When Thomas Sullivan first brought his 8-year-old son to Smile Brookline, he had no idea how the experience would transform not only his child’s health, but their entire family’s daily life. What began as a simple dental visit quickly became a journey toward better sleep, improved behavior, academic success, and a happier and more confident child.
Even more meaningful, Thomas had lived through the painful path of traditional orthodontics himself. Knowing what braces and headgear felt like, he was relieved to see that his son would not endure the same struggle.
Before Vivos Treatment
According to Mr. Sullivan, before they discovered Vivos. His son was experiencing significant academic challenges. In an interview, he shared how he was having some issues in school. “Teachers said he’s not performing to where he should,” said Mr. Sullivan. “There’s concern about, maybe ADHD and other things… Quite frankly, he wasn’t sleeping. He had these big circles under his eyes.” The academic difficulties were accompanied by visible physical symptoms. “He just wasn’t getting the sleep he needed,” he added.
Mr. Sullivan’s son also exhibited disrupted breathing patterns. “He was a mouth breather because when he slept, his mouth would be gaping open. And he was a really loud breather. Not snoring like an adult, but just loud,” Mr. Sullivan explained. These issues were compounded by chronic congestion, inflamed adenoids, and allergies, which contributed to mild asthma and required surgical intervention.
The family sought guidance from multiple healthcare professionals, each offering a different approach. They consulted an ENT specialist, who recommended adenoid removal, but did not address the possibility of mouth breathing as a contributing factor. Their primary care physician prescribed allergy medications and inhalers for asthma management. They also saw a traditional dentist, who suggested that the child would outgrow his difficulties, and an orthodontist, who advised monitoring until age 12 before initiating any treatment with appliances such as headgear or palatal expanders.
Discovering Vivos Treatment
The Sullivan family first considered Vivos treatment when their son began seeing Dr. Stock for routine dentistry. Dr. Stock immediately noted significant developmental discrepancies in his jaw structure. “His upper jaw was that of an 8-year-old, but his lower jaw was that of a 4-year-old. So really underdeveloped,” Mr. Sullivan explained. While the orthodontist recommended a “wait-and-see” approach until the child reached age twelve to get braces, Dr. Stock emphasized the importance of early intervention. “Dr. Stock said to get him into Vivo’s guides and that waiting until he is twelve [years old] is gonna be too late for him. We need to guide his growth now so he can catch up to where he should be. Both by expanding his upper palette or his upper arch, and then his lower arch, having that grow to catch up to where an 8 year old should be. And so that’s exactly what we ended up doing,” Mr. Sullivan recalled.
The family decided to move forward with Vivos guides, and their son demonstrated remarkable compliance. He wore the appliance consistently, well beyond the recommended daily hours, including during sleep. Progress was documented meticulously by Dr. Stock at three, six, nine, and twelve months. Mr. Sullivan described the changes as “nothing shy of amazing.”
Initially, his son’s teeth were misaligned and crowded, with new teeth erupting behind existing ones due to limited space. Mr. Sullivan likened it to “an ear of corn… one row of kernels, and then another row behind it coming in.” Teeth that were previously twisted gradually straightened as space was created for proper alignment. Over the course of the year, the child’s deep bite, which had caused his lower teeth to embed in the soft palate, corrected significantly. “When he smiled, all you saw were his upper teeth and gums. The gummy smile he had at the start disappeared to a beautiful, balanced smile showing both upper and lower teeth.”
After Treatment
As part of his Vivos treatment, Mr. Sullivan’s son underwent myofunctional therapy, which played a critical role in complementing the growth guides. “The myofunctional therapy was super easy,” Mr. Sullivan explained, noting that there was no discomfort beyond the natural sensations of teeth loosening and emerging. The therapy was delivered virtually, accompanied by an exercise kit, and involved short, daily exercises lasting 30 seconds to a minute, repeated 2 to 3 times a day. “It’s impressive to see things he couldn’t do at the beginning of the week, he could do a week later and demonstrate to the myofunctional therapist, who could then adjust or add exercises for him,” he noted.
Mr. Sullivan described it as a gradual, structured process,“There would be exercises that worked on the front of the tongue, exercises that trained the back of the tongue, using tools like a string with a small weight, a rubber band, or even a tongue depressor, until he was strong enough to perform the exercises naturally.”
Mr. Sullivan shared that the therapy addressed specific functional challenges, including reverse tongue thrusts and chewing habits. Prior to therapy, his son often chewed with his mouth open, unable to breathe through his nose simultaneously. “Through training, he could chew with his mouth closed, breathe through his nose, and the reverse tongue thrusts disappeared,” he explained. The exercises also included repeating specific sounds or phrases and moving the tongue in various ways to build strength and flexibility.
The combination of myofunctional therapy and the Vivos guides resulted in profound changes. Mr. Sullivan reflected on the tangible progress: “At the three, nine, and twelve-month marks, seeing the time-lapse photography of his teeth straightening, his arch widening, and his gummy smile transforming was a real ‘aha’ moment. It was jaw-dropping, and all pain-free… completely different from traditional orthodontics, which can be uncomfortable and invasive.”
Post Treatment
After Vivos treatment, Mr. Sullivan shared remarkable improvements in his son’s overall health and well-being. “He not only caught up to where his classmates were, but he’s testing in the 90th percentile… like 90 plus in all categories of school. He has excelled, behavioral issues have gone away, he’s learning very well, getting along with his classmates, and his teachers love him. As a matter of fact, I go to pick him up at school, and people who I don’t even know him come up to tell me what a great year he’s having.” Mr. Sullivan reflected on how rewarding it has been as a parent to witness his child’s transition from someone struggling academically to a confident and successful student.
Physically, his son’s transformation has been equally striking. “We fixed his bite, his smile is beautiful, and he no longer has a recessed lower chin. All that is because of the Vivos guides, which has helped him sleep better, expanding his upper and lower jaws, and allowing him to park his tongue on the roof of his mouth.” These changes, combined with improved nasal breathing, restorative sleep, and myofunctional therapy, have profoundly impacted his overall health. “His allergies are extremely mild, except for some seasonal allergies for a very short period. He doesn’t sound congested all the time. The circles under his eyes are gone,” Mr. Sullivan observed.
He emphasized the holistic benefits of early intervention with Vivos: “I’ve seen it for him, he is overall healthier, his asthma is basically non-existent, he’s performing extremely well in school, behavioral issues have gone away, and he’s a really happy, balanced, joyful kid. From a parent’s perspective, you want to see your kids flourish and be happy and successful. I can say I’ve experienced all that through having Dr. Stock treat my son for airway and sleep with Vivos guides.”
Finally, Mr. Sullivan offered a clear recommendation to other parents, “Don’t wait. If your child is struggling academically, seems tired, has dark circles, mouth-breathes, has a reverse tongue thrust, or a very gummy smile, seek help early. Guided growth and myofunctional therapy can profoundly impact sleep, breathing, and jaw development, the results are truly jaw-dropping.”
If you’ve noticed similar signs in your child or even have a concern that something may not be developing as it should, don’t wait. Early intervention can change the course of a child’s health, behavior, and confidence.
Schedule a consultation with Smile Brookline today and take the first step toward better sleep, better breathing, and a brighter future for your child. Smile Brookline is located at 1425 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446, and can also be reached at 617-731-3364. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, and appointments can be booked online or by phone.
