Recommended Resource- ANXIETY

Did your blood pressure go up a little from just seeing that word in all caps?

When I talk about my purpose as a parent advocate, at a top level we're looking at dental development. However, you'll commonly hear those of us in this niche say that it's not about the teeth. Optimizing better facial growth is truly one of the best ways to set a growing child up for a lifetime of better oral and overall health. Perhaps one of the most basic yet essential ways that this becomes evident is that with better jaw growth, we can facilitate better breathing.

Breathing is becoming a trend these days with things like mouth tape and mewing hitting TikTok celebrity status. The way we breathe is going to largely influence how relaxed or stressed our body feels. The roof of the mouth is the floor of the nose. The maxilla, the upper jaw bone, is the foundation upon which the nose is built. While a dentist may be the first to see narrow jaws, if the nose is also limited from its true growth potential, it's going to create more resistance for better breathing.

When the nasal passages are blocked or not well-formed, it forces people to breathe through their mouths. This can cause shallow, rapid breathing, which throws off the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. This imbalance can make you have a fast heartbeat and feel anxious. It also will lead to snoring and interrupted sleep patterns, which further this cycle of stress.

My role in guiding parents is to support better nasal breathing habits and promote better jaw growth for their children. While I've seen amazing transformations in the emotional health of a child following dental interventions, I also know that other tools are likely to be needed to support these health journeys. If anxiety is a part of the equation, I'm excited to be able to direct parents to Dr. Mary Wilde. Dr. Mary is a pediatrician who I've connected with recently and she's got some amazing resources. I'm all for finding well-aligned treatment paths, and encourage you to see if this type of support resonates with you.

New Experiment: YouTube Interviews

I'm constantly in awe of my network these days. Since becoming a virtual provider, I've energetically welcomed connections with a lot of people who I might not have spent the time getting to know quite as well when I was so preoccupied with my in-person dental clinic. I want to be able to start sharing some of the value and expertise of these other providers with those of you in my community.

So I'm trying something new: interviews for YouTube. Here is my first one. I hope you find insight and pearls of wisdom from listening.

Watch "Holistic Orthodontics" with Dr. Catherine Murphy, a mother with an enormous heart as well as an esteemed orthodontist, author, and public speaker who shares much of my trusted network back in Chicago.

Dr. Murphy is one of my strongest allies, in that she also supports parents and patients in the airway-focused and holistic oral health space. What other topics would you like to hear more about? I'd love to open up more of my network to you.

Did you miss this?

Did you catch my Instagram post about malocclusion and sports injuries? When your child's teeth are malpositioned, or your child tends to have an open mouth posture, the teeth may be more at risk for injury. Head to my reel to find out the top four sports associated with a higher risk for injury to the face and teeth. (My guess would have been Ice Hockey, but that was 6th on the list...)

Summertime is in full swing over here in Europe. Last week I tried surfing for the first time. The ocean temperature in Portugal is COLD, so I was very apprehensive about whether or not I'd be able to still enjoy the experience. As it turns out, wet suits are incredible! Our little group had an amazing lesson and we all got to ride out a few gentle waves. I hope you are filling your summer with lots of adventures of your own. Thank you very much for tuning in to this newsletter.

Wishing you all the best to you and your family until next time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Julia