I talk a lot about proper facial development to ensure adequate breathing. This post covers the subject and links to most of my other posts about achieving proper craniofacial respiratory complex growth. I have mentioned things like allergies and sinus problems as factors affecting breathing but have never stressed how important it is to address them. This post will cover the main ENT-related problems associated with poor breathing, especially at night when sleeping.
Read MoreI use local anesthetics every single day at work without fail. Even most of my ardent holistic patients who shun "chemicals" don't object to its use. The reasons are clear. Their use is generally very safe, and most people don't want to risk feeling dental pain, which can be intense. This post will cover what local anesthetics are, what they do, the side effects, and the risks of their use.
Read MoreThis is the presentation I am giving today at PaleoFx in Austin Texas.
Read MoreI want to share a shocking brief digital simulation showing how our faces have been drastically shrinking over several hundred years. I got it from Dr. Michael Gelb DDS in NYC, who got it from best-selling author James Nestor. Please concentrate on the lower face; you will see how the jaws are shrinking and moving back toward the throat. This causes the tongue to partially or fully occlude the airway, especially when we sleep. You should also notice how the face is less attractive now. In fact, it is rare to see someone who has realized their potential for full facial development. People with properly developed faces will always have straight teeth, room for their wisdom teeth, superior beauty, and better health. Whatever they do for a living, they appear to be actors and models. Since most of us have underdeveloped faces, this epidemic has gone primarily unnoticed by us, including most physicians and dentists. This needs to change because, as you will see in this post, it is one of the major contributing factors for many, if not most, of our modern health problems.
Read MoreIn the recent past, we have spent too much time looking at our genes as the cause of many of our health issues. It has not been nearly as fruitful as we had hoped when we initially mapped the human genome. Newer work is focusing on the events in life that, as it turns out, have a much more dramatic effect on our health. As much as 90% of disease comes from our experiences, not our genes. The name for everything that happens to us in life is called the exposome. This post will unravel some of the environmental influences on the growth of our faces. I call it the Craniofacial exposome. Hopefully, you will learn how to grow a better face!
Read MoreBurning Mouth Syndrome is a burning, stinging, or itching in any portion of the mouth, including the tongue, lips, or cheeks. About one million Americans suffer from it. Because primary BMS is so rare, there is little research on it. Since investigations into the cause and treatment are lacking, patients have few options for diagnosis and treatment, leading to prolonged suffering. This post covers what we know and possible treatment options for Burning Mouth Syndrome.
Read MoreEvery workday, I review my patients' medical histories. It is usual for most of them to have health issues. Upon reviewing their medical problems with them, I find that their lifestyles are frequently partially and sometimes wholly responsible for their poor health. Today I thought it would be good to do some statistics, and I want to share my results with you. You will probably be surprised how unhealthy we are. Before we continue, let me ask you a few questions. What percentage of Americans have an illness? What percent are on prescription medication? What percentage of us have allergies? What percent are overweight? How many missing teeth does the average person have? Ready for the answers? Make sure you are sitting down. The figures are not pretty.
Read MoreSnoring, mouth breathing and sleep apnea are collectively associated with Sleep Disordered Breathing, or SDB. SDB causes poor oxygenation in the body and the brain dysfunctions as a result. Children are uniquely susceptible to oxygen deprivation because their brains are still developing. Low oxygen and lack of adequate sleep for children's brains often leads to poor concentration, attention problems, hyperactivity, aggression, impulsivity, somatic complaints, and social withdrawal. The issues could be life-long and irreversible if not addressed early. I will cover snoring and its related problems and what you can do about them in today’s post.
Read MoreCombined with age and neck circumference, a Mallampati Score over 2 is about 94% predictive of sleep apnea. When I see a Mallampati score of 3 or 4, I know the airway is compromised and dig a little deeper into the patients’ backgrounds. If you have never heard of the Mallampati classification system, you are in the majority. It is actually something you can measure yourself. Read on if you are curious.
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