What could change if dentistry, medicine, and allied healthcare professionals approached childhood breathing problems together?

In this episode of the Airway Answers Podcast, Nicole Goldfarb brings together orthodontist Dr. Bill Harrell, pediatric sleep expert Dr. David Gozal, and pediatric ENT Dr. David McIntosh to introduce their textbook, Growing Into Breathing Problems: The Quest for Collaborative Lifetime Solutions.

They explore:

✨ Why airway care requires collaboration across healthcare disciplines
✨ How breathing problems can affect a child’s growth, sleep, behavior, and long-term health
✨ Why upper airway resistance may be overlooked before sleep apnea develops
✨ The importance of screening, facial biomarkers, nasal-resistance testing, and objective measurements
✨ How malocclusion and craniofacial development relate to breathing
✨ Why tonsil and adenoid surgery does not resolve every child’s difficulties
✨ How myofunctional therapy, orthodontics, ENT care, radiology, and sleep medicine fit together
✨ Why early intervention may reduce the need for more invasive treatment later
✨ The importance of looking beyond straight teeth when evaluating a child

The textbook brings together contributors from dentistry, medicine, surgery, sleep science, radiology, and allied healthcare. Its goal is to give professionals a shared foundation for recognizing airway concerns, communicating across disciplines, and building more complete treatment plans.

The conversation also challenges the belief that children will simply outgrow breathing problems. The guests explain why the age of onset, severity, and duration of disrupted breathing may influence both the consequences and the potential for recovery.

Dr. Bill Harrell is an orthodontist, educator, and Airway Circle Advisory Board member whose work focuses on airway-centered orthodontics, 3D imaging, facial biomarkers, and objective nasal-airflow measurement.

Dr. David Gozal is a pediatric pulmonologist and internationally recognized pediatric sleep researcher whose work examines the long-term health effects of sleep-disordered breathing in children.

Dr. David McIntosh is a pediatric ENT surgeon and author with a special interest in airway obstruction, sleep-disordered breathing, craniofacial development, and middle-ear disease.

If you’re an orthodontist, dentist, physician, ENT, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, sleep professional, educator, or parent interested in pediatric airway health, this conversation reveals why no single profession can solve these problems alone.

🎧 Explore the vision behind this landmark textbook and learn how collaborative care may help children breathe, sleep, grow, and thrive.

#AirwayAnswers #GrowingIntoBreathingProblems #PediatricAirway #SleepDisorderedBreathing #AirwayOrthodontics #PediatricSleep #MyofunctionalTherapy #CraniofacialDevelopment #NasalBreathing #EarlyIntervention #InterdisciplinaryCare #ChildrensHealth #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

What is really happening in your brain and body while you sleep?

In this episode of the Airway Answers Podcast, Nicole Goldfarb welcomes triple board-certified sleep specialist Dr. Jerald Simmons for a fascinating conversation about sleep stages, nighttime breathing, bruxism, and the signs clinicians may be overlooking.

They dive into:

✨ The differences between REM and non-REM sleep
✨ Why deep sleep is essential for physical restoration and pain regulation
✨ How disrupted slow-wave sleep may contribute to fibromyalgia symptoms
✨ Whether lost sleep can truly be recovered
✨ Why airway resistance may disturb sleep without causing major oxygen drops
✨ How nighttime clenching and grinding may help protect the airway
✨ Why the disappearance of bruxism does not always mean the problem has resolved
✨ How antidepressants may affect REM sleep, muscle tone, and nighttime behaviors
✨ The difference between obstructive and central sleep apnea
✨ When sighing or central pauses during sleep may warrant a closer look

Dr. Simmons explains how sleep moves through approximately 90-minute cycles, with deep sleep occurring more prominently earlier in the night and REM periods becoming longer toward morning. When breathing disturbances repeatedly interrupt these stages, the body may miss important opportunities for physical and neurological restoration.

The conversation also explores the complex relationship between bruxism and breathing. In some patients, clenching or moving the jaw forward may serve as a compensatory response that helps maintain airflow. If that response becomes less effective over time, obstructive breathing may become more apparent.

Dr. Jerald Simmons is triple board-certified in neurology, epilepsy, and sleep medicine. He is the founder of Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates and the Sleep Education Consortium, where he helps healthcare professionals understand sleep disorders through a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach.

If you’re a dentist, myofunctional therapist, physician, speech-language pathologist, dental hygienist, or healthcare professional working with sleep and airway patients, this episode provides essential knowledge for recognizing what may be happening beyond the airway.

🎧 Begin Part 1 and discover why understanding sleep architecture is essential to understanding the whole patient.

#AirwayAnswers #SleepMedicine #SleepStages #REMSleep #DeepSleep #SleepApnea #UpperAirwayResistance #Bruxism #CentralSleepApnea #Fibromyalgia #MyofunctionalTherapy #AirwayHealth #InterdisciplinaryCare #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

Can adults achieve true skeletal expansion without undergoing traditional jaw surgery?

In this episode of the Airway Answers Podcast, Nicole Goldfarb welcomes orthodontist and dentofacial orthopedist Dr. Ilya Lipkin to explore the evolution of MSE and MARPE, piezo-assisted expansion, and the future of comprehensive orthodontic care.

They also dive into:

✨ The difference between dental movement and true skeletal expansion
✨ How piezo assistance may improve the predictability of expansion in adults
✨ Why customized expanders allow for more precise miniscrew placement
✨ How age, anatomy, bone quality, and periodontal health influence treatment planning
✨ When reverse-pull facemask therapy may be combined with skeletal expansion
✨ How MARPE may be incorporated into preparation for orthognathic surgery
✨ The role of SFOT in supporting selected orthodontic movements
✨ Dr. Lipkin’s perspective on growth-guidance appliances such as DNA/Vivos and ALF
✨ Why airway symptoms alone do not determine whether someone needs expansion

Dr. Lipkin explains that opening the midpalatal suture is only one part of successful treatment. The orthodontist must also manage the bite, protect the supporting bone and periodontal tissues, upright the teeth, and coordinate the upper and lower arches.

He also shares that every piezo-assisted MARPE case completed in his practice during the two years preceding this interview achieved the intended suture split. This reflects his own clinical experience during that period and should not be interpreted as a universal success rate for every patient, provider, or technique.

This conversation is an important reminder that comprehensive orthodontics involves much more than straightening teeth. Successful treatment requires evaluating the skeletal structure, dental relationships, jaw joints, facial balance, oral function, breathing, and the individual patient’s complete clinical picture.

Dr. Ilya Lipkin is an orthodontist, dentofacial orthopedist, author, clinical professor, and international speaker. His comprehensive approach considers the relationships among the teeth, jaws, joints, facial structure, function, and airway.

If you’re an orthodontist, dentist, myofunctional therapist, sleep professional, speech-language pathologist, or simply interested in adult palatal expansion and airway health, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Tune in for a closer look at how piezo-assisted MARPE is changing the possibilities for adult palatal expansion.

#AirwayAnswers #AdultPalatalExpansion #MARPE #MSE #SkeletalExpansion #PiezoSurgery #AirwayOrthodontics #MaxillaryExpansion #SFOT #NasalBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #SleepDisorderedBreathing #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

What happens when an airway surgeon becomes the patient?

In this episode of the Airway Answers Podcast, Nicole Goldfarb speaks with Dr. Kevin Coppelson and Dr. Soroush Zaghi to explore the M.I.N.D. procedure and Dr. Zaghi’s personal experience with adult skeletal maxillary expansion.

M.I.N.D. stands for Minimally Invasive Nasomaxillary Distraction, a surgically assisted approach designed to expand the adult maxilla while improving nasal airway space and creating more room for the tongue.

They also dive into:

✨ How the M.I.N.D. procedure differs from traditional surgically assisted expansion
✨ The difference between dental expansion and true skeletal expansion
✨ Why Dr. Zaghi chose the procedure after trying myofunctional therapy, a TAD-based expander, a Crozat appliance, and Invisalign
✨ What his procedure and recovery were really like
✨ The changes he noticed in nasal breathing, gagging, clenching, headaches, posture, and body tension
✨ Why orthodontics, myofunctional therapy, bilateral chewing, and bodywork matter during expansion
✨ The future of expansion, including emerging approaches designed to minimize a visible diastema

This conversation is a fascinating look at adult expansion from both sides of the treatment chair. Dr. Coppelson explains the surgical approach, while Dr. Zaghi shares an honest account of his symptoms, decision-making, recovery, and results.

Dr. Kevin Coppelson is a board-certified, fellowship-trained oral and maxillofacial surgeon at The Breathe Institute. His work focuses on skeletal augmentation, maxillofacial deformities, orthognathic surgery, and sleep-related breathing disorders.

Dr. Soroush Zaghi is an ENT and sleep surgeon specializing in nasal obstruction, mouth breathing, restricted oral tissues, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea.

If you’re an orthodontist, oral surgeon, dentist, myofunctional therapist, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist, or simply interested in adult palatal expansion and airway health, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Watch the replay and let us know your biggest takeaway in the comments!

#AirwayAnswers #MINDProcedure #MaxillaryExpansion #AdultExpansion #SkeletalExpansion #AirwaySurgery #NasalBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #Orthodontics #OralSurgery #SleepDisorderedBreathing #TheBreatheInstitute #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

Does your child wake up grumpy, struggle to focus, breathe audibly, or seem exhausted despite spending enough hours in bed?

In this special Airway Circle episode, Renata Nehme speaks with Houston sleep apnea dentist and author Dr. Meghna Dassani about pediatric sleep-disordered breathing and her book, The Tired Child: How Sleep and Sleep Breathing Can Change Your Child’s Life.

They explore:

✨ Why sleep and airway concerns in children frequently go unrecognized
✨ How Dr. Dassani’s experiences as a dentist and mother shaped her interest in pediatric sleep
✨ Why a child’s sleep quality matters as much as the number of hours spent in bed
✨ How disrupted sleep may affect growth, learning, attention, mood, and behavior
✨ Why symptoms resembling ADHD may warrant an evaluation of the child’s sleep and breathing
✨ The importance of recognizing mouth breathing and open-mouth posture during the day
✨ Why snoring and consistently audible breathing should not be dismissed as harmless
✨ How morning headaches, bedwetting, restlessness, and difficulty waking may provide additional clues
✨ Why signs of sleep-disordered breathing may be intermittent rather than present every night
✨ How excessive caffeine, inconsistent routines, and evening screen use can further disrupt sleep

Renata and Dr. Dassani emphasize that pediatric sleep-disordered breathing does not always resemble the stereotypical presentation of adult sleep apnea. Some children snore, gasp, or sleep with their mouths open, while others may appear restless, emotional, impulsive, unfocused, or unusually tired.

They also remind parents that closed lips do not necessarily confirm optimal nasal breathing or tongue posture. Observing a child while watching television, completing homework, eating, or riding in the car may reveal open-mouth posture, audible breathing, chronic congestion, or other patterns that are less noticeable once the bedroom door is closed.

The conversation highlights why treatment must address the child’s individual barriers. Myofunctional therapy cannot establish comfortable nasal breathing or stable tongue posture when a child has untreated nasal obstruction, significantly enlarged tonsils or adenoids, inadequate oral space, or another structural limitation. In these situations, evaluation and treatment sequencing are essential.

Dr. Dassani and Renata also discuss the need for collaboration among:

✨ Pediatricians and sleep physicians
✨ ENTs and allergists
✨ Pediatric dentists and orthodontists
✨ Myofunctional therapists and speech-language pathologists
✨ Bodywork and other appropriately trained healthcare professionals

Rather than expecting one provider to resolve every concern, families may benefit from a coordinated team that examines sleep, breathing, oral function, craniofacial development, behavior, and overall health together.

Dr. Dassani closes with three practical places for parents to begin:

✨ Trust your observations and discuss concerns with a qualified healthcare provider
✨ Establish a consistent bedtime and wake-time routine
✨ Support healthy daytime movement, outdoor light exposure, nutrition, and age-appropriate limits on caffeine

Dr. Meghna Dassani is a dentist, author, educator, and founder of Sleep Success Academy. After completing her initial dental education at the University of Mumbai, she earned her DMD from Boston University’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine. She now practices in Houston, where her work focuses on screening children and adults for sleep-related breathing concerns and providing appropriate dental sleep-medicine care. Her books and educational programs help families and professionals understand the roles of the tongue, palate, jaws, and airway in healthy sleep.

Renata Nehme, RDH, BSDH, COM®, is a registered dental hygienist, Certified Orofacial Myologist, educator, and founder of Airway Circle and Myo Moves. Her work centers on myofunctional therapy, airway health, early childhood development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

If you’re a parent wondering whether your child’s restless sleep, morning mood, headaches, mouth breathing, or behavioral challenges deserve a closer look, this episode offers an encouraging place to begin.

🎧 Listen in to discover why a tired child may need more than an earlier bedtime and why parents should feel empowered to keep asking questions.

#AirwayCirclePodcast #TheTiredChild #PediatricSleep #SleepDisorderedBreathing #PediatricSleepApnea #MouthBreathing #ChildDevelopment #ADHDSymptoms #MyofunctionalTherapy #AirwayDentistry #HealthySleep #ParentAdvocacy #InterdisciplinaryCare #AirwayHealth #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

What if jaw pain is not caused by the bite itself, but by the way the body compensates for a bite, airway, or facial structure that is not functioning efficiently?

In this episode of Airway Answers: Expanding Your Breath of Knowledge, Nicole Goldfarb speaks with oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Michael Gunson about orthognathic surgery, temporomandibular disorders, airway health, facial development, and the compensations patients develop to breathe, eat, and communicate.

They explore:

✨ Why many patients undergo multiple rounds of orthodontic treatment before considering jaw surgery
✨ What makes orthognathic surgery accurate, predictable, and functionally successful
✨ Why digital surgical planning is valuable but cannot replace clinical judgment and precise surgical technique
✨ How joint positioning and hardware placement may affect surgical accuracy
✨ The advantages and limitations of customized surgical plates
✨ How maxillary expansion during jaw surgery compares with sutural expansion
✨ Why orthodontic decompensation is essential when preparing a patient for surgery
✨ The relationships among transverse, vertical, and forward jaw development
✨ How jaw position may influence breathing, speech, swallowing, posture, and facial balance
✨ Why treatment should be individualized rather than based solely on population averages

Dr. Gunson explains that “TMD” is a broad label that does not identify what is actually producing a patient’s symptoms. He proposes separating concerns into three primary categories: problems arising within the joint, muscular pain related to compensation, and neurologically mediated pain. Asking patients where it hurts, when symptoms worsen, and what activities trigger them can help clinicians begin distinguishing among these different presentations.

The conversation also reframes a longstanding question: Does the bite cause pain? Dr. Gunson suggests that the more clinically useful question is how the patient responds to their bite. Two people may have similar malocclusions but develop very different symptoms depending on their anatomy, joint stability, muscle activity, connective tissue, airway, and functional adaptations.

They also discuss:

✨ How forward jaw posturing may help a patient breathe, speak, or function more comfortably
✨ Why observing a patient speaking and moving may reveal compensations that static records miss
✨ How connective tissue disorders and joint hypermobility may contribute to pain and instability
✨ The concept of tensegrity and why muscles may work excessively to stabilize the body
✨ Why patients with complex symptoms should be heard rather than dismissed
✨ The role of early orthodontic, orthopedic, speech, and myofunctional intervention
✨ Why efficient function requires adequate structure, space, mobility, and muscular control

One of Dr. Gunson’s central messages is that the face has three essential functional priorities: breathing, eating, and communicating. The brain will find ways to accomplish these tasks, even when doing so requires excessive muscular effort or altered jaw, head, neck, and body posture. Over time, those compensations may contribute to fatigue, discomfort, joint stress, and changing movement patterns.

Nicole and Dr. Gunson also examine the role of myofunctional and speech therapy. Producing a correct sound is only part of the picture. Clinicians should also consider how much effort the patient uses to speak and whether jaw movement, tongue posture, or structural limitations are creating hidden compensations.

When discussing surgical timing, Dr. Gunson explains why orthognathic surgery is generally delayed until facial growth has stopped. Earlier interventions, including expansion, orthopedic guidance, or distraction procedures, may sometimes be considered during growth, but definitive surgical planning must account for the risks of operating on a changing skeletal structure.

Dr. Michael Gunson is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Arnett Gunson Facial Reconstruction in Santa Barbara, California. He earned both his dental and medical degrees from UCLA and completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery training there. His clinical and academic work focuses on orthognathic surgery, facial reconstruction, obstructive sleep apnea, TMJ disorders, arthritis, and condylar resorption. He teaches internationally and serves as an associate clinical professor at Boston University and resident faculty member at Spear Education.

Nicole Goldfarb is a speech-language pathologist, Certified Orofacial Myologist, international speaker, and owner of the San Diego Center for Speech Therapy & Myofunctional Therapy. She has a special interest in restricted oral tissues, sleep-disordered breathing, and the functional relationships among the tongue, jaws, airway, and body.

If you’re an orthodontist, oral surgeon, dentist, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, or patient exploring jaw surgery or persistent TMD symptoms, this episode offers a fascinating framework for looking beyond the bite.

🎧 Listen in to discover why successful treatment requires understanding not only where the jaws are positioned, but also how the patient breathes, moves, eats, speaks, and compensates.

#AirwayAnswers #OrthognathicSurgery #JawSurgery #TMD #TMJ #FacialReconstruction #MaxillaryExpansion #SleepApnea #AirwayHealth #FacialDevelopment #MyofunctionalTherapy #SpeechTherapy #ConnectiveTissueDisorders #InterdisciplinaryCare #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

What if improving your health begins by looking beyond a single symptom and considering the whole person?

In this episode of the Dear Momma Podcast, Dr. Catherine Murphy speaks with Australian naturopath Monica Shepherd about complementary approaches to physical and mental well-being. Monica shares how her personal experience with post-traumatic stress disorder influenced her interest in the biological, nutritional, psychological, and lifestyle factors that may affect healing.

They explore:

✨ What naturopathy is and how its training and scope can vary by location
✨ Why nutrition, sleep, movement, stress, relationships, and daily routines all matter
✨ How naturopathic care may complement conventional medical and mental health treatment
✨ Why treatment plans should be individualized rather than based on a single protocol
✨ How care may begin during infancy for concerns such as eczema or digestive symptoms
✨ Why children with behavioral or developmental concerns need a comprehensive evaluation
✨ The connections among sleep, mouth breathing, mood, attention, and behavior
✨ When referral to an orthodontist, myofunctional therapist, physician, or another specialist may be appropriate
✨ Why testing should be chosen carefully based on clinical need and the family’s budget
✨ The importance of seeking a second opinion when questions remain unanswered

Monica explains that supporting conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, and other mental health concerns involves much more than changing someone’s diet. Depending on the individual, appropriate care may include medical evaluation, psychotherapy, prescription treatment, nutritional support, sleep assessment, lifestyle changes, and collaboration among multiple professionals.

The conversation also addresses a question many patients have: Can complementary care help someone who wishes to reduce or discontinue a prescription medication? Monica emphasizes that medications should never be stopped independently. Any reduction must be gradual, medically appropriate, and coordinated with the prescribing clinician, with the patient’s stability and safety guiding every decision.

They also discuss laboratory testing, nutrition, herbal medicine, genetics, environmental exposures, and traditional assessment practices. Some approaches mentioned in the conversation have stronger scientific support than others. Herbal products and supplements can also interact with medications, so they should be reviewed with a qualified clinician or pharmacist before use.

At the heart of the episode is a call for thoughtful, collaborative care. Complementary approaches do not need to compete with conventional medicine. When used responsibly, they may help patients examine additional factors affecting their health while continuing to receive necessary medical and psychological treatment.

Monica Shepherd is an Australian naturopath with a special interest in mental health. She holds a Bachelor of Complementary Medicine, an Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy, an Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine, and a Certificate III in Children’s Services. Through Kaptured Nutrition, she works with individuals and families using approaches that may include nutrition, lifestyle support, herbal medicine, and selected traditional practices.

Dr. Catherine Murphy is an orthodontist, holistic health advocate, speaker, and author of Dear Momma…, a picture book offering comfort to mothers navigating unexpected breastfeeding challenges.

If you’re a parent exploring complementary care, someone navigating a mental health journey, or a healthcare professional interested in a broader view of wellness, this conversation offers questions to consider and a reminder that seeking support is a sign of strength.

🎧 Listen in to explore how nutrition, sleep, lifestyle, mental health care, and thoughtful collaboration may become part of a more complete path toward wellness.

#DearMommaPodcast #NaturalWellness #Naturopathy #ComplementaryMedicine #MentalHealth #PTSDRecovery #ADHDSupport #ChildrensHealth #Nutrition #SleepHealth #WholePersonCare #IntegrativeHealth #MaternalWellness #AirwayHealth #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

Can a sleep study appear “normal” while a patient is still struggling to breathe throughout the night?

In this episode of Airway Answers: Expanding Your Breath of Knowledge, Nicole Goldfarb speaks with respiratory therapist and polysomnographic technologist Ken Hooks about upper airway resistance, airflow limitation, and the important information that may be overlooked when sleep studies are interpreted primarily through the apnea-hypopnea index.

They explore:

✨ What upper airway resistance is and how it differs from an apnea or hypopnea
✨ Why sleep-disordered breathing involves more than completely stopping breathing
✨ How nasal congestion, oral breathing, tongue position, a high palate, and mandibular retrusion may affect airflow
✨ The role of the turbinates in filtering, warming, humidifying, and regulating nasal airflow
✨ How increased respiratory effort may activate the sympathetic nervous system
✨ What pulse-rate changes, movement, gasping, and sigh breaths may reveal during sleep
✨ Why a low AHI does not always explain a patient’s symptoms or complete breathing pattern
✨ The differences among light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep
✨ Why nightmares occur during REM sleep while night terrors typically arise from deep N3 sleep
✨ How respiratory events may look different in children and adults
✨ The limitations of home sleep testing, particularly in pediatric patients
✨ Why sleep-study findings should be interpreted alongside symptoms, anatomy, and clinical observations

Ken explains that airflow limitation does not always meet the scoring criteria for an apnea or hypopnea. A patient may continue breathing while working increasingly hard to move air through a restricted upper airway. These episodes can be associated with arousals, pulse-rate changes, movement, bruxism, or disrupted sleep architecture, even when oxygen levels remain relatively stable.

The conversation also examines behaviors that may provide clues to disrupted breathing, including sleep talking, sleepwalking, bedwetting, frequent position changes, nighttime sweating, clenching, grinding, gasping, and repeated sigh breaths. None of these signs confirms a sleep-related breathing disorder by itself, but patterns of symptoms may justify a more comprehensive evaluation.

Ken shares several pediatric cases to demonstrate why the entire clinical picture matters. In one case, a child with significant symptoms and airflow limitation had an almost negligible AHI on a home test but met criteria for mild obstructive sleep apnea during an attended laboratory study. The discussion highlights how home testing may underestimate pediatric respiratory events because it cannot measure sleep stages and cortical arousals in the same way as full polysomnography.

They also discuss central apneas, positional sleep apnea, nocturnal bruxism, nighttime urination, and the ways breathing patterns can change across different stages of sleep. Ken emphasizes the importance of reviewing the raw respiratory signals and physiological responses instead of relying on a single number from the final report.

Ken Hooks is the founder of True Sleep Diagnostics, a registered respiratory therapist, and a registered polysomnographic technologist with extensive experience in adult and pediatric sleep medicine. He previously served as a sleep medicine representative at Bon Secours St. Francis and as Clinical Director and instructor for the polysomnographic technology program at Greenville Technical College. He also co-authored a pediatric case report examining rapid maxillary expansion and adenotonsillectomy in twins with obstructive sleep apnea.

Nicole Goldfarb is a speech-language pathologist, Certified Orofacial Myologist, international speaker, and owner of the San Diego Center for Speech Therapy & Myofunctional Therapy. She has a special interest in sleep-disordered breathing, restricted oral tissues, and their relationships with orofacial myofunctional disorders.

If you’re a dentist, physician, sleep professional, respiratory therapist, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, or parent trying to understand why symptoms may persist despite a reassuring sleep-study result, this episode offers a detailed look beyond the AHI.

🎧 Listen in to discover what airflow, respiratory effort, pulse rate, sleep stages, and patient symptoms can collectively reveal about nighttime breathing.

#AirwayAnswers #UpperAirwayResistance #UARS #SleepDisorderedBreathing #SleepStudy #Polysomnography #PediatricSleep #AirflowLimitation #SleepApnea #NasalBreathing #MouthBreathing #Bruxism #MyofunctionalTherapy #AirwayHealth #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

What happens when a young, healthy athlete discovers that nighttime clenching and grinding may be connected to her breathing and sleep?

In this episode of the Dear Momma Podcast, Dr. Catherine Murphy speaks with health and nutrition coach Anne-Mari Nano about the personal health journey that transformed her into a passionate airway advocate.

Anne-Mari explains how persistent nighttime clenching and grinding were repeatedly attributed to stress. Despite her athletic background and healthy lifestyle, she continued searching for answers until a dentist noticed her high, narrow palate and recommended further evaluation of her airway and sleep.

They discuss:

✨ Why young, active women may not fit the traditional image of someone with a sleep-related breathing disorder
✨ How clenching, grinding, and TMJ symptoms may warrant a closer look at breathing and sleep
✨ The importance of examining the airway rather than assuming every symptom is caused by stress
✨ What Anne-Mari learned from completing a sleep study and receiving an airway-focused evaluation
✨ Her experience with palatal expansion using a DNA appliance
✨ How improved nasal breathing changed the way she felt while running
✨ The relationship among breathing, forward head posture, movement, and body alignment
✨ Why her reported one-inch increase in measured height reflected postural change rather than skeletal growth
✨ How habit stacking can make healthy living feel more manageable
✨ Why curiosity, education, and self-advocacy are essential parts of a health journey

Anne-Mari also shares why she began documenting her experience on TikTok. Rather than presenting herself as a medical professional, she uses her platform to share what she is learning, encourage others to ask questions, and direct people toward qualified airway-focused providers and educational resources.

Her story is an important reminder that sleep-disordered breathing does not have one appearance. Someone can be young, fit, and seemingly healthy while still experiencing symptoms that deserve further evaluation. Clenching and grinding do not confirm an airway disorder, but they may be pieces of a much larger clinical picture.

The conversation also explores Anne-Mari’s experience with Flowability, a movement program focused on posture, breathing, spinal mobility, and more efficient movement patterns. She explains how combining postural work with her airway treatment helped her feel more upright and comfortable in her body.

At the heart of the episode is a simple message: healthier living does not have to mean changing everything at once. Small, intentional habits practiced consistently can gradually support meaningful improvements in how we move, breathe, and feel.

Anne-Mari Nano is a former college track athlete and retail store manager who became a health and nutrition coach. Through Healthy on Purpose, she helps clients create individualized and sustainable routines centered on nutrition, movement, mindset, and daily habits. Her personal experiences with clenching, palatal expansion, nasal breathing, and sleep evaluation inspired her to raise awareness about airway health.

Dr. Catherine Murphy is an orthodontist, holistic health advocate, speaker, and author of Dear Momma…, a picture book offering comfort to mothers navigating unexpected breastfeeding challenges.

If you’re experiencing unexplained clenching, grinding, TMJ symptoms, or difficulty breathing through your nose, or you simply want to create healthier habits without overwhelming your schedule, this episode offers an encouraging place to begin.

🎧 Listen to Anne-Mari’s journey and discover how curiosity, consistency, and self-advocacy can help you become healthier on purpose.

#DearMommaPodcast #HealthyOnPurpose #AirwayHealth #SleepDisorderedBreathing #SleepApnea #TeethGrinding #Clenching #TMJ #TMD #NasalBreathing #PalatalExpansion #Posture #HealthyHabits #WomensHealth #AirwayAdvocate #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...

Could a technique performed through the nasal passages influence symptoms involving the eyes, head, jaw, and breathing after a concussion?

In this episode of the Beauty of Breathing Podcast, Dr. Jennifer Hobson and Dr. Martha Cortes speak with physical therapist Cynthia Stein about the Nasal Release Technique, an intranasal manual procedure used by some trained practitioners as part of a broader approach to post-concussion symptoms, headaches, sinus concerns, and nasal breathing difficulties.

They explore:

✨ What happens to the brain during different types of concussion
✨ How concussion symptoms may involve vision, balance, cognition, mood, breathing, and the cervical spine
✨ How blast-wave injuries experienced by military personnel may differ from sports-related concussions
✨ The history and mechanics of the Nasal Release Technique
✨ How eye movement, neck position, and jaw function may be evaluated together
✨ Why some patients continue experiencing symptoms after standard vestibular rehabilitation
✨ How vestibular therapy, lymphatic techniques, breathing retraining, and other forms of rehabilitation may complement concussion care
✨ The precautions practitioners must consider before performing an intranasal technique
✨ The importance of collaboration among physical therapists, dentists, physicians, and other qualified providers

Cynthia describes how the technique uses a small inflatable device placed within specific areas of the nasal passage. She and Dr. Hobson share their clinical observations regarding changes in eye tracking, craniofacial tension, headaches, and nasal airflow following treatment.

The episode also introduces a proposed research collaboration involving Cynthia Stein, Dr. Jennifer Hobson, Dr. Andrea Dean, and Dr. Martha Cortes. The project was designed to measure eye tracking and nasal airflow before and after the Nasal Release Technique using objective testing.

At the time of this recording, however, research evaluating the technique for post-concussion syndrome was extremely limited, and the proposed study had not yet produced results. The experiences discussed in this episode should therefore be understood as clinical observations and hypotheses, not proof that the technique is an established treatment for concussion or nasal obstruction.

Cynthia also discusses important precautions involving bleeding disorders, anticoagulant medications, asthma, previous facial or nasal surgery, psychological readiness, and individual anatomy. Because this is an invasive intranasal procedure with potential risks, it should only be considered after appropriate medical evaluation and performed by a properly trained, licensed healthcare professional. A suspected concussion requires prompt medical assessment to exclude bleeding, fracture, or another serious injury.

Cynthia Stein, PT, earned her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Pittsburgh and her master’s degree in education from Temple University. She served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy and later operated Squirrel Hill Physical Therapy in Pittsburgh for 30 years. Her professional training includes conventional vestibular rehabilitation and complementary approaches to concussion care.

Dr. Jennifer Hobson is a physical therapist specializing in the head and neck, TMJ dysfunction, breathing mechanics, chronic headaches, concussion, tinnitus, and postural dysfunction. She incorporates vestibular rehabilitation and other manual approaches into her work with post-concussion patients.

Dr. Martha Cortes was a general, cosmetic, biological, neuromuscular, and laser dentist whose work focused on sleep-related breathing disorders, TMD, and nonsurgical approaches to craniofacial and airway care.

If you’re a physical therapist, dentist, physician, airway professional, or healthcare provider interested in post-concussion rehabilitation, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at an emerging technique and the research still needed to evaluate it.

🎧 Listen to the conversation to learn how concussion, eye movement, craniofacial function, and nasal breathing may intersect.

#BeautyOfBreathing #ConcussionRecovery #PostConcussionSyndrome #NasalReleaseTechnique #VestibularRehabilitation #NasalBreathing #EyeTracking #CraniofacialTherapy #TMJ #TMD #PhysicalTherapy #AirwayHealth #InterdisciplinaryCare #AirwayCircle

Support the show

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Renata Nehme RDH, BSDH, COM®, OMS™ has been a Registered Dental Hygienist since 2010. In 2016, when she was introduced to the world of "Myofunctional Therapy" she immediately knew that was her calling, especially when she learned that it encapsulated many of her passions- breastfeeding, the import of early childhood development, and airway health. 

In 2021 Renata founded Airway Circle with the intention of creating a collaborative and multidisciplinary group of like-minded health professionals who share the same passion for learning and giving in the dental health and airway space. 

Myo Moves - Become a Patient: www.myo-moves.com


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Airway Circle we offer a safe and supportive space for like-minded professionals to connect, collaborate and share information regarding airway-related issues and whole-body health.

Become a Member Today and have immediate access to hundreds of lectures with world-renowned professionals. ...