Big News: Welcome to The Toothseekers

I'm so excited to finally share something I've been quietly building over the past few months.

If you've been navigating childhood breathing, sleep, oral development, tongue ties, expansion, picky eating, ADHD, allergies, or all the other questions, you've probably noticed one thing:

Information isn't always the hardest part anymore. Once you know this is an area that's affecting your child's health, there seem to be plenty of options to turn to. Parents have podcasts, books, Facebook groups, YouTube, AI, and endless different opinions.

But what about the parents who are just curious? The parents who are asking themselves "Is this something we're dealing with or is it all just in my head?"

What's still missing is a place for validation. A curated safe space to process it all with people who truly understand the journey. And an option to streamline the time it takes to move from contemplation to a place of preparation and action.

That's why I created The Toothseekers.

It's a monthly meetup for parents designed for families who want to better understand whether the mouth, breathing, and facial growth could be contributing to their child's symptoms. Each month we'll gather for an informal Zoom conversation with a guest host. Sometimes they'll be a healthcare professional, but more often they'll be another parent who's walked this path themselves.

One of the things I'm most excited about is the incredible group of community guides who have already volunteered to be part of this experience. People like Megan Robertson, Heather Tremblay-Croteau, Esther Greenberg, Hannah Matson, Kate Kurzhal, and Melina Moses have each spent years helping families find better answers, whether through their professional work, their online communities, or by generously sharing their own experiences as parents. Every one of them understands what it feels like to search for answers that don't come easily, and I'm incredibly grateful they'll be helping guide these conversations. I truly can't imagine a better group of people to welcome families into this space.

Bring your questions. Listen to other families' experiences. Leave with a little more clarity and a few practical next steps.

More than anything, I hope this community gives parents something that's often missing: peace. When families find calm within the uncertainty, it provides the stability they need so that they can stop spinning their wheels and begin taking meaningful steps toward better health. I hope this is a step in that direction.

This newsletter is the first place I'm announcing it before it goes public later this week.

If you'd like to learn more, join upcoming calls, or stay informed about future meetups, I'd love to have you there.

New on GetExpanded: Kate Kurzhal

First is my conversation with Kate Kurzhal, a speech-language pathologist and myofunctional therapist, on the relationship between speech and facial development.

Kate also shares her perspective as a parent who fought for answers despite insurance hurdles and skepticism along the way. (Yes, Kate will be one of our Toothseekers guides this year too!)

Unfortunately, we lost our original audience Q&A due to a recording issue, so we invited Kate back for a part 2 to answer the questions families ask most, including:

• Who should I see first: an ENT, dentist, SLP, or someone else?
• How can I tell whether a speech issue is structural or developmental?
• What results are realistic, and what are red flags?
• Is expansion still an option for an 11-year-old?
• What can families do when insurance says treatment isn't medically necessary?

Kate gets fired up on these topics, and I always love sharing her message with other parents who are just beginning to advocate for their own families.

New on GetExpanded: Dr. Lupita Roca

I was also honored to interview Dr. Lupita Roca, who rarely does interviews.

One of the things I admire most about Dr. Roca is the breadth of her training. Rather than trying to fit every child into the same treatment, she focuses on finding the approach that best fits each family's unique needs.

In our conversation, she discusses airway-focused care, shares a tour of treatment options offered in her practice, addresses the controversial topic of MARPE in children, and explains why helping families breathe and sleep better has become such an important mission for her.

She's open to admitting that she prefers a more "aggressive" expansion approach, but she truly put in the work to understand the pros and cons of different treatment methods for her own patients. She practices in a really thoughtful way, and I hope you enjoy listening to her as much as I did.

Conference Recommendation

If you're a healthcare provider, or a parent who's hungry for a more immersive way to learn from experts in this space, I also wanted to share the upcoming Documenting Hope Conference this November in Orlando.

Documenting Hope consistently produces thoughtful education on topics including ADHD, autism, anxiety, autoimmune conditions, PANS/PANDAS, sensory processing, learning differences, feeding challenges, and more. This year's conference includes both in-person and virtual attendance options.

If their mission resonates with you, it's worth checking out.

Behind the Scenes this month

I enjoyed watching the World Cup matches. There's something special about the energy here in Portugal on a game day.

I went kayaking in Southern Portugal.

My dog, Alfred, had to get some teeth pulled. I went through all the emotions about it already, but the important thing is that he's recovering well.

No watermelons or peaches are safe from me in the summer months. They are the absolute flavors of the season for me, so I'm guzzling them on repeat.

That's all for this month.

Until next time!

All the best,

Dr. Julia