Early Growth Guidance with the Toothpillow Appliance
The Toothpillow appliance is a soft, removable appliance your child wears at night to encourage healthy jaw growth and nasal breathing. Our Draper office is the in-person home of the Toothpillow brand, where Dr. Jeff Buxton and his team guide growth hands-on.
★★★★★4.9 on Google · 270+ Toothpillow reviews · Dr. Jeff Buxton, DMD
The best time to guide growth is while it's happening
Traditional orthodontic care often waits until most adult teeth are in, then works with the space that's left. Toothpillow starts earlier, while your child's jaws are growing quickly and are most responsive to guidance. That's what makes it a form of early orthodontic treatment with the airway at the center.
The tongue is one of the body's natural expanders. When it rests up against the palate, it helps the upper jaw grow wide. When it rests low, often because of mouth breathing, the jaw can grow narrow, teeth can crowd, and the airway can stay small. The Toothpillow appliance is designed to encourage the tongue into the right spot and support nasal breathing, so growth can follow a healthier path.
- Designed to support nasal breathing and proper tongue posture
- Encourages the jaws to grow wider and forward
- May help create room for adult teeth and reduce the need for braces or extractions later
Signs your child may benefit from early growth guidance
The Toothpillow appliance is designed for young kids, roughly ages 3 to 10, who show early signs of a narrow jaw or airway.
Snoring or heavy breathing
Kids who snore or breathe loudly at night deserve a closer look at how their airway is developing.
Mouth open at rest
A mouth that hangs open while watching TV or sleeping may signal low tongue posture or a narrow airway.
Crowded baby teeth
Baby teeth with little or no space between them can hint that adult teeth won't have enough room.
Grinding or restless sleep
Grinding, tossing, and waking often may be signs that sleep isn't as restful as it should be.
Bedwetting past six
Could your child's sleep be playing a role? Bedwetting and sleep-disordered breathing sometimes show up together.
Told to "wait and see"
If your instincts say otherwise, an evaluation gives you real information to decide with.
It all starts with an airway consultation
Before anyone talks treatment, we get the full picture. Your consultation with Dr. Buxton includes:
- A 3D CBCT scan of the airway, jaws, and joints
- A digital intraoral scan (no goopy molds)
- Photos and a hands-on exam of breathing, tongue, and bite
- A plain-language walkthrough of what we see and what your options are
Airway consultation: {$350 for kids and adults}
Hands-on records that a photo can't capture
Many families first hear about Toothpillow online. In our Draper office, we go further than a photo review. Your child's airway consultation includes a 3D CBCT scan of the jaws and airway, a digital intraoral scan (no molds), photos, and an exam of tongue posture, tongue mobility, and breathing habits.
Dr. Buxton reviews everything with you and recommends one of three paths: growth that looks on track and just needs monitoring, early guided growth with the Toothpillow appliance, or a plan that starts with a structural step first, like a palate expander or a tongue-tie release. You'll get an honest recommendation either way.
What early growth guidance looks like for your family
Airway consultation
We gather 3D imaging, scans, and your observations from home, then Dr. Buxton explains what he sees and whether the Toothpillow appliance is the right fit.
Fitting and first nights
We fit the appliance and teach you and your child how to wear it. It's worn overnight while your child sleeps, plus 1 to 2 hours during the day, the same wear schedule as the national Toothpillow program. Most kids need a little time to get used to it.
Daily habits
Short, kid-friendly myofunctional exercises and simple nasal hygiene routines help the tongue, lips, and nose do their part.
Check-ins and new sizes
We monitor growth and adjust the plan along the way. As your child grows, they may move up to a new appliance.
What comes next
Some kids finish here. Others move on to expansion or AIRTHO clear aligners to complete the plan.
Where the Toothpillow brand meets in-person care
Toothpillow helps families across the country through its virtual program. Our Draper office is the brand's in-person home: a full airway practice where children get hands-on exams, 3D imaging, and treatment that a virtual program can't provide.
That matters for kids whose needs go beyond an appliance alone. When a case is too complex for the virtual program, such as a child who needs expansion, a tongue-tie release, or closer monitoring, it's handled right here by the same airway-first philosophy. Families in the Toothpillow virtual program who live nearby are welcome when their child needs more hands-on support.
Along the way, many parents notice their own snoring, clenching, or tired mornings. We care for adults too. Learn about sleep apnea treatment for adults.
Hear it from Dr. Buxton
Short videos from Dr. Jeff Buxton. Educational only; every patient is different.
Did you know that there are certain tools when implemented early in a child's development can have huge impacts not only on their health, but on the growth and development of their face, which affects their aesthetics and facial beauty. When I say the right tools, I'm not talking about a pacifier, which can have negative effects on growth and development.
In fact, there are numerous tools available to us today. And one of those is the products from ezpz, which are terrific at helping children grow and develop properly. Another one is Myo Munchee, which works extremely well for young kids also. So let's talk about what these right tools are actually doing. What they're doing is they are redirecting the muscular growth and development.
So when the muscles in the tongue are in the right position, we're going to get the proper growth that we want to see for kids to become healthy adults. You may even see teenagers or adults today doing something called mewing, where they're trying to define their jaws and improve some of those aesthetic qualities of the face.
But if we get started early with kids utilizing these tools, we can do that naturally because the face will grow the way it's supposed to.
Watch: what every parent should know
Videos from the Toothpillow patient education series. Educational only; every child is different.
Videos are from the Toothpillow brand library.
What patients and families say
Real Google reviews from our Draper office, Dr. Buxton's patients, and Toothpillow families. Individual experiences; every airway is different.
"Love this place so much! They Have helped me with my kids but also myself. AMAZING!!!"
"We are so grateful we heard about Toothpillow on social media & got both our kids started with using it! It’s only been 2 weeks and the drastic difference it’s made for our 4 year old daughter brings me to tears. ..."
"We invested in Toothpillow for my 5 year old son who had trouble with mouth breathing during the day and at night. We fell in love with not only the product and what it did for him but the care and support team Toothpillow provided. We truly felt provided for. They consistently answered our questions and made our family feel cared for. Their customer service and support team are unmatched. ..."
Frequently asked questions
What is the Toothpillow appliance?
It's a soft, removable oral appliance your child wears while sleeping and for 1 to 2 hours during the day. It's designed to encourage the tongue to rest on the palate and to support nasal breathing, which helps guide the jaws to grow wider and forward.
What age can my child start?
Care can start as young as age three. The sweet spot is roughly ages 3 to 10, while jaw growth is most active. Older kids and teens may be better served by other options, like palate expanders or clear aligners, and we'll tell you honestly which fits.
Is the Toothpillow appliance a type of early orthodontic treatment?
Yes, in the sense that it works early, during growth, instead of waiting until the adult teeth are in. The difference is the focus: it's designed to guide jaw growth, tongue posture, and nasal breathing, with straighter teeth as a welcome bonus.
Will my child actually wear it?
Most kids need a few nights to adjust. We coach both you and your child, and short daily routines help the appliance become a normal part of bedtime. Many families find it gets easier once it's a habit.
How is your Draper office different from the virtual Toothpillow program?
The virtual program serves families from home. Our Draper office is the in-person home of the brand, with 3D CBCT imaging, hands-on exams, and treatments like expanders and laser tongue-tie release. It's the right place for kids who need hands-on care or whose cases are more complex.
Will this help my child avoid braces?
It may reduce the need for braces or extractions later by creating room while the jaws are still growing. Every child is different and we can't promise a specific outcome, but guiding growth early gives adult teeth a better foundation.
Treatments that often go together
Kids Airway Dentistry
Snoring, mouth breathing, or restless sleep? We look at how your child's jaws and airway are growing, starting as young as age three.
Learn more →
Palate Expanders
Removable and fixed expanders, including RPE and Hyrax, that widen a narrow upper jaw to make room for teeth and easier nasal breathing.
Learn more →
Myofunctional Therapy
Exercises and trainers that retrain the tongue, lips, and breathing muscles to support nasal breathing, healthy swallowing, and lasting results.
Learn more →Schedule your child's airway consultation
Book online or call. Consultations for kids, teens, and adults at our Draper office.
14203 Minuteman Drive #101
Draper, UT 84020
Just off I-15, minutes from IKEA
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM
"Great staff. Nice office. Quite relazing visits."
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