Functional Roots Podcast

Biomimetic Dentistry, Root Canals & Hydroxyapatite: Dr. Paul O’Malley on Healing the Mouth NaturallyWhat if dentistry worked with your body instead of against it? In this episode of Functional Roots, hygienists Amanda and Heather sit down with holistic, biomimetic dentist Dr. Paul O’Malley to unpack how biomimetic dentistry preserves natural tooth structure, seals and rebuilds teeth in layers, and can dramatically reduce the need for crowns and root canals. They dive into the “downward spiral” of traditional drill-and-fill dentistry, when (and how) root canals may be appropriate, and why material biocompatibility testing matters. Dr. O’Malley also shares the story behind Great Oral Health—his hydroxyapatite-based, microbiome-supporting system—plus practical insights on pH, decay drivers beyond bacteria, and simple habits that protect enamel. If you’re into functional, holistic, or biologic oral health, this one’s for you—like, subscribe, and share with a friend who wants to save their teeth

Nano Safety and Quality Control01:07:55 Resources and Final Takeawayshttp://drpaulomalley.com www.GreatOralHealth.com http://greatoralhealth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/paulomalleydds/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/greatoralhealth_inc/?hl=en

In this episode of Functional Roots, hygienists Amanda and Heather interview Dr. Shawn J. Green—nitric oxide scientist, inventor, and founder of MyFitStrip—about how oral health connects to whole-body wellness through nitric oxide biology and the oral microbiome.

Dr. Green shares his early Walter Reed research showing immune cells generate nitric oxide via iNOS to defend against intracellular pathogens like malaria, then explains why dental professionals should care: supporting nitrate-reducing “good” bacteria can boost local nitric oxide, suppress nitric-oxide–sensitive pathogens like Porphyromonas gingivalis, shift oral pH, and support systemic nitric oxide bioavailability.

They discuss prebiotic nitrate strategies (diet and slow-release lozenges/gums), ingredient choices like vitamin C, xylitol, and zinc, concerns about sterilizing antimicrobials and mouthwash, the role of potassium nitrate toothpaste, nitrate vs nitrite, and how MyFitStrip test strips measure salivary nitrate and nitrite as lifestyle feedback.00:00 Welcome to Functional Roots00:38 Meet Dr Shawn Green04:11 Early Nitric Oxide Research08:20 iNOS and Immune Defense11:44 Why Hygienists Should Care13:44 Prebiotic Nitrate and Oral Microbiome21:55 Bristle Scores and pH Shifts28:10 Responders and Microbiome Resilience33:22 Vitamin C Xylitol Zinc Synergy39:05 Potassium Nitrate Toothpaste Debate47:40 Ingredient Label Red Flags48:51 Zinc and Oral Benefits50:44 Nitrate vs Nitrite Explained55:24 Beets Aren’t the Best01:00:49 MyFit Strip Basics01:03:54 Reading the Two Columns01:11:02 Do Inflammation Strips Change01:12:59 Key Takeaways Recap01:16:47 Industry Pushback and Shift01:20:06 Dentistry as Preventive Cardiology01:21:33 Where to Find MyFit Strip01:23:23 Final Thanks and Wrap

Functional Roots hosts Amanda and Heather interview registered dental hygienist Courtney Justice, founder of Painted Sky Dental, a mobile nonprofit bringing high-quality oral healthcare to rural and underserved communities in southwestern Colorado.

Courtney shares her path from history major to hygienist, how public health experiences exposed oral health disparities, and how Colorado’s independent hygiene practice enables her to deliver care via her fully outfitted dental van.

She explains barriers patients face—limited fluoridated water, water scarcity, contamination concerns, transportation, low insurance access—and how she provides 90-minute adult visits with X-rays, screenings, perio care, SDF/ITR, and oral-systemic education using teledentistry collaboration.

Courtney discusses funding challenges, donated supplies, Medicaid-based pricing, free care for veterans and domestic violence program participants, advocacy work, and a new “Sponsor a Smile” donation campaign via @paintedskydental.00:00 Welcome to Functional Roots00:41 Meet Courtney Justice02:26 From History to Hygiene04:14 Seeing Care Disparities06:13 Recruited to Durango08:27 Colorado Hygiene Autonomy09:52 Hygienist vs Therapist11:07 Mobile Van Clinic Setup12:32 Funding and Sustainability15:41 Finding Communities to Serve17:53 Water Access and Oral Health20:40 Education and Outreach Tools21:54 Yeast Demo and Parenting22:24 Water Fluoridation Advocacy23:01 Inside the 90 Minute Visit26:21 Pricing and Equity Model28:46 Funding and Partnerships31:38 Policy Passion and Compacts34:24 Protecting Hygiene Scope40:35 Patient Impact Story42:31 Teledentistry With MouthWatch44:13 Sponsor a Smile Wrap Up

00:05 Intro00:44 Guest Introduction: Ann Marie DePalma03:15 Ann Marie's Career Journey04:14 AI in Dentistry: The Basics08:42 AI for Patient Education & X-rays14:57 AI & Periodontal Charting18:22 Complete Periodontal Evaluation38:03 Women's Health & Oral-Systemic Connection44:57 Medical-Dental Integration & The Future51:42 Where to Find Ann Marie52:09 AI Note-Taking & The Future of Documentation54:56 Outro

In this Functional Roots episode, hygienists Amanda and Heather talk with Dr. Gregory Hyde (MD/PhD, ENT surgeon and integrative physician) and Elena Mar (naturopath and biofield practitioner) about the mouth as a “circuit breaker box” for whole-body health and their method using coherent sound (tuning forks) and kinesiology to detect imbalances linked to teeth, organs, minerals, emotions, and chronic infections like cavitations.

They share Dr. Hyde’s story of losing vision from a brain abscess tied to oral bacteria and a healing experience involving a Native American cedar flute, plus Elena’s long research into why certain teeth decay while adjacent teeth stay healthy.

The conversation covers frequency, the biofield/aura, how sound can be used for assessment and therapy, why they focus on restoring harmony rather than “killing” microbes, and their Vita Institute courses and tooth avatar charts.

00:00 Intro & Guest Introductions00:40 Guest Background & The Tooth Mystery

03:43 Elena's Journey: Why Some Teeth Get Cavities

05:39 Dr. Hyde's Personal Health Crisis & Sound Healing Discovery

13:19 How Elena & Dr. Hyde Met: Love at First Tuning Fork

18:15 Reading the Body: Tuning Fork Diagnostics & Dentist Case Studies

24:25 The Science of Frequency, Water & Sound

58:57 Vita Institute, Courses & Closing Thoughts

01:22:25 Speaking Engagements & Wrap-Up

pH, Saliva, and Bone Health: Oral-Systemic Clues with Kristen Evans, RDH (The pH RDH)Functional Roots hosts Amanda and Heather welcome dental educator Kristin Evans (the “pH RDH”) to discuss how whole-body wellness starts in the mouth and why pH is foundational to oral disease prevention.

Kristen shares how her daughter’s cystic acne sparked her deep dive into pH, dysbiosis, and oral-systemic connections, emphasizing that controlling oral pH often starts with assessing salivary flow and identifying drivers like dry mouth, acidic OTC products, mouth breathing, inhaler use, trays/night guards, and silent GERD. She addresses misconceptions about baking soda, noting its low abrasivity (RDA 7), and highlights the value of in-office pH education/testing.

The conversation expands into osteoporosis and hormones as key factors in periodontal breakdown, advocating for earlier bone screening, resistance training, nutrition, vitamin D considerations, and dentistry’s growing role in systemic health screening.00:00 Welcome to Functional Roots00:41 Meet Kristen Evans02:13 Her pH Origin Story05:39 Oral Systemic Balance07:20 Beyond One Product09:57 Saliva and Dry Mouth13:24 Reflux and Hidden Acids16:27 Baking Soda Mythbusting20:33 pH Testing in Practice23:30 Inhalers Trays and Decay27:56 Ozone Hydroxyapatite Oxygen29:26 pH and Bone Loss Tease30:34 Bone Density Perio Link31:46 Systemic Drivers Behind Bone Loss33:09 Saliva Testing Future Dentistry34:04 Hormones Peak Bone Mass36:38 Inflammation Lifestyle Risk Factors39:21 Collaboration Screening Referrals44:28 Ages 15 to 30 Bone Plan50:14 CBCT Vitamin D Sleep Basics52:47 Where to Find Kristen53:23 Speaking Events Wrap Up54:40 Final Thanks Closing

Peptides in Dentistry: Healing, Perio Inflammation & What’s Coming Next (with Dr. Patrick Angel)Peptides are showing up everywhere—from post-surgery recovery to periodontal inflammation—and they may be the next big conversation in dentistry. In this episode of Functional Roots, hygienists Amanda and Heather sit down with Dr. Patrick Angel (aka “Pat the Dentist”) to break down what peptides are, how they influence cell behavior and inflammation, and why therapies like BPC-157 and GHK-Cu are gaining attention for healing and potential perio management. They also discuss concerns around GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, including appetite suppression, muscle loss, oral side effects, and important pre-op considerations like delayed gastric emptying. The conversation expands into salivary diagnostics, airway and root-cause care, nutrition, and what peptide-based tools (including rinses and post-op support) could look like in the next five years. Like, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to dig past the plaque and get to the root of whole-body wellness.00:00 Welcome to Functional Roots00:39 Why Peptides Matter00:58 Meet Dr Patrick Angel04:19 Peptides Explained Simply06:58 GLP-1 Risks in Dentistry08:08 Ozempic and Surgery Fasting09:48 Food vs Weight Loss Shortcuts12:36 Dental Peptides and RivaStar15:45 BPC-157 and GHK-Cu Potential18:28 Perio Healing and MMP-821:41 Safety Testing and Regulation25:41 Root Cause Health Journey29:01 Root Cause Dentistry29:54 TMD and Airway Clues32:32 Ortho Red Flags34:15 Peptides Next Wave38:50 BPC Healing Stories42:08 Nutrition and Toxins47:24 CGMs and Food Truth49:46 Processed Foods Exposed52:54 What Pat Reads54:38 Wrap Up and Where to Find

In this episode, the founders of The Mouth Lab explain how their work grew out of frustration with traditional hygiene’s “brush, floss, rinse” approach that often leaves patients getting progressively worse.

They describe patients arriving after trying everything, pushing them to dig for root causes and connect oral inflammation to broader health factors like gut integrity—down to asking about stool tests—because bleeding is an early sign of inflammation and bacteria entering the bloodstream.

They criticize a dentistry model that monitors decline, uses confusing jargon, and prioritizes revenue over outcomes, arguing gum disease’s prevalence shows it’s not just a surface problem.

They share why a safe, reproducible tool could be a game changer for hygienists and patients, and end with mentorship and burnout reflections after COVID.00:00 Why Mouth Lab Started00:54 Bleeding Gums Are A Warning01:33 Dentistry Profit Problem02:20 Gum Disease Runs Deep02:59 A Tool To Change Hygiene03:47 Breaking Out Of The Box04:27 Burnout And Mentorship

Beating Hygienist Burnout: Pain, Patients, and Practical ResetsThe script discusses burnout and physical strain among dental hygienists, including tight jaws, shoulder and neck pain, fatigue, and early-career injuries that lead some to consider leaving the profession. It contrasts draining, unappreciative patient interactions with meaningful moments, such as advocating for a terminal cancer patient to attend a concert and a patient crediting a hygienist’s blood pressure finding with saving his life.

The conversation highlights paying attention to small ergonomic details like glove fit, using belly breathing to calm the nervous system, and simple mobility habits like morning hip circles. It also addresses workload pressures from constantly adding tasks without time, and describes a more sustainable model focused on patient education, support from a dedicated assistant, and staying present to make a difference day by day.00:00 Burnout Warning Signs00:31 Early Career Pain00:43 Listening Before It Hurts00:47 Difficult Patients Drain01:29 Moments That Matter02:24 Small Ergonomic Fixes02:54 Belly Breathing Reset03:47 Morning Mobility Habits04:06 Factory Feeling Burnout04:33 Redesigning The Role05:04 First Line Of Defense05:18 Be Present Now05:36 Build Life Where You Are

Sleep Apnea, UARS & Tongue Ties: Airway Red Flags Dentists Shouldn’t Miss (with Dr. Kristen Geist)Whole-body wellness starts in the mouth—and this episode goes straight to the root. Amanda and Heather sit down with Dr. Kristen Geist, a general dentist who shifted her focus to airway, sleep apnea, and adult laser tongue-tie release after her own diagnosis of Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS). They break down sleep apnea vs. UARS, why traditional screening often misses women, and the red flags hygienists and dentists can spot daily—like dry mouth, clenching/grinding, reflux, headaches, anxiety, and nighttime bathroom trips. Dr. Geist shares practical referral “cheat codes,” explains treatment options from CPAP and oral appliances to expansion and soft palate laser therapy, and highlights why early screening matters. If you’re ready to connect oral health to real-life energy and healing, hit like, subscribe, and share this episode!00:00 Welcome to Functional Roots00:42 Meet Dr Kristen Geist02:43 Her Sleep Struggle04:11 Accidental Sleep Test06:47 Apnea vs UARS08:23 Hidden Symptoms in Women11:07 Reading Sleep Study Scores15:00 Finding Airway Referrals17:48 Self Referral Sleep Testing19:08 Beyond CPAP Options21:44 Airway Screening Workflow25:25 Red Flags in Oral Exams30:51 Mouth Space and Mallampati32:42 Adult Treatment Paths35:19 Expansion Options Overview36:34 Simple Sleep Fixes37:26 Nasal Hygiene Routine39:58 Nasal Inhaler Hacks41:45 Mandibular Expansion Limits44:32 Braces vs Invisalign Debate46:30 Tongue Posture Retention49:08 Adult Tongue Ties Explained52:56 Laser Treatments and Fascia59:19 Where to Find Kristen01:00:57 Retreat and Final Wrap