Hi there!

As of yesterday, a crisp, cool air took over. It officially feels like Fall here! 🍂

This month, I put together a resource for a friend of mine who is a physical therapist. As I was prepping some explanations and fun facts for her to share with her clients, I realized there were a few fascinating takeaways worth sharing with you, too!

As a dentist who focuses on airway health, I often remind parents that the way our jaws grow doesn’t just affect our teeth—it shapes how we breathe, how we sleep, and ultimately, how our whole body functions.

Breathing patterns and pelvic floor health.

One key area I look at is Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB). This is an umbrella term for any condition that reduces oxygen flow during sleep. It may be something as “simple” as snoring, or as serious as sleep apnea, where breathing actually pauses through the night.

Since oxygen is absolutely vital to every system in the body, even small disruptions in nighttime breathing can set off a cascade of downstream effects. Let's look at some of those connections...

Here are a few ways it all ties together:

If breathing is affected during sleep:

• When oxygen levels dip during sleep (for example, with sleep-disordered breathing), the body’s release of certain hormones that regulate the kidneys is disrupted.
• The body’s stress response—higher heart rate and blood pressure—can also stimulate urine production, making nighttime bathroom trips more frequent.

👉 In children, this can show up as bedwetting.​
👉 In adults, it can look like frequent nighttime urination.

This isn't ONLY a nighttime issue:

• Shallow or mouth breathing limits how much the diaphragm moves. Since the diaphragm and pelvic floor are meant to work together, this lack of coordinated movement leads to chronic tightness in the pelvic floor.
• Over time, this tightness can actually cause weakness and pelvic floor dysfunction, sometimes showing up as pain, constipation, or other symptoms.

The big picture? No part of the body works in isolation. A physical therapist and a dentist may seem like an unexpected duo, but working collaboratively, they can support healthier breathing patterns, stronger muscles, and better long-term outcomes for patients.

From the Tongue & Teeth... to the Toes: 5 Surprising Facts

When it comes to posture, balance, and even athletic performance, your mouth may play a bigger role than you think.

Tongue posture supports your neck curve​
Studies show that correct tongue posture helps maintain a healthy cervical (neck) curve. If your tongue rests in the wrong position, it can flatten (or even reverse) the curve and contribute to chronic neck pain. Your tongue acts like an internal posture coach—where it rests shapes how your head balances on your neck and influences alignment throughout your body. (Scoppa & Pirino)*

Tongue position affects stress and recovery​
Compared with resting low in the mouth, lifting the tongue to the roof of the mouth (aka your palate) significantly changes heart rate variability (HRV) - a measure of how well your body adapts to stress. Many people use wearable technology to track their HRV to keep track of stress, sleep, and recovery. Every time you place your tongue correctly, you may be supporting not just your jaw, but your whole nervous system. (Schmidt et al.)*

The tongue can unlock hidden strength​
In a pilot study, athletes performed 30% better in strength tests when they pressed their tongue to the roof of the mouth versus keeping the tongue in a low position. Tongue posture isn’t just about breathing and posture—it can literally boost muscle performance. (Bordoni et al.; di Vico et al.)*

Chewing habits have full-body effects​
People who habitually chew on one side show a tilt in the pelvis, functional leg-length differences, and shifted foot loading. If you or your child always chew on one side, it can affect balance, gait, and posture from jaw to hips to feet. (Giacomello et al.)*

Your bite influences balance and stability​
Poor dental occlusion (how the teeth fit together) reduces the jaw’s proprioception—its “position sense.” This impairs whole-body postural control and increases fall risk. From children learning new motor skills to adults trying to stay active, the way your teeth fit together matters for balance and stability. (Moon & Lee)*

Which one of these surprised you the most? Hit reply and let me know!

*Full reference information available by request*

Did you miss this?

Over on Instagram, I've been showing up for 30 days straight for an "Airway Health Challenge." I've been using my REMplenish MyoNozzle to work on tongue function. It's a straw that requires good tongue posture for you to use it successfully. The timing was never better after reading all those facts about the importance of good tongue posture! I invited others to join me in any way that felt in alignment - from taking daily supplements, to running air filters at home, to doing some myofunctional therapy exercises. And the stories I'm hearing are enough to confirm that within 30 days of starting a new habit, we can appreciate better sleep or breathing. Did you participate? I'd love to hear how it's going for you!

📌 Oris Wellness Resources for You

Just a few reminders about some tools I’ve created to help parents move from confusion to clarity:

1. ​Airway Alert – A quick visual screening tool that helps you spot early red flags just by looking at your child’s teeth.
2. ​Smile Support Stairsteps – A guide to understanding treatment options, from toothpillows to expanders, and more.
3. ​1:1 Concierge Calls – If you want to cut through the overwhelm and get a clear, customized path forward, I’m here to help. We’ll tap into your child’s unique story and create a plan that feels right for your family.

Thanks for being here!

All the best,

Dr. Julia