Red Flag Warning: Start with these 6 Questions

My mission is to educate parents and professionals on the importance of better facial growth, which influences better breathing, sleep, and overall health. If you're a parent wondering if this is relevant to you, the FAirEST6 Checklist is a tool you need to know about. I’ve created a YouTube video to guide you through this assessment. Give it a try at home!

🚩If you are answering "Yes" to several of these red flag items, then further evaluation is advised.

Vitamin K2 - Healthy Teeth... Healthy Nose?

In my holistic dental practice, we assembled a list of suggestions for parents to promote deeper conversations about what a family should or should not be eating at home. This was an attempt to go above and beyond dentistry's common guidelines: brush and floss more, and consume sugar less. There had to be more to the story, right? We began to have more conversations with parents about the types of foods that increased the risk for cavities that may be less expected (I'm looking at you, Goldfish Crackers- so sad, parmesan was my FAV). We also wanted to share any vitamins or supplements known to protect the developing teeth. Largely influenced by Dr. Weston Price's research, and subsequently Dr. Steven Lin's Book (The Dental Diet), we included vitamin D with K2 on our list.

Recently, I learned about the impact of Vitamin K2 deficiency on nasal growth, potentially leading to a deviated septum. Have you ever heard of somebody having a deviated nasal septum? (A deviated septum is a condition in which the nasal septum, the bone and cartilage that divide the nasal cavity of the nose in half is significantly off center, or crooked, making breathing difficult).

For some, this is a condition a child is born with. For others, this develops later on due to sports trauma or other factors. The cartilage tissue inside the nose should remain flexible until around age 16-17 when it instead becomes a more rigid bone. Septum defects can be due to early calcification of this nasal cartilage, possibly triggered by low vitamin K. There are few studies on this in humans and one on mice, but that doesn't seem to be preventing some dentists who are focused on promoting better bone growth from recommending this supplement.

As for my opinion? I already thought it sounded like a great addition for best protecting the teeth from cavities, so I'm 100% open to this becoming an addition for any child who is going through early orthodontic treatment. I recommend MK7, but here is Dr. Lin's blog to help you if you're looking for more information on adding this to your protocols at home.

Who's asking you about sleep health?

Do your doctors inquire about improving sleep in your household? Check out my Instagram Reel to learn about the lack of sleep education in medical schools, especially concerning children.

Strong + Unfiltered Podcast

Last month, I joined a new group of multidisciplinary healthcare providers in a new community support format. The group includes a variety of health coaches, nutritionists, dieticians, OB/GYNs, therapists, and more! I love learning from providers who are not dentists because it helps us break out of our siloed medical system (where every type of provider has to stay in their lane and never learns what's going on more holistically). Danielle, one of the founders of this collaborative group, has her Strong + Unfiltered podcast. I've personally been learning about gut health, hormone health and so much more from being a part of this group. I also had a chance to share my area of expertise on her podcast. Let me know what you think!

Thanks for being here! I know that August is a busy time as everyone soaks up the last opportunities for the summer holiday. I'll be hosting some family visitors and then tagging along for some travel later this month to Germany! I have no clue what our agenda will be. I'm normally quite the planner, so I'm learning to go with the flow this time around.

Although I'll be "out of the office" for a bit, I'm still here to support you. You can always set up a free discovery call to find out if my Concierge Consulting is the right service for you. I'm also so excited to be building my new Smile Support Program! I can't wait to tell you more about it soon. Stay tuned for next time!

All the best,

Dr. Julia