Decker, please write to Emily at courses@theorthodonticspecialist.co.uk.
Please watch the previous post: Dr Steffen Decker explains the case. ✅ MARPE: NO JAW SURGERY 🙌
DROP YOUR QUESTIONS in the comments ✌️
✅ Tag a parent who needs to see this�🤓 Comment CHECKLIST to get our free airway red flag guide
🧠 Dentists & Orthos — comment ACADEMY to learn more
�📥 Save this post for later�📩 DM us to book your orthodontic screening
Dr. Decker The Orthodontic Specialist 💜
#MARPE #jawsurgery #PALATALEXPENSION #underbite #drsteffendecker InterceptiveOrthodontics CrookedTeeth PediatricOrthodontics EarlyIntervention Orthotropics AirwayHealth orthodontist highpalate braces orthodonticspecialist
✅ Tag a parent who needs to see this
🤓 Comment CHECKLIST to get our free airway red flag guide
🧠 Dentists & Orthos — comment ACADEMY to learn more
📥 Save this post for later
📩 DM us to book your orthodontic screening
Dr. Decker The Orthodontic Specialist 💜
#MARPE #jawsurgery #PALATALEXPENSION #underbite #drsteffendecker InterceptiveOrthodontics CrookedTeeth PediatricOrthodontics EarlyIntervention Orthotropics AirwayHealth orthodontist highpalate braces orthodonticspecialist
Exploring the concept of palatal expansion in orthodontics with Dr. Decker, the orthodontic specialist. For more information please read our previous post!
🦷Palate expansion can widen the airway and improve breathing.
🦷Encouraging nasal breathing helps your child sleep better and feel more rested.
🦷Myofunctional therapy strengthens airway muscles for long-term health.
🦷Addressing enlarged tonsils or adenoids removes obstacles to proper airflow.
🚨This isn’t just about teeth-it’s about giving you and your child the best chance for a healthy, vibrant life.
🩷Parents, if your child snores, mouth-breathes, or struggles with fatigue, don’t ignore it.
‼️These signs matter.
✅Tag a parent who needs to see this.
🤓Save this post for later.
Drop any questions you have below 👇
Dr. Decker and the holistic team
#marpe #crookedteeth #mouthbreather #palatalexpander #orthodonticspecialist drdecker drsteffendecker airwaydentistry airwayorthodontics holistichealth holisticdentist snoring
palatalexpansion Orthodontics mouthbreathing tmj sleepapnea
📸 Meet Child 2
From an airway-aware lens, here’s what we see:
✅ Mouth open and mouth breather
✅ Buck teeth
✅ Long face shape
✅ Flat cheeks
✅ Lips don’t seal naturally
✅ (Likely) low tongue posture
✅ Head forward posture
✅ Tension in chin muscles
(even with mouth open)
✅ Outer corners of eyes lower than inside corners
💡 These are often signs of mouth breathing and poor jaw development.
⸻
Why does this happen?
👄 Mouth breathing
👃 Nasal obstruction
👅 Low tongue posture
🦷 Underdeveloped jaws
🧠 Sleep-disordered breathing
💤 Disrupted growth and development
These patterns don’t just appear — they develop silently over time if the root causes are missed.
⸻
👁 Red flags to watch for in your child’s face:
❌ Mouth open at rest
❌ Dry, cracked lips
❌ Snoring or noisy breathing
❌ Crooked teeth by age 6–7
❌ Delayed speech
❌ Tired look / dark under-eyes
❌ Long face or weak chin
❌ Frequent colds or sinus issues
❌ Daytime fatigue or hyperactivity
❌ Bedwetting past age 5
⸻
🛠️ How we help:
• Palatal expansion (RME, etc.)
• Aligners, braces or hybrid approach
• Myofunctional therapy (in-house or referral)
• Functional appliances
• Growth tracking (cephs, 3D scans, clinical exams)
• ENT collaboration where needed
⸻
👶 Your child’s face is full of clues.
Don’t ignore them.
🌱 Early intervention isn’t about rushing treatment — it’s about gently guiding growth in the right direction.
😍 Comment CHECKLIST:
🧠 Dentists & Orthos — comment ACADEMY to learn more
📥 Save this post
📤 Share with a parent
📩 DM us to book an airway-friendly ortho screening
#crookedteeth #MouthBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #orthodontist #adenoidface PediatricOrthodontics TongueTie SnoringInKids Orthotropics FaceClues orthodontist orthodonticspecialist InterceptiveOrthodontics MouthOpenAtRest CrookedTeeth AirwayHealth drsteffendecker mouthbreather tonsils
Do you see the differences in their faces?
Or rather…�Do you see the silent dysfunctions behind them?
On the left: A child with ideal facial growth.�On the right: A child with signs of disrupted development.
🧠 These aren’t just cosmetic differences — they tell a story.
Let’s look closer 👇
🔻 Retruded chin�💋 Lip incompetence (lips don’t seal naturally)�📏 Long face syndrome�🦷 Small, underdeveloped jaws�👃 Flattened midface�😬 Mentalis strain (chin muscle working hard to keep lips closed)�🌑 Dark circles under the eyes�📈 Vertical growth instead of forward growth
❓What causes this?
Most often, it’s not genetics.�It’s function — or lack of it:
👄 Mouth breathing�👃 Nasal obstruction�👅 Low tongue posture (possibly due to tongue tie)�🦷 Poor jaw development�💤 Sleep-disordered breathing�😮💨 Airway compensation patterns
These changes develop slowly, silently… over time.
👁 Red flags parents should never ignore:
❌ Mouth open at rest�❌ Crowded teeth by age 6–7�❌ Snoring or noisy breathing�❌ Flat cheeks, tired eyes�❌ Dry lips or cracked corners�❌ Long face or weak jawline�❌ Daytime fatigue or hyperactivity�❌ Bedwetting beyond age 5
🛠️ How we help:
• Palatal expansion (RME, MARPE, etc.)�• Aligners, braces or hybrid approach�• Myofunctional therapy�• Functional appliances to guide growth�• Cephs, 3D scans + clinical growth tracking�• ENT collaboration when needed
👶 Your child’s face is full of clues.�Don’t overlook them.
🌱 Early intervention isn’t about “doing braces early” — it’s about gently guiding growth while the body is still adaptable.
📥 Save this post to refer back to�📤 Share with a parent who needs to see this�📩 DM us to book an airway-friendly orthodontic screening
#orthodontists #MouthBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #TongueTie #crookedteeth InterceptiveOrthodontics CrookedTeeth PediatricOrthodontics EarlyIntervention Orthotropics AirwayHealth drsteffendecker
orthodonticspecialist airwaydentistry airwayorthodontics sleepdisorders orthodontist sleepdisorderedbreathing s
📸 Meet Child 3
From an airway-aware lens, here’s what we see:
✅ Mouth open and mouth breather
✅ Buck teeth
✅ Long face shape
✅ Flat cheeks
✅ Lips don’t seal naturally
✅ (Likely) low tongue posture
✅ Head forward posture
✅ Tension in chin muscles
(even with mouth open)
✅ Outer corners of eyes lower than inside corners
💡 These are often signs of mouth breathing and poor jaw development.
Why does this happen?
👄 Mouth breathing
👃 Nasal obstruction
👅 Low tongue posture
🦷 Underdeveloped jaws
🧠 Sleep-disordered breathing
💤 Disrupted growth and development
These patterns don’t just appear — they develop silently over time if the root causes are missed.
👁 Red flags to watch for in your child’s face:
❌ Mouth open at rest
❌ Dry, cracked lips
❌ Snoring or noisy breathing
❌ Crooked teeth by age 6–7
❌ Delayed speech
❌ Tired look / dark under-eyes
❌ Long face or weak chin
❌ Frequent colds or sinus issues
❌ Daytime fatigue or hyperactivity
❌ Bedwetting past age 5
🛠️ How we help:
• Palatal expansion (RME, etc.)
• Aligners, braces or hybrid approach
• Myofunctional therapy (in-house or referral)
• Functional appliances
• Growth tracking (cephs, 3D scans, clinical exams)
• ENT collaboration where needed
👶 Your child’s face is full of clues.
Don’t ignore them.
🌱 Early intervention isn’t about rushing treatment — it’s about gently guiding growth in the right direction.
📩 DM us if you’re curious about your child’s bite or breathing.�🎹 Comment CHECKLIST for our free airway checklist ❤️�🧠 Dentists & Orthos — comment ACADEMY to learn more.�📥 Save this post for reference�✅ Tag a parent who needs this reminder
#AirwayOrthodontics #MouthBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #drsteffendecker #orthodontist InterceptiveOrthodontics CrookedTeeth PediatricOrthodontics EarlyIntervention Orthotropics AirwayHealth drsteffendecker�EarlyOrthodontics InterceptiveOrthodontics ClearAlignersForTeens AirwayOrthodontics HealthySmilesStartEarly OrthodonticScreening PaediatricOrthodontics FaceGrowth AirwayFriendlyOrthodontics OrthodonticsWithoutExtractions C
It’s not just genetics — how your child breathes, sleeps, and functions shapes their face.
Facial growth is active, adaptive and influenced every single day.
A mouth that stays open…
a tongue that sits low…
snoring or grinding at night…
These aren’t “little habits” — they are early signals of how the face and airway are developing.
When we support correct breathing, tongue posture, and healthy sleep early — we guide the face to grow forward, wider, and with more space for teeth and air.
✨ We don’t just shape smiles — we shape future wellbeing.
👶 What Early Interceptive Orthodontics Does
* Guides jaw and facial growth gently
* Creates space for permanent teeth
* Supports healthy breathing & posture
* Reduces the need for complex treatment later
👨👩👧 Who It’s For
* Children (ages 5–12) in growth stages
* Teens needing airway-friendly treatment
* Even adults who want function-focused orthodontics
🚩 Red Flags Parents Should Watch For
* Mouth open at rest / mouth breathing
* Snoring or restless sleep
* Crowded teeth before age 7
* Speech delays or lisp
* Dark circles under the eyes, tired look
* Forward head posture or slouching
📩 DM us if you’re curious about whether early orthodontics is right for your child, teen, or even yourself.
🎹 Comment CHECKLIST to get access to our airway checklist ❤️�🧠 Dentists & Orthos — comment ACADEMY to learn more�📥 Save this post to refer back to�✅ Tag a parent who needs to see this
�
#AirwayOrthodontics #MouthBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #drsteffendecker #orthodontist InterceptiveOrthodontics CrookedTeeth PediatricOrthodontics EarlyIntervention Orthotropics AirwayHealth drsteffendecker EarlyOrthodontics InterceptiveOrthodontics orthodontist
Sharing the knowledge that every parent and parent to be must know: thank you @drdome1
Please read the following post which is a collaboration with the Breastfeeding specialist, tongue tie specialist, Myofunctional therapist and us, the orthodontic specialist ✌️
Hope it’s useful ❤️✌️
Dr Decker & team
#orthodontist #orthodonticspecialist #crookedteeth #myofunctionaltherapy #mouthbreathing
😝Tongue Tie & Orthodontics — What’s the Connection?�A tongue tie isn’t just about speech — it can have a big impact on jaw development, bite, and even the success of orthodontic treatment.
When the tongue can’t rest on the roof of the mouth because it’s restricted:�🔹 The palate may stay narrow and high�🔹 The upper jaw can’t expand naturally�🔹 Teeth may crowd or shift�🔹 Mouth breathing becomes more common�🔹 Orthodontic results may relapse without proper function restored
💡 That’s why at The Orthodontic Specialist we often include a functional assessment of the tongue, lips, etc.
For many patients, the best results come from:
�✔️ Tongue tie release (if needed)�✔️ Myofunctional therapy to retrain oral posture�✔️ Orthodontics to create proper jaw space and alignment
This isn’t just about straight teeth — it’s about brain development, behaviour, energy, and confidence.
🩷 Parents — if your child:�– Snores�– Mouth breathes�– Wakes up tired
- Has crooked teeth �– Struggles with focus or learning�– Wets the bed past age 5�– Has frequent colds or enlarged tonsils…
�Don’t wait. These signs matter.
✅ Tag a parent who needs to see this�🤓 Comment CHECKLIST to get our free airway red flag guide
🧠 Dentists & Orthos — comment ACADEMY to learn more
🙌 Read our previous posts
�📥 Save this post for later�📩 DM us to book your child’s orthodontic screening
– Dr. Decker & the holistic team 💜
#TongueTie #TongueTieRelease #EarlyOrthodontics #AirwayOrthodontics #MyofunctionalTherapy MouthBreathing PediatricOrthodontics InterceptiveOrthodontics SleepDisorderedBreathing AirwayHealth TongueTieAwareness FaceClues CrookedTeeth EarlyIntervention Orthotropics drsteffendecker
Not every tongue-tie needs treatment.
But when tongue restriction affects breathing, posture, speech, swallowing, or jaw development, it becomes more than just a small piece of tissue under the tongue.
👶 From a breastfeeding specialist:
In babies, tongue mobility plays a crucial role in latch, milk transfer, and maternal comfort. When feeding is difficult, we assess how the tongue moves and functions — not just whether a frenulum is present.
👅 From a myofunctional therapist:
The tongue should rest on the palate and support nasal breathing and efficient swallowing. When mobility is restricted, the body often compensates through mouth breathing, tongue thrust, and altered muscle patterns.
🦷 From an orthodontist:
Tongue posture helps guide jaw growth. When the tongue cannot reach the palate properly, the upper jaw may develop narrower, which can contribute to crowding, bite issues, and reduced space for the airway.
✂️ From a tongue-tie specialist:
Not every frenulum requires release. The key is evaluating function, symptoms, and overall development. When restriction impacts feeding, breathing, or oral function, a carefully planned release — combined with proper support — can restore mobility.
🤝 This is why collaboration matters.
Tongue function connects feeding, breathing, muscle balance, sleep, and facial growth.
Sometimes observation is enough.
Sometimes therapy is needed.
Sometimes a release is part of the solution.
The goal is never simply to “cut a tie”.
The goal is to help the child feed, breathe, grow, and function well.
Please drop your questions in comments below 👇
#tonguetie #myofunctionaltherapy #orthodonticspecialist #breastfeeding #crookedteeth
Why?
Because by the time most children arrive for braces at 12–14,
many of the real problems have already been growing for years.
As an orthodontist, you start to see the patterns early:
• a child who always breathes through the mouth
• dark circles and restless sleep
• crowded baby teeth
• narrow arches
• jaws growing down instead of forward
Teeth are rarely the first sign.
They’re usually the last domino to fall.
Early orthodontics isn’t about putting braces on younger children.
It’s about recognising growth, breathing, and function while the face is still developing.
When you learn to see those patterns early, you’re not just straightening teeth.
You’re helping guide how a child breathes, sleeps, and grows.
And that changes the kind of orthodontist you become. 🦷🌱
✅ Tag a parent who needs to see this
🤓 Comment CHECKLIST to get our free airway red flag guide
🧠 Dentists & Orthos — comment ACADEMY to learn more
📥 Save this post for later
📩 DM us to book your child’s airway-friendly orthodontic screening
– Dr. Decker & the holistic team 💜
#AirwayOrthodontics #crookedteeth #MyofunctionalTherapy #TongueTie #drsteffendecker InterceptiveOrthodontics CrookedTeeth PediatricOrthodontics EarlyIntervention Orthotropics AirwayHealth orthodontist highpalate braces orthodonticspecialist
New Podcast 🎙️
Palatal expansion… and posture?
What does widening the upper jaw have to do with the spine, pelvis and whole body?
From an osteopath’s perspective.
The palate is the floor of the nose 👃
If we expand the upper jaw, we don’t just create space for teeth 🦷 We create space for breathing 🌬️?
Better nasal breathing?
→ head no longer juts forward
→ neck tension reduces
→ spine reorganises
→ body posture improves
The tongue connects to the hyoid.
The hyoid connects to the cervical spine.
The fascia connects everything.
This isn’t “just orthodontics.”
It’s structural + functional medicine.
If the airway changes, the body adapts.
🎧 In this episode we explore:
• forward head posture & mouth breathing
• expansion and nervous system regulation
• why some children look calmer after treatment
• the tongue–to–toes connection
Because the body is one system — not separate parts.
Tuesday the 17th of March: 8pm uk 🇬🇧 time
Drop your questions below 👇
Thanks
#airwayorthodontics #osteopathy #posture #palatalexpansion #mouthbreathing myofunctionaltherapy pediatricairway wholebodyhealth
Why choose The Orthodontic Specialist
- Top 1% Apex Invisalign Provider 2021-2023
- World No.1 Lingual Incognito Provider 2017
- Over 130 5* Google reviews
- International speaker and KOL
- Unrivalled specialist orthodontic expertise
- Competitively priced excellence
- 1st and only Kois Recognized Ortho Specialist
- 0% finance options available
- Superb state-of-the-art practice
- Family-friendly, welcoming environment
- Over 120 5* Google Reviews
- Unrivalled specialist orthodontic expertise
- Highly qualified and experienced team
- Superb state-of-the-art practice
- Exceptional level of treatment and care
- Competitevely priced excellence
- 0% finance options available
- Family-friendly, welcoming environment
Our philosophy
In this video, Dr Steffen Decker, gives an insight into the philosophy at the heart of our practice and all we do.
Patient Testimonial
See our fantastic range of treatments
At ASURA – Longevity Dentistry, through our collaboration with The Orthodontic Specialist, we support early, prevention-focused guidance for children to optimise growth and airway development, while delivering precise, restorative and corrective solutions for adults.
Together, we integrate prevention and correction within a longevity framework — protecting function, enhancing facial harmony, and supporting sustainable health at every stage of life.
Orthodontic referrals
We are more than happy to take referrals from our dental colleagues at other practices. Please get in touch to find out how we can benefit you and your patients with our specialist experience, knowledge and skills.
World-class expertise
Our Practice Principal, Dr Steffen Decker, is one of the world’s leading Clear Aligner and lingual orthodontists and is well-renowned figure in his field.
He has been awarded World No. 1 Lingual Incognito Provider 2017 and he belonged to the Top 1% Apex Invisalign Providers 2021-2023 in Europe, Middle East and North Africa and to the Align Global Faculty. He is the First and only Kois Recognized Specialist in the UK. He is KOL and teaching worldwide.
Our superb modern orthodontic clinic near you
Our stunning practice is as comfortable and welcoming as it looks. Throughout we are trying to tell a story, so that our patients feel comfortable. We have all the latest equipment and facilities available to offer you the very best in orthodontics and children’s dentistry.
