The DOC Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Priya Mistry, a general dentist turned TMJ and TMD specialist who practices in Vancouver, Washington. After 11 years in general dentistry, Priya bought her mentor's TMJ practice in 2021 and has been on a mission ever since to educate both patients and colleagues about the connections between jaw health, airway, facial development, and overall wellness. We dive deep into how modern lifestyle changes,  from formula feeding to soft diets to low tongue posture, are reshaping our jaws and contributing to an epidemic of TMJ disorders and sleep-disordered breathing. 

Priya explains her neuromuscular treatment approach, the pushback she faces from the dental community, and why she believes TMD is just the tip of the iceberg. We also get into the dogma and ego problems plaguing our profession, what "evidence-based" really means, and why early growth guidance in kids could prevent so much suffering down the road. This is a conversation about challenging orthodoxy, staying humble, and always keeping the patient first.

Chapters:

• 0:00 — Welcome & Dr. Mistry's Background
• 1:33 — Building a TMJ Practice on Social Media
• 3:59 — Dogma, Ego & the Challenges of Speaking Differently
• 17:46 — The Evolution of Malocclusion: From Cavemen to Modern Jaws
• 18:41 — Tongue Position, Nursing & Facial Development
• 23:07 — TMD Is the Tip of the Iceberg: The OSA Connection
• 26:09 — Neuromuscular Dentistry vs. Orofacial Pain
• 30:21 — What "Evidence-Based" Really Means
• 35:39 — Diagnosing & Treating TMJ Patients
• 38:27 — Sleep Studies: Lab vs. Home Testing
• 43:30 — Treatment Approach: Orthotics, Hands-On Therapy & Results
• 50:05 — Early Intervention for Kids: Don't Wait for Straight Teeth
• 55:06 — Closing & Where to Find Dr. Mistry

Links:

• Dr. Priya Mistry's website: tmjdentaldoc.com
• Instagram/TikTok/YouTube: @the_tmj_doc
• Dr. Mistry's TMD diagnosis & treatment course (beginner-friendly): https://tmjdentaldoc.com/tmj-course/ 
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach
• Email: [email protected]

• (00:00) - Welcome & Dr. Mistry's Background

This is the fifth and final episode in my financial series with the Vento family on creating generational wealth. I'm joined by John Vento Jr., president and managing partner of Vento Tax and Wealth Management Group, who leads the firm's accounting and tax advisory division.

In this episode, we dig into the practical side of tax planning, including what it means to work with a true tax advisor versus a tax preparer, the critical difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance, and how to think about entity selection for your practice. John walks through the tax advantages available to practice owners, independent contractors, and W2 employees, and we spend a good amount of time on two of my favorite strategies: employing your spouse and employing your children. 

John also gives a thorough overview of retirement plan options (from SEP IRAs to solo 401ks to defined benefit plans) and how profit sharing can be used to attract and retain top talent. We close out with the most common tax mistakes practice owners make, including why waiting until April 15th is already too late.

As always, this episode is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or investment advice. Please consult your own professionals before implementing any strategy.

Timestamps

• 1:00 — Welcome & Introduction
• 4:00 — Tax Advisor vs. Tax Preparer
• 9:36 — Tax Evasion vs. Tax Avoidance
• 16:30 — Tax-Smart Strategies Explained
• 18:47 — Entity Selection Overview
• 27:59 — Independent Contractor vs. Employee
• 35:47 — Tax Advantages: Owner vs. IC vs. W2
• 42:08 — Employing Your Spouse
• 49:22 — Employing Your Children
• 1:02:01 — Retirement Plans Overview
• 1:09:52 — Profit Sharing & Team Incentives
• 1:22:32 — Common Tax Mistakes to Avoid
• 1:34:13 — Closing & Wrap-Up
• 1:36:48 — Disclaimer

LINKS

• First Episode w/Vento Family: https://youtu.be/9sEzEto2mAM?si=P-0Nj007DWcvXUCz
• Second Episode w/John Vento Sr: https://youtu.be/UEXxh7DKJdQ?si=YOtpFvJcUk0xEm3y
• Third Episode w/Christine Vento: https://youtu.be/6DLfd8xBjHs?si=Vbmg9Ug5ZNrCJxEm
• Fourth Episode w/Nicole Vento: https://youtu.be/zllqo8EtGOk?si=wUowpmZc2p6p0bRr
• The Generational Wealth Code: https://a.co/d/0iHwEITG
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/

Connect w/Dr. Mike:

• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach

Connect w/John Jr.:

• Web: Ventotaxandwealth.com  
• Email: [email protected]
• Office: 718-980-9000

Episode Summary
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. German Ramirez for an in-depth conversation about early orthodontic treatment, craniofacial growth and development, bone biology, and the critical role of nasal breathing in facial development. Dr. Ramirez shares his remarkable training journey from Colombia to Australia to Tufts University, his pioneering research on the mandibular condylar cartilage, and his passionate case for treating children early rather than waiting until age seven. We dig into the six dimensions of diagnosis, the connection between bruxism and airway, why AHI is a flawed metric for pediatric sleep-disordered breathing, and how collaborating with ENTs and sleep physicians can transform patient outcomes. This is a must-listen for any orthodontist or dentist who wants to understand the biology behind proactive, functional orthodontic care.

Timestamps
0:00 — Introduction & Guest Background
Introducing Dr. Ramirez and his credentials.
2:07 — Dr. Ramirez's Training Journey
From Colombia to Brazil to early ortho training.
6:25 — Mandibular Condylar Cartilage & Bone Biology
Growth potential persists into the 90s.
8:41 — Why Early Treatment Matters
Mandible grows more in first five years.
10:55 — Sleep, Breathing & the Orthodontist's Role
We normalize anatomy, not treat airway.
15:06 — Responding to "No Need to Treat Before 7"
Six-dimension diagnosis vs. isolated single-problem studies.
21:05 — Functional Evaluation: Mouth Breathing & Nasal Breathing
Identifying mouth breathers and cellular hypoxia effects.
26:47 — The Tongue as Palatal Expander
Nasal breathing first, then tongue positioning.
29:57 — Collaborating with Medical Colleagues
CBCT, ENTs, and a cleft palate story.
37:27 — Tonsils, Adenoids & Post-Surgery Relapse
Why habits persist and relapse rates soar.
41:38 — AHI Limitations & Study Design Problems
AHI is a flawed pediatric sleep metric.
47:47 — Bruxism & Airway Connection
Tongue protrusion causes grinding — here's how.
51:47 — Resistance to Change in Orthodontics
Technology-driven vs. biologically-driven education disconnect.
56:17 — Genetics vs. Environment in Craniofacial Growth
Epigenetics and the genetic window concept.
64:56 — Muscle, Bone & Diet
Muscle stimulation drives bone growth over time.
72:02 — Communicating with Child Patients
"Nose for breathing, mouth for eating."
81:28 — Closing & Contact Info
Books, courses, and upcoming lectures worldwide.

LINKS:

Airway videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h0JgmmLj_Q&ab_channel=TMJ%26SleepTherapyCentre 

Dr. Ramirez’ website: https://www.kidsmalocclusions.com/ 

Pediatric Airway-focused Myofunctional Orthodontics: https://a.co/d/b1wQhD9 

Dr. DeLuke’s Early Treatment Course: https://theorthocoach.com/courses/phase-i-arch-development/?portfolioCats=99 

• (00:00) - Introduction & Guest Background

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Julia Sadove-Lopez - a dentist, parent advocate, and founder of Oris Wellness - to explore a side of pediatric airway health we haven't covered enough on this show: what it's actually like for the parents trying to navigate it.

We dig into Julia's personal journey from dental school through corporate dentistry, into holistic practice in Chicago alongside Dr. Kevin Boyd, and ultimately to a career pivot that took her to Portugal and led her to found Oris Wellness. She opens up about the mental health toll of clinical practice, the moment she realized she needed a change, and how she turned her passion for patient education into a coaching and advocacy business.

We also tackle some of the most frustrating problems in our field, including why parents are hearing completely conflicting recommendations from provider to provider, why our diagnostics are all over the map, and why the interdisciplinary nature of airway care makes things even harder for families. Julia shares what she hears from parents every day, how she helps them cut through the noise without ever telling them what to do, and what clinicians can do better to move families from fear and confusion toward clarity and action.

Chapters:

• 0:00 — Introduction & Episode Overview
• 3:21 — Welcome, Dr. Julia
• 4:16 — Julia's Career Journey: From Dental School to Holistic Practice
• 15:18 — Life After Clinical Practice: The Pivot
• 19:08 — Why Dental School Falls Short
• 23:07 — Sponsor Break: The Generational Wealth Code
• 27:37 — From Clinician to Coach: Understanding Parent Motivation
• 36:12 — What Parents Are Frustrated About
• 37:47 — Conflicting Treatment Options & The Diagnostic Problem
• 58:24 — Social Media's Impact on Parents and Providers
• 1:02:25 — Navigating Interdisciplinary Care
• 1:09:01 — The Coaching Model: Education, Not Diagnosis
• 1:14:47 — Advice for Parents & Providers
• 1:25:11 — Where to Find Dr. Julia

Key Topics:

• Julia's path: from traditional dental education to holistic practice to career reinvention
• Why dental school isn't preparing graduates for modern practice (and the new CODA airway/sleep requirement coming in 2028)
• The parent experience: conflicting diagnoses, competing treatment philosophies, and the emotional weight of decision-making
• Why diagnostics, not treatment methods, are the real failure in our profession
• Social media's dual role: empowering parents while fueling confusion and anxiety
• The interdisciplinary challenge: navigating ENTs, allergists, myofunctional therapists, and dentists who don't always agree
• How Julia's coaching model works: education, advocacy, and helping families ask the right questions
• Advice for clinicians: stop disparaging colleagues, start listening to parents, and invest in comprehensive diagnostics
• Advice for parents: don't navigate this alone; find community, trust your voice, and expect to be heard

LINKS:

• Oris Wellness: https://www.oriswellness.com/
• Get Expanded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQ91rq2OKA
• Tooth Seekers: https://www.oriswellness.com/toothseekers
• The Generational Wealth Code: https://a.co/d/0iHwEITG
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach
• Email: [email protected]

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Melissa Methven - a former flight attendant turned dental hygienist, widow, author, and breathwork facilitator - to discuss the hidden mental health crisis in dentistry. Melissa shares the story of her husband Scott, a beloved dentist in Wasilla, Alaska, who died by suicide in March 2022 after years of suppressing the pressures of the profession: student debt, perfectionism, emotional labor with patients, chronic pain, and escalating substance use.

Melissa opens up about her own suppression and the physical toll it took on her body, the signs she wishes she'd seen sooner, and how she found healing through community, faith, and breathwork. She also reads from her book The Truth Behind the Smiles and offers actionable solutions for dental schools, including mental health education, peer communities, and a dental-specific crisis hotline. This is a raw, important conversation about breaking the silence around depression and suicide in the dental profession, and the hope that comes from living your truth.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 — Introduction & Content Warning
• 2:41 — Welcoming Melissa & Scott's Story
• 3:50 — The Pressures of Dentistry & Early Signs
• 9:33 — Hiding Behind the Smile & Physical Symptoms
• 13:28 — The Common Dental Struggle
• 16:19 — Why We Suppress — Roots & The Perfect Illusion
• 19:51 — Scott's Fear & Writing the Book
• 25:30 — Feeling Stuck, Faith & Moving Forward
• 34:50 — Faith vs. Religion & Signs from Beyond
• 42:41 — Dental Statistics & Solutions for the Profession
• 47:15 — Tools for Healing & Helping the Kids
• 57:59 — Being of Service, Fulfillment & Closing
• 73:06 — Outro

LINKS

• To Purchase Melissa’s Book: https://a.co/d/8nYzyTO 
• Melissa on FB: https://www.facebook.com/tremblaymel/ 
• Melissa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/melissamethven/
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach

• (00:00) - Introduction & Content Warning

I'm excited to welcome Nicole Vento back to The DOC Podcast for the fourth installment of our five-part series with the Vento family on creating generational wealth. Nicole is a financial advisor, CPA, and CFP who leads the investment committee at her family's firm, and she brings a rare dual perspective with her CPA background combined with institutional trading experience at Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Private Bank. 

In this episode, we dig deep into the investment and tax-efficiency side of wealth planning, breaking down retirement accounts, ETFs vs. mutual funds, estate planning, 529 plans, the student loan crisis, Trump accounts, charitable giving strategies, and the discipline and mindset it takes to achieve financial freedom. Whether you're just starting out or you've been building wealth for decades, Nicole delivers practical insights you can apply to your own financial journey. Be sure to pick up a copy of the Vento family's book, *The Generational Wealth Code*, linked in the show notes below.

**Chapters & Timestamps:**
- 0:30 — Episode Intro
- 3:06 — Welcome Back, Nicole
- 11:09 — Why You Need a Fiduciary
- 16:50 — Understanding Retirement Accounts
- 47:02 — ETFs vs. Mutual Funds: Tax Treatment
- 54:46 — Estate Planning & Step-Up in Basis
- 1:03:35 — Education Planning & 529 Plans
- 1:10:05 — The Student Loan Crisis
- 1:22:44 — Trump Accounts: A New Savings Vehicle
- 1:27:36 — Charitable Giving Strategies
- 1:33:11 — Discipline, Delayed Gratification & the Margin Mentality
- 1:37:39 — Closing & Contact Info
- 1:38:54 — Disclosure

**Links & Resources:**

• The Generational Wealth Code: https://a.co/d/0iHwEITG
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/

Connect w/Dr. Mike:

• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach

Connect w/Nicole:

• Web: Ventotaxandwealth.com  
• Email: [email protected]
• Office: 718-980-9000

Dr. Bret Christensen is an Army veteran, orthodontist, and one of only five orthodontists in the country board-certified in sleep medicine through the American Sleep & Breathing Academy. He owns and operates Christensen Orthodontics with locations in Lewiston, Grangeville, and Moscow, Idaho. In this emotional and wide-ranging episode, Bret opens up about losing his son, surviving a widow-maker heart attack at 45, undergoing open-heart surgery and getting a pacemaker, all while transforming his practice from traditional extraction-based orthodontics to a data-driven, airway-focused approach. 

He shares thousands of patient records showing that skeletal expansion dramatically improves nasal airway volume, his discovery that toddlers as young as two-and-a-half can be treated, and why he believes the AAO is standing in the way of progress. Plus, a surprise visit from his granddaughter Everly - the child who changed everything.

⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters

0:00 — Cold Open
0:13 — Introduction & Guest Bio
2:53 — Farm Kid Roots & Education
7:16 — Military Career & Orthodontics
11:32 — Building a Practice from Scratch
13:48 — The Shift from Extraction to Expansion
17:05 — Discovering Sleep Apnea Through His Father
21:02 — Surviving a Widow-Maker Heart Attack
25:55 — Training in Sleep Apnea & The Rhinometer
31:35 — Meeting Kevin Boyd & Airway Health Solutions
33:38 — Adult Expansion: Schwartz to MARPE
43:12 — Patient Transformations
56:34 — Host's Reflection on the Journey
68:46 — The AAO Pushback & Speaking Out
78:52 — Everly's Story: Treating Toddlers
89:58 — Orthodontists Need to Become Doctors
1:43:59 — Surprise Visit from Everly
1:49:34 — Closing & What's Next

KEY TOPICS: Early orthodontic intervention • MARPE for adults • Rhinometry data on thousands of patients • Nasal volume changes (3-8 cubic centimeters) • Treating children as young as 2-3 years old • The connection between sleep apnea and heart disease • Overcoming professional opposition • The future of orthodontics

CONNECT:

• Dr. Brett Christiansen - Christiansen Orthodontics (Lewiston, Grangeville, Moscow, ID): https://christensenbraces.com/
• Dr. Mike DeLuke - TheOrthoCoach.com | [email protected]
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC website: https://theorthocoach.com/ 

• (00:00) - Cold Open

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Erick Galindo, a pediatrician from Guadalajara, Mexico, whose approach to caring for children has evolved dramatically over his 20+ years in practice. After beginning as a traditional pediatrician focused on sick visits, vaccines, and growth charts, Dr. Galindo's discovery of the importance of tongue ties and oral function launched him down a rabbit hole that fundamentally changed how he sees his patients. Today, he works closely with dentists, orthodontists, myofunctional therapists, chiropractors, and other specialists to understand the whole child from their very first breath.

The conversation covers why standard pediatric screening protocols omit airway and breathing assessments, how the current medical system prevents physicians from spending meaningful diagnostic time with patients, and what a truly comprehensive pediatric consultation looks like - from pregnancy and birth history through craniofacial evaluation, posture analysis, and nervous system regulation.

Dr. Galindo shares powerful patient stories, including a one-month-old with fascial tension and a 12-year-old with chronic bedwetting linked to craniofacial dysfunction, illustrating how early detection and interdisciplinary care can change a child's entire health trajectory. The discussion closes with a deeply personal reflection on what it will take to transform pediatric medicine, not just systemically, but by reconnecting with our shared humanity.

**Timestamps**
0:00 — **Cold Open**
Dr. Galindo highlights how young children are losing interdental space and why snoring is a late-stage sign of airway dysfunction.
0:38 — **Introduction**
Dr. Mike introduces the episode and Dr. Galindo's background, from traditional pediatrics to a holistic, interdisciplinary approach focused on breathing, sleep, and craniofacial development.
3:22 — **Connecting Through Social Media**
How an Instagram connection over a white paper review brought the two doctors together, and the power of social media to educate and empower patients.
5:16 — **From Traditional to Transformational**
Dr. Galindo shares his career journey from conventional pediatric training in Mexico City to a transformative discovery of the importance of tongue ties, oral function, and breathing.
9:43 — **Seeing Patients Differently**
The fear and excitement of learning new things mid-career, how early intervention with infants can prevent cascading dysfunction, and the emotional impact on families when their child's trajectory is changed.
17:42 — **The Pediatric Screening Gap**
Dr. Mike walks through the AAP's recommended well-child screening list and highlights what's glaringly missing.
29:47 — **Breaking Free from the System**
How private practice and opting out of insurance allows Dr. Galindo to spend 45–60 minutes per visit, and why conventional medicine's "prescribe and see what happens" model is losing ground.
40:20 — **Inside the Consultation Room**
A detailed walkthrough of what a first visit looks like.
43:31 — **The Power of Bodywork**
Why Dr. Galindo considers bodyworkers (chiropractors, craniosacral therapists, OTs, PTs) essential collaborators, and how fascial tension, torticollis, and container baby syndrome impact feeding, breathing, and nervous system regulation.
56:50 — **Screen Time & Modern Parenting**
The compounding effects of screen addiction, poor feeding practices, pacifier overuse, and lack of movement on children's neurodevelopment and sleep, and why being healthy has become a privilege.
1:04:24 — **Colleague Pushback & Professional Isolation**
Dr. Galindo's candid account of feeling isolated from his pediatric peers, facing skepticism and ego-driven resistance, and finding kinship instead with dental specialists and bodyworkers.
1:08:10 — **Changing Trajectories: Outcomes & Early Detection**
How treating root causes rather than symptoms leads to children tapering off ADHD medications, and why early detection matters more than chasing outcomes for already-complex cases.
1:16:37 — **Reconnecting with Our Humanity**
Dr. Galindo's deeply personal answer to how we change the system: by reconnecting with what makes us human, trusting our instincts, and finding the inspiration to keep learning and growing.
1:23:17 — **Closing & Contact Info**
Final thoughts and how to connect with Dr. Galindo on Instagram.
1:26:26 — **Outro**
Closing remarks and information on The Doc Podcast resources, CE courses, and community.

LINKS:

• Contact Erik Galiendo on IG:  @drerick.pediatra
• Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ 
• The Generational Wealth Code: https://www.vtwmg.com/our-books
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach

Episode Description:
Join me for an in-depth conversation with sleep medicine specialist and quadruple Board Certified Physician (Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine), Dr. Sima Tahir, as we discuss the critical role that sleep plays in overall health. Dr. Tahir shares her journey from working on the COVID-19 frontlines to opening her own boutique sleep practice in Manhattan, and why she believes sleep should be at the forefront of medical care.

Key Topics Covered:
Why Sleep Medicine Matters

• The lack of sleep education in medical schools and residencies
• Why sleep disorders are missed by traditional healthcare systems
• How sleep affects every aspect of health, from mood to chronic disease

Recognizing Sleep Disorders

• Warning signs in children AND adults (headaches, jaw pain, teeth grinding, brain fog, irritability)
• Why children should NEVER snore
• The connection between sleep disorders and ADHD/behavioral issues
• How sleep problems manifest differently in kids vs. adults

The Diagnostic Challenge

• Limitations of polysomnography (sleep studies)
• Why a normal AHI doesn't rule out sleep disorders
• Understanding upper airway resistance syndrome
• The importance of reviewing raw sleep study data

The Multidisciplinary Approach

• Why "sleep takes a team" - collaboration between physicians, dentists, orthodontists, and specialists
• How dental providers can detect sleep and breathing issues
• The role of orthodontics in addressing airway problems
• Breaking down silos between medical and dental 

Sleep Quality vs. Quantity

• Why 7-9 hours isn't enough if quality is poor
• Understanding sleep architecture and circadian rhythms
• How weekend sleep schedule changes affect your entire week
• The one-hour-per-day recovery rule

Practical Sleep Hygiene

• The importance of consistent sleep/wake times
• How hormones (especially in perimenopause) affect sleep
• Why waking up multiple times per night is NOT normal
• Red flags that indicate you need a sleep evaluation

Perfect For:

• Healthcare providers (medical and dental)
• Parents concerned about their children's sleep
• Anyone experiencing chronic fatigue, brain fog, or sleep issues
• Professionals interested in the intersection of sleep and overall health

Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Intro and highlight reel
• 3:35 – Welcome, Dr. Tahir's background and path to sleep medicine
• 5:08 – Life on the COVID front lines and how it changed her priorities
• 8:12 – Why she left the hospital system to open her own sleep practice
• 9:12 – Why sleep is multifactorial and requires a team-based approach
• 14:20 – The gap in sleep education in medical school and residency
• 19:09 – Do pediatricians get trained to spot sleep-disordered breathing?
• 23:03 – Warning signs of sleep disorders in kids and adults (head-to-toe rundown)
• 28:36 – The dentist's role in catching what pediatricians miss
• 32:11 – Talking to skeptical dental colleagues about sleep and airway
• 35:00 – Why sleep studies (polysomnography) can miss real problems, especially in kids
• 38:07 – What to do when the sleep study says "normal" but symptoms persist
• 45:59 – Hormones, aging, and why primary care doesn't ask about sleep
• 52:35 – Why doctors reach for another prescription instead of asking about sleep
• 55:23 – What "good sleep" actually means (quality vs. hours)
• 57:33 – How sensitive your circadian rhythm really is
• 62:13 – Nighttime awakenings: what's normal and what's not
• 64:43 – Why snoring is never normal — in kids or adults
• 67:34 – The future of at-home sleep diagnostics and wearables for kids
• 69:31 – How to reach Dr. Tahir
• 71:22 – Closing thoughts

LINKS

• Connect w/Dr. Tahir: https://drsaematahirmd.com/
• Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ (ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!)
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach
• Email: [email protected]

• (00:00) - Intro and highlight reel

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Louise Oliver, an NHS general practitioner, functional breathing practitioner, and founder of Breath Doc Programs, who discovered the profound impact of dysfunctional breathing after her own struggles with perimenopausal snoring. We dig into why physicians are rarely taught about airway and breathing dysfunction, the biochemistry of over-breathing and "air hunger," and how retraining your CO2 tolerance can be life-changing.

We also explore how daytime breathing habits shape nighttime breathing, why puberty, pregnancy, and menopause reshape airway function, the troubling gaps in sleep apnea research for women, and a nuanced take on mouth taping. It's a wide-ranging conversation that challenges assumptions about one of the most basic things we do every moment of our lives: breathe.

TIMESTAMPS
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 3:47 – Meet Dr. Louise Oliver
- 3:49 – Dr. Oliver's journey to functional breathing
- 9:59 – What actually counts as evidence-based medicine
- 14:04 – Why traditional medicine overlooks breathing dysfunction
- 19:28 – The mechanics of over-breathing and air hunger
- 25:23 – How to retrain your breathing
- 33:28 – How over-breathing affects the whole body
- 38:42 – Breathing and the autonomic nervous system
- 46:16 – Why daytime breathing habits shape nighttime breathing
- 52:51 – Women's health, hormones, and breathing
- 53:38 – Breathing through puberty, pregnancy, and menopause
- 1:14:50 – The gap in women's sleep medicine research
- 1:20:10 – The truth about mouth tape
- 1:25:46 – Closing thoughts and where to find Dr. Oliver

LINKS

• IG: @drolivertlc
• Website: https://www.drlouiseolivertherapeuticlifecoaching.com/
• Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ 
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
• Website: theorthocoach.com
• YouTube: @theorthocoach
• Instagram: @theorthocoach
• Email: [email protected]

• (00:00) - Introduction