What if jaw pain, poor sleep, headaches, and changes in posture require a closer look at the structure and function of the mouth?

In this episode of The Beauty of Breathing, Dr. Jennifer Hobson interviews her co-host, Dr. Martha Cortes, about the experiences that transformed her from a cosmetic dentist into a whole-body, airway-focused practitioner.

Dr. Cortes shares how treating patients with severe TMJ pain led her to investigate the relationships among the bite, jaw position, nasal breathing, cervical posture, and sleep. She explains why her approach now extends beyond restoring teeth to considering how the jaws, tongue, airway, muscles, and nervous system function together.

They also dive into:
✨ How a young patient with debilitating TMJ pain changed Dr. Cortes’s clinical direction
✨ Why jaw position and vertical dimension may influence comfort, breathing, and head posture
✨ How she approaches adult expansion and facial-airway remodeling
✨ The differences among removable appliances, skeletal expansion, and surgical options
✨ Why objective measurements such as rhinometry can help guide treatment decisions
✨ The importance of selecting treatment based on the individual rather than one preferred appliance
✨ Why creating structural space must be paired with nasal-breathing and swallowing rehabilitation
✨ How myofunctional therapy and physical therapy support functional adaptation
✨ The importance of addressing dental infection as part of comprehensive health
✨ Why complex patients often require a carefully sequenced interdisciplinary team

This conversation highlights the difference between changing structure and restoring function. Creating more space may support the tongue and nasal airway, but patients must still learn how to breathe, swallow, rest, and move differently. Treatment is most effective when the dental plan is coordinated with functional rehabilitation and individualized to the patient.

Dr. Martha Cortes is a general, cosmetic, biological, neuromuscular, and laser dentist with a special focus on sleep-disordered breathing and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Her approach integrates airway health, dental structure, facial development, biological dentistry, and whole-body function. She is also a lecturer, published author, and creator of the trademark “Your Smile, Your Health”®.

Dr. Jennifer Hobson is a physical therapist specializing in the head and neck, TMJ dysfunction, breathing mechanics, chronic headaches, postural dysfunction, and sleep-disordered breathing. She is trained in myofunctional therapy and certified in the Buteyko Breathing Method.

If you’re a dentist, physical therapist, myofunctional therapist, orthodontist, or healthcare professional interested in the relationship among dental structure, airway health, pain, and posture, this episode offers a thought-provoking clinical perspective.

🎧 Listen in to discover why caring for the mouth often means looking beyond the teeth and considering the entire person.

#BeautyOfBreathing #AirwayDentistry #BiologicalDentistry #TMJ #TMD #NasalBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #PhysicalTherapy #PalatalExpansion #SleepDisorderedBreathing #WholeBodyHealth #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 the airway is only one part of restoring healthy breathing?

In this episode of Airway Answers: Expanding Your Breath of Knowledge, host Nicole Goldfarb is joined by physical therapists Dr. David Evans, Dr. Randi Lee Esquibel, and Dr. Kahl Goldfarb to explore why airway and myofunctional patients often benefit from a whole-body physical therapy evaluation.

The panel explains how long-standing breathing difficulties can create compensatory patterns involving the diaphragm, rib cage, neck, spine, pelvis, and nervous system. Even after structural airway treatment, patients may need help retraining how they breathe, stabilize, and move.

They also dive into:
✨ How Postural Restoration Institute principles connect respiration, neurology, and biomechanics
✨ Why diaphragmatic breathing involves three-dimensional rib cage expansion, not simply pushing the belly forward
✨ How upper-chest breathing can overwork the neck and accessory breathing muscles
✨ The relationship among forward-head posture, airway compensation, and headaches
✨ How the upper cervical spine may contribute to certain headache patterns
✨ The roles of fascia, muscle tone, trigger points, and manual therapy
✨ Why chronic stress and poor breathing can reinforce sympathetic nervous-system activation
✨ How restorative sleep supports tissue healing and physical rehabilitation
✨ Why structural airway treatment does not automatically correct established breathing patterns
✨ How physical therapists and myofunctional therapists can coordinate care for better outcomes

This conversation demonstrates why addressing anatomy alone may not be enough. Patients may have spent years developing compensations to breathe, stabilize, and function. Physical therapy can help identify those patterns and support the body as it learns to use new structural space and healthier breathing mechanics.

Dr. David Evans is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and director at Mission Beach Water & Sports Physical Therapy. His clinical work combines orthopedic and spinal evaluation, manual therapy, myofascial treatment, movement assessment, and advanced training in airway and TMJ-related dysfunction.

Dr. Randi Lee Esquibel is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and director at Poway Water & Sports Physical Therapy. She specializes in manual therapy, Postural Restoration Institute techniques, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, and the relationship between breathing mechanics and human movement.

Dr. Kahl Goldfarb is the CEO of Water & Sports Physical Therapy and a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist. He previously served as head physical therapist for the San Diego Padres and as an adjunct professor at San Diego State University. His work includes orthopedic rehabilitation, manual therapy, sports performance, spinal health, and whole-body movement assessment.

Nicole Goldfarb is a speech-language pathologist, Certified Orofacial Myologist, international speaker, and owner of the San Diego Center for Speech Therapy & Myofunctional Therapy. Her clinical interests include sleep-disordered breathing, restricted frenums, and their relationship to oral function and airway health.

If you’re a physical therapist, myofunctional therapist, dentist, orthodontist, speech-language pathologist, or healthcare professional working with breathing, pain, posture, or sleep concerns, this episode offers practical insight into why physical therapy belongs on the interdisciplinary airway team.

🎧 Listen in to discover how restoring healthier breathing may require treating the body from the tongue and diaphragm to the spine and feet.

#AirwayAnswers #BeautyOfBreathing #PhysicalTherapy #AirwayHealth #MyofunctionalTherapy #PosturalRestoration #DiaphragmaticBreathing #TMJ #Headaches #ForwardHeadPosture #SleepDisorderedBreathing #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 straightening the teeth without considering the face and airway leaves an important part of orthodontic care unaddressed?

In this episode of Airway Answers: Expanding Your Breath of Knowledge, host Nicole Goldfarb speaks with orthodontist Dr. Bill Hang about the experiences that led him to reconsider traditional orthodontic treatment and place facial balance, oral posture, and airway health at the center of his approach.

Dr. Hang shares how observing changes in his patients’ faces, jaw comfort, and breathing prompted him to question techniques involving extraction and retraction. He also explains why he became passionate about treating children earlier, while facial growth and functional patterns may be more responsive to guidance.

They also dive into:
✨ How Dr. Hang’s approach evolved from traditional orthodontics to airway-centered care
✨ Why orthodontic treatment should consider facial balance, tongue space, and breathing
✨ Dr. Hang’s concerns about extraction, retraction, and headgear-based treatment
✨ The relationship among jaw position, tongue space, TMJ symptoms, and airway health
✨ How orthotropics differs from conventional orthodontic approaches
✨ Why oral posture is central to facial growth and treatment stability
✨ The importance of nasal breathing, lip seal, and tongue-to-palate posture
✨ Why myofunctional therapy should support structural orthodontic treatment
✨ The opportunities and limitations of expansion at different ages
✨ Why early childhood may offer the greatest opportunity to influence growth
✨ How adults with significant structural concerns may consider orthognathic surgery

This conversation challenges providers to look beyond dental alignment and consider how orthodontic decisions may affect the face, oral function, and airway over a lifetime. It also offers an honest acknowledgment that no single treatment guarantees the resolution of sleep-disordered breathing and that much remains to be learned.

Dr. Bill Hang is an orthodontist and internationally recognized advocate for airway-centered orthodontic care. After beginning his career in traditional orthodontics, he shifted his focus toward facial balance, forward growth, oral posture, and airway optimization. He received the AAPMD Lifetime Achievement Award and created the Hang E.C.H.O.™ and Hang E.R.R.S.™ mentorship programs to educate providers about early intervention and patients with concerns following extraction and retraction treatment.

Nicole Goldfarb is a speech-language pathologist, Certified Orofacial Myologist, international speaker, and owner of the San Diego Center for Speech Therapy & Myofunctional Therapy. Her clinical interests include sleep-disordered breathing, restricted frenums, and their relationship to oral function and airway health.

If you’re an orthodontist, dentist, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, parent, or healthcare professional interested in how orthodontic treatment can influence lifelong breathing and function, this episode offers an important perspective.

🎧 Listen in for a thought-provoking conversation about moving beyond straight teeth and treating with facial growth, function, and airway health in mind.

#AirwayAnswers #BeautyOfBreathing #AirwayOrthodontics #FacialGrowth #EarlyIntervention #Orthotropics #MyofunctionalTherapy #OralPosture #PalatalExpansion #TMJ #SleepDisorderedBreathing #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 the way your baby moves during the first year creates the foundation for skills that develop much later?

In this episode of the Dear Momma podcast, host Dr. Catherine Murphy speaks with pediatric physical therapist Dr. Jenny Thurner about infant movement, early developmental foundations, and simple ways parents can support their babies from birth through the first year.

Dr. Thurner explains why development is about more than reaching milestones on schedule. The quality and symmetry of a baby’s movements can offer valuable information about body tension, regulation, coordination, and whether additional support may be helpful.

They also dive into:
✨ Why tummy time supports more than head and neck strength
✨ How body tension and movement preferences may affect development
✨ The relationship among torticollis, trunk movement, and head positioning
✨ Why symmetrical movement helps babies coordinate both sides of the body
✨ How primitive reflexes fit into early motor development
✨ Why crawling remains a valuable developmental experience
✨ What parents can do if their child skipped crawling
✨ When head shape, feeding challenges, or movement differences may warrant evaluation
✨ How physical therapists, occupational therapists, lactation professionals, and other providers can collaborate
✨ Why parents should trust their concerns and feel comfortable seeking another opinion

This conversation reassures parents that development is not a race and that missed experiences do not necessarily mean something is wrong. Babies and older children can often revisit foundational movement patterns through purposeful play, floor time, climbing, crawling activities, and individualized professional guidance.

Dr. Jenny Thurner is a pediatric physical therapist, certified infant massage instructor, and licensed Learn With Less® facilitator. She owns a private physical therapy practice and serves on the assessment team for Indiana First Steps early intervention. She is also the author of Healthy Baby Habits: Help Your Baby Dominate Development, a practical guide for parents from birth through 12 months.

Dr. Catherine Murphy is an orthodontist, holistic health advocate, speaker, and author of Dear Momma, a picture book created to support mothers facing unexpected breastfeeding challenges. Through the Dear Momma podcast, she creates space for community, compassion, and practical conversations about family health.

If you’re expecting a baby, raising an infant, or working with young children and their families, this episode offers an encouraging look at how everyday movement and play can support healthy development.

🎧 Listen in for practical guidance to help your baby build a strong developmental foundation, one movement at a time.

#DearMomma #BeautyOfBreathing #HealthyBabyHabits #InfantDevelopment #PediatricPhysicalTherapy #TummyTime #Crawling #Torticollis #EarlyIntervention #DevelopmentalMilestones #InfantMovement #ParentEducation #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, neck tension, headaches, and poor posture are connected to the way you breathe?

In this episode of The Beauty of Breathing, Dr. Martha Cortes interviews her co-host, Dr. Jennifer Hobson, about the personal and professional journey that led her to specialize in head and neck physical therapy, breathing rehabilitation, TMJ dysfunction, and myofunctional therapy.

Dr. Hobson explains why treating pain requires looking beyond the area that hurts. She explores how breathing mechanics, tongue posture, swallowing, the upper cervical spine, the rib cage, and the pelvis can influence one another and contribute to patterns of tension and compensation throughout the body.

They also dive into:
✨ How Dr. Mariano Rocabado’s work shaped Dr. Hobson’s approach to craniofacial physical therapy
✨ The relationship among the upper cervical spine, jaw position, and TMJ function
✨ How breathing with the upper chest and accessory muscles may contribute to forward-head posture and neck tension
✨ Why nasal breathing, diaphragmatic movement, and tongue posture matter
✨ How overbreathing may affect carbon dioxide levels, circulation, and nervous-system regulation
✨ The use of capnometry to measure breathing rate and exhaled carbon dioxide
✨ Why structural treatment or surgery may not change an established breathing pattern on its own
✨ How breathing retraining, myofunctional therapy, dentistry, and physical therapy can work together
✨ Why children may benefit from developing healthier breathing and movement patterns early

This conversation is a powerful reminder that pain is often only the symptom that brings a patient through the door. Lasting improvement may require understanding the functional patterns affecting the jaw, neck, airway, posture, and nervous system.

Dr. Jennifer Hobson is a physical therapist specializing in the head and neck, TMJ dysfunction, chronic headaches, concussion, tinnitus, postural dysfunction, and sleep-disordered breathing. She trained under renowned craniofacial expert Dr. Mariano Rocabado and is also trained in myofunctional therapy and certified in the Buteyko Breathing Method. Through the Hobson Institute, she provides breathing education and therapeutic programs for patients and healthcare professionals.

Dr. Martha Cortes is a general, cosmetic, biological, neuromuscular, and laser dentist with a special focus on sleep-disordered breathing and TMJ dysfunction. Her approach considers the relationship among dental structure, airway health, facial development, and whole-body function.

If you’re a physical therapist, dentist, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, chiropractor, or healthcare professional interested in the connections among breathing, pain, and posture, this episode offers a valuable functional perspective.

🎧 Listen in to discover why treating the place that hurts may begin with understanding how the entire body breathes and moves.

#BeautyOfBreathing #TMJ #PhysicalTherapy #FunctionalBreathing #NasalBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #Posture #HeadAndNeckPain #SleepDisorderedBreathing #ButeykoBreathing #WholeBodyHealth #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 treating sleep apnea requires more than simply opening the airway?

In this special World Sleep Day episode of Airway Answers: Expanding Your Breath of Knowledge, host Nicole Goldfarb is joined by Renata Nehme for an expansive conversation with Stanford sleep surgeon Dr. Stanley Liu about nasal breathing, craniofacial development, airway surgery, and the essential relationship between structure and function.

Dr. Liu explains why successful airway treatment cannot focus only on the size of the airway. Providers must also consider facial development, muscle function, oral posture, breathing patterns, sleep quality, and the brain’s ability to adapt to change.

They also dive into:
✨ What defines a comprehensively trained sleep surgeon
✨ Why airway care requires collaboration across medical, dental, surgical, and therapeutic specialties
✨ The importance of restoring form while rehabilitating function
✨ Why nasal breathing and early intervention matter during childhood development
✨ How maxillary expansion may support nasal breathing and create space for better tongue function
✨ The roles of myofunctional “prehabilitation” and rehabilitation around surgery
✨ Why enlarged tonsils and adenoids should be considered within a broader developmental picture
✨ How forward-head posture and facial asymmetry may reflect long-standing breathing compensation
✨ Why women and young adults may be underdiagnosed or undertreated for sleep-disordered breathing
✨ How emerging ultrasound technology may help clinicians assess upper-airway muscle function

This conversation reframes sleep apnea as more than a narrow or collapsible airway. Structure creates the opportunity for healthy breathing, but the muscles, nervous system, and learned patterns must be able to use that structure effectively. As Dr. Liu emphasizes, surgery and expansion are most successful when they are part of a coordinated plan that restores both form and function.

Dr. Stanley Liu is an associate professor of otolaryngology and plastic surgery at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Sleep Surgery Fellowship. He earned both his medical and dental degrees from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed advanced training in maxillofacial and sleep surgery. His work includes comprehensive sleep-apnea surgery, adult maxillary expansion, orthognathic surgery, virtual surgical planning, and neuromodulation of the upper airway.

Nicole Goldfarb is a speech-language pathologist, Certified Orofacial Myologist, international speaker, and owner of the San Diego Center for Speech Therapy & Myofunctional Therapy. Her clinical interests include sleep-disordered breathing, restricted frenums, and their relationship to oral function and airway health.

If you’re a surgeon, dentist, orthodontist, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, or sleep professional, this episode offers a compelling vision for more integrated and developmentally informed airway care.

🎧 Listen in for a deeper understanding of why better sleep depends on the airway’s structure, the muscles surrounding it, and the professionals working together.

#AirwayAnswers #BeautyOfBreathing #WorldSleepDay #SleepApnea #SleepSurgery #AirwayHealth #NasalBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #MaxillaryExpansion #CraniofacialDevelopment #WomensSleepHealth #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 preventing childhood cavities begins before your baby’s first tooth appears?

In this episode of the Dear Momma podcast, host Dr. Catherine Murphy speaks with pediatric dentist Dr. Tammy Gierke Button about pregnancy, infant oral health, and why families deserve preventive education long before a child’s first dental visit.

Drawing from more than 15 years of clinical experience, Dr. Button shares how treating children with severe early childhood caries inspired her to look beyond the dental chair and help parents understand how oral health begins during pregnancy and develops throughout a child’s earliest years.

They also dive into:
✨ How a mother’s oral health can influence her pregnancy and her baby’s health
✨ Why dental care remains important during pregnancy
✨ How hormonal changes, dietary habits, morning sickness, and dry mouth can affect oral health
✨ Why oral care should begin before a baby has teeth
✨ When to begin brushing and flossing a child’s teeth
✨ The importance of first foods, open-cup introduction, and limiting added sugars
✨ Why waiting until age one may miss valuable opportunities for prevention
✨ How feeding concerns, tethered oral tissues, and dry mouth may warrant further evaluation
✨ Why parents should never feel ashamed to ask questions or seek additional support

This conversation shifts the focus from repairing cavities to understanding how they develop and how families can reduce risk from the beginning. It also reminds parents that tooth decay is a disease process, not a reflection of their worth or effort as caregivers.

Dr. Tammy Gierke Button earned her DDS from Indiana University School of Dentistry and her MSD in Pediatric Dentistry from Riley Hospital for Children. After years of treating children with advanced dental disease, she founded Southshore Skipping Stones, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families raise cavity-free children through pregnancy and infant oral-health education. She also collaborates with healthcare and dental professionals to develop continuing education and community programs.

Dr. Catherine Murphy is an orthodontist, holistic health advocate, speaker, and author of Dear Momma, a picture book created to support mothers facing unexpected breastfeeding challenges. Through the Dear Momma podcast, she creates space for honest conversations, practical health information, compassion, and community.

If you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy, caring for an infant, or working with mothers and young children, this episode offers practical information that can help establish healthier habits from the very beginning.

🎧 Listen in to learn why lifelong oral health begins during the first 1,000 days, not with the first cavity.

#DearMomma #BeautyOfBreathing #PregnancyOralHealth #InfantOralHealth #PediatricDentistry #CavityPrevention #First1000Days #MaternalHealth #EarlyChildhoodCaries #PreventiveDentistry #Motherhood #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 does it take to move beyond treating symptoms and build a pediatric dental practice focused on airway health, growth, and function?

In this episode of the Beauty of Breathing Podcast, I speak with board-certified pediatric dentist and orofacial myology specialist Dr. Lauren Ballinger about the personal and professional journey that transformed the way she cares for children. Inspired by her own family’s experiences, Dr. Ballinger shifted from traditional restorative dentistry toward identifying and addressing factors that may interfere with healthy breathing, sleep, oral function, and craniofacial development.

We also dive into:
✨ How to begin incorporating airway-focused care into a pediatric dental practice
✨ Why early identification can help children develop healthier breathing and growth patterns
✨ How structural treatment and myofunctional therapy work together
✨ Why no single appliance or system is appropriate for every child
✨ How age, anatomy, treatment goals, and family compliance guide appliance selection
✨ The importance of recognizing and managing allergies and nasal obstruction
✨ How to build a skilled team that can support myofunctional therapy, lactation, orthodontics, and frenectomy care
✨ Why preparation and realistic expectations are essential before a frenectomy
✨ Lessons Dr. Ballinger learned while building a new airway-centered practice

This conversation is an honest reminder that becoming an airway-focused provider is an ongoing process. It requires education, curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to learn from both successes and mistakes. Most importantly, it requires treating each child as an individual rather than relying on one appliance or protocol.

Dr. Lauren Ballinger is a board-certified pediatric dentist and specialist in orofacial myology. After 15 years of practicing restorative pediatric dentistry and interceptive orthodontics, she redirected her career toward addressing the root causes of suboptimal breathing, function, growth, and development. She is the founder of Good to Grow Pediatric Dental Wellness, Airway, Growth and Sleep Solutions and The Nurture Frenectomy Center.

If you’re a pediatric dentist, general dentist, dental hygienist, myofunctional therapist, lactation professional, or healthcare provider interested in bringing airway-centered care into your practice, this episode offers practical guidance and encouragement to begin.

🎧 Listen in for an inspiring and refreshingly honest conversation about creating meaningful change, one child and one practice at a time.

#BeautyOfBreathing #BeTheChange #PediatricDentistry #AirwayDentistry #PediatricAirway #MyofunctionalTherapy #EarlyIntervention #Frenectomy #TongueTie #CraniofacialGrowth #SleepDisorderedBreathing #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 crowded teeth, jaw pain, poor posture, and chronic fatigue are different pieces of the same puzzle?

In the first episode of The Beauty of Breathing, Dr. Martha Cortes and Dr. Jennifer Hobson combine their perspectives as an airway-focused dentist and head and neck physical therapist to explore how breathing and oral function can influence the entire body.

Through clinical examples, they discuss why providers must look beyond a patient’s immediate complaint and evaluate how the nose, tongue, jaw, neck, rib cage, spine, and pelvis work together.

They also dive into:
✨ Why symptoms do not always reveal the full extent of a patient’s dysfunction
✨ How nasal obstruction and mouth breathing can influence tongue posture, swallowing, and head and neck tension
✨ What posture, gait, rib cage mechanics, and muscular compensation may reveal
✨ How rhinometry and capnometry can provide objective information about nasal airflow and breathing patterns
✨ Why crowded teeth may signal a larger structural or functional concern
✨ How skeletal expansion may create more space for the nasal passages and tongue in appropriately selected patients
✨ Why structural treatment must be supported by breathing retraining and myofunctional therapy
✨ The importance of nasal hygiene, proper oral rest posture, and a coordinated swallow
✨ Why collaborative care is essential when treating complex airway and whole-body concerns

This conversation demonstrates why creating more space is only part of the solution. Structural changes must be paired with functional rehabilitation so patients can learn to breathe through the nose, maintain appropriate tongue posture, swallow efficiently, and use the new space effectively.

Dr. Martha Cortes is a general, cosmetic, biological, neuromuscular, and laser dentist with a special focus on sleep-disordered breathing and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Her whole-body approach integrates dental structure, airway health, facial development, and neuromuscular function.

Dr. Jennifer Hobson is a physical therapist specializing in the head and neck, TMJ dysfunction, breathing mechanics, chronic headaches, postural dysfunction, and sleep-disordered breathing. She is also trained in myofunctional therapy and certified in the Buteyko Breathing Method, which she incorporates into her physical therapy practice.

If you’re a dentist, physical therapist, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, orthodontist, or healthcare professional interested in the relationship between structure and function, this episode offers a valuable whole-body perspective.

🎧 Listen in to discover why restoring healthy breathing requires both the right architecture and the right function.

#BeautyOfBreathing #AirwayHealth #NasalBreathing #MouthBreathing #MyofunctionalTherapy #TMJ #PhysicalTherapy #AirwayDentistry #Posture #PalatalExpansion #SleepDisorderedBreathing #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.

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What if sharing your story could help another mother feel less alone?

In the first episode of the Dear Momma podcast, host Dr. Catherine Murphy speaks with Lindsay Bednar, founder of Rodney K Press, about motherhood, intuition, and the courage it takes to turn a personal experience into a story that can support others.

They also discuss how Dr. Murphy’s book, Dear Momma, grew from a poem into a “virtual hug” for mothers experiencing unexpected breastfeeding challenges, including those related to tongue-tie and oral dysfunction.

They also dive into:
✨ Why our personal stories can educate, encourage, and connect us
✨ How to move through self-doubt and imposter syndrome
✨ The importance of trusting your intuition as a mother
✨ Why children can be some of our greatest teachers
✨ How Lindsay turned her passion for writing into a publishing company
✨ What aspiring authors should know about bringing a book to life
✨ Why looking at the whole child may open the door to additional questions and care options
✨ Simple ways mothers can incorporate movement, mindset, and breathing into everyday self-care

This conversation is a beautiful reminder that mothers do not need to have every answer. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is trust ourselves, continue asking questions, and share what we have learned so another family feels seen and supported.

Lindsay Bednar is a mother, author, former educator, and founder of Rodney K Press. After navigating the publishing process for her own writing, she created a more personal and accessible path for aspiring authors. Today, she works one-on-one with writers and a team of editors, illustrators, and layout professionals to help transform meaningful ideas into published books.

Dr. Catherine Murphy is an orthodontist, holistic health advocate, speaker, and author of Dear Momma, a picture book created to comfort mothers facing unexpected challenges with breastfeeding. Through the Dear Momma podcast, she brings mothers together through honest conversations, practical health information, compassion, and community.

If you’re a mother, healthcare professional, aspiring author, or someone carrying a story that could encourage others, this episode may be the inspiration you need to trust your voice and begin.

🎧 Listen in for an uplifting conversation about following your intuition, sharing your story, and remembering that you are not alone.

#DearMomma #BeautyOfBreathing #Motherhood #MaternalHealth #BreastfeedingSupport #TongueTie #MothersIntuition #HolisticHealth #WomenSupportingWomen #AspiringAuthor #SelfCareForMoms #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


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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. ...