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Dr. Niyati A. Borkar speaks with Dr. Yaping Tu and Dr. Thomas B. Casale about their article, "Pirfenidone and its Derivative: Novel Bronchodilators and Leukocyte Airway Inflammation Inhibitors."
When does a routine corticosteroid prescription become a signal of uncontrolled airway disease? Credit available for this activity expires: 7/14/27 Earn Credit / Learning Objectives & Disclosures: https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/advancing-corticosteroid-stewardship-across-airway-diseases-2026a1000mne?ecd=bdc_podcast_libsyn_mscpedu
Here is the MIST study Courtney referenced; Intranasal Treatments for Children With Sleep-Disordered Breathing: The MIST+ Randomized Clinical Trial | Trials | JAMA Pediatrics | JAMA NetworkThe MIST (Medical vs Interventional Steroid for Sleep-Disordered Breathing) and MIST+ studies, conducted by researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and Monash University in Australia, investigated simple saline (salt water) nasal sprays as a first-line treatment for children with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing. Key FindingsSurgery-Sparing Solution: The trials found that nearly one in three (29.5%) children aged 3–12 improved with a saline spray alone, with their snoring and breathing symptoms completely resolving. Saline vs Steroids: The MIST studies discovered that a simple 0.9% saline nasal spray was just as effective as an anti-inflammatory steroid nasal spray in reducing symptoms. Reduced Need for Surgery: After 12 weeks of use, symptoms had resolved in half (50%) of the study cohort, potentially halving the number of children needing tonsil or adenoid removal surgery. Safe for Daily Use: Saline sprays and rinses are a safe, low-cost, and non-pharmacological treatment.Water Safety: If you or your child are preparing your own saline rinses at home (using a Neti pot or squeeze bottle), always use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled tap water to prevent dangerous infections.How They WorkSaline nasal sprays and rinses alleviate nasal congestion by mechanically flushing out allergens, irritants, and excess mucus. They also help to reduce inflammation in the nasal passages and improve the function of the respiratory mucosa. Safety & RecommendationsLink to T&A Natural Solutions Toolkit: Tonsil & Adenoid Toolkit – Natural Relief & Airway SupportFacebook Group for Parents: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1LScNKt1V1/Courtney's practice https://www.functionalfaceomt.comCourtney's Facebook https://www.facebook.com/functionalface.omt/Courtney's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/functionalface/Dr Mahony's practice https://www.fullfaceorthodontics.com.auDr Mahony's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fullfaceorthodontics/Dr Mahony's Book https://amzn.asia/d/04fBdCQMDr Mahony's Australian Tour, where he is speaking to patrents, teachers, allied health professionals and doctors, on how to recognise early sign of sleep disorders in children, as well as how and when to intervene https://www.derekmahony.com/events
Item analysis can sound intimidating, especially for educators who were trained as clinicians first and teachers second. But when used well, it can become one of the most valuable tools for improving assessments, clarifying instruction, and supporting student success. In this episode of Airway Exchange, hosts Erin and Louisa welcome in Valerie Diaz, DNP, CRNA, PMHNP-BC, APRN, CNE, CHSE, FAANA, CAPT (Ret), USN and Pedro Hernandez, DNP, CRNA, APRN to break down the importance of item analysis, a topic they presented at AANA's EDGE event earlier this year. Just as CRNAs constantly refine their clinical practice, educators should continually evaluate, reflect, and improve the tools they use to assess learning. Better assessments lead to better education. Better education ultimately leads to better patient care. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
What if I told you one of the biggest reasons your orthodontic results don't last has nothing to do with braces or aligners?As orthodontists, we're trained to move teeth—but lasting results depend on much more than mechanics. In this episode, I sit down with Autumn Henning, speech-language pathologist, certified orofacial myologist, founder of Chrysalis Orofacial, and one of the leading educators in the myofunctional therapy world, to talk about something every orthodontist should understand: oral function matters.We dive into what myofunctional therapy actually is, why airway treatment requires an interdisciplinary approach, and why no single provider—or appliance—can solve every airway or sleep-related issue. Autumn explains how speech, swallowing, breathing, tongue posture, and orthodontics all work together, and why better diagnosis always leads to better outcomes. If you're treating growing patients—or simply want more stable orthodontic results—this episode will change how you think about collaboration and patient care.*Quotes*"Protocols are probabilities. They work a lot of the time, but they're never going to work 100% of the time." *— Autumn Henning*"I believe there's a reason for everything. I don't accept 'idiopathic' without asking why." *— Autumn Henning**Key Takeaways*Intro (00:00)Autumn's background & oral function trifecta (01:59)How Chrysalis and Touch Training were created (03:51)Why orthodontics can't solve airway problems alone (04:49)What myofunctional therapy actually is (06:21)Hardware vs. software (09:16)Why interdisciplinary care matters (11:31)What happens during a myofunctional evaluation? (22:03)Virtual vs. in-person therapy (25:11)Treatment timeline & investment (27:44)Why school speech therapy often misses these patients (34:05)The future of airway treatment is collaboration (37:11)*
We love airway management on Critical Care Time so we figured it was time to reboot a classic: The Physiologically Difficult Airway. On this episode, Nick and Cyrus discuss planning for those airways that may seem simple on your physical exam, but end up being some of the hardest to safely secure in the setting of hemodynamic instability. Also, we thought this would be a great prequel to a new release that is coming your way next week with Dr. Jarrod Mosier where we tackle advanced concepts in airway management and awake intubation. If you haven't heard this one yet, or if you could use the refresher, give it a listen and let us know what you think! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When a child exhibits behavioral challenges, facial recession, or struggles with sleep, the root cause is frequently hiding in plain sight: their breathing habits. Unfortunately, these vital signs of compromised airway health are often overlooked by traditional medical models.In this episode, Hallie sits down with Dr. Leslie Pasco, an expert in airway health, pediatric development, and the author of The Great Contraction. Dr. Pasco breaks down the profound impact that mouth breathing, poor jaw development, and tongue-ties have on a child's long-term physical and neurological growth.About the Guest: Dr. Leslie Pasco, DMD, OFM, CBBIDr. Leslie Pasco is the visionary founder and President of MyoWay Centers for Kids. With almost three decades of experience in dentistry, Dr. Pasco has dedicated her career to understanding how airway health and muscle function deeply influence growth, sleep, learning, and overall health in children. Rather than simply addressing surface symptoms, she emphasizes early screening, thorough functional assessments, and close collaboration with other healthcare professionals to ensure her young patients receive truly comprehensive care. Her clear, driving mission is to help children grow right, breathe right, and live better.Key Topics & TakeawaysMouth Breathing as a Danger Signal: Why mouth breathing should never be dismissed as a "phase," and how it actively derails midface growth, jaw position, and dental alignment.The ADHD & Sleep Link: How sleep-disordered breathing frequently mimics or exacerbates symptoms of ADHD, leading to misdiagnoses that could be resolved with airway support.A Call for Holistic Care: Understanding the environmental stressors driving facial recession and contraction, and why true patient healing requires organic, multidisciplinary collaboration.Soundbites"Mouth breathing is a danger signal. It is your body's emergency backup system, not a functional way for a growing child to live and develop.""Breathing therapy can change lives. When you restore nasal breathing and correct sleep architecture, you aren't just changing a habit—you're shifting a child's entire behavioral and developmental trajectory.""Holistic care requires collaboration. No single provider can fix a contracted airway or a system-wide dysfunction completely on their own."Timestamps 00:00 - The Impact of Airway Health on Families01:12 - Introducing Dr. Leslie Pasco02:20 - Shifting from General Dentistry to Airway Care07:23 - The Dangers of Chronic Mouth Breathing12:04 - ADHD Misdiagnosis vs. Sleep Disordered Breathing19:02 - The Connection Between Palatal Expansion and Myofunctional Therapy28:44 - Functional Assessments for Tethered Oral Tissues (Tongue & Lip Ties)30:53 - The Critical Role of Pre-Op and Post-Op Preparation for Releases44:00 - What is the Buteyko Breathing Method? (Form, Function, Fuel)52:39 - Breaking Down Medical Silos: A Holistic Approach54:16 - The Great Contraction Book Overview58:52 - Medical Disclaimer & OutroLinks & ResourcesConnect with Dr. Leslie Pasco: Learn more about her clinical work at https://buteykoclinic.com/pages/instructors/dr-leslie-pasco?srsltid=AfmBOoqEmYjR8y3SzFHFpgr-JpFWFgfyViaOItLvpazcPnDMqwDwd7w0.Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/DrLesliePasco/Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-leslie-pasco-03a096a1/?isSelfProfile=falseRELATED EPISODES YOU MIGHT LOVEDr. Richard Baxter on How to Know If a Tongue Tie Is Really the ProblemDon't Ignore the Snore: The Hidden Link Between Airway, Sleep, and ADHDSTAY CONNECTED
Airway Orthodontics Under the Microscope | Orthodontics In Interview | Dr. Claudia Pinter"The goal of orthodontics is not occlusion, but jaw development.""It's our job to develop the jaws, and if we don't do our job, other people need to do it-but they can't do it as well.”"I believe that nasal breathing is the foundation of healthy breathing."Airway management in orthodontics remains one of the most debated topics in modern orthodontics. Can orthodontics improve breathing? What does the current evidence say? Why do practitioners carry out orthodontics to improve the airway? Joining me is Dr. Claudia Pinter from Austria for a discussion on airway management, sleep-disordered breathing, and the potential role orthodontist's may have in improving the disorder.We explore research surrounding pediatric airway management, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), mouth breathing, maxillary expansion, CBCT imaging, skeletal expansion, bed wetting and the ongoing controversies that continue to divide opinion within the profession. The podcast was recorded in Dusseldorf Germany..
In this episode of Airway Exchange, Erin and Greg sit down with Yasmine Campbell, DNP, CRNA, APRN, CNE, CHSE, FAANA, a clinical associate professor at Florida International University and member of the AANA Education Committee. The episode discusses strategies for writing better exams, the growing role of AI, and creating meaningful professional development opportunities for CRNA faculty. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
The cliffhanger is paid off in this highly anticipated follow-up episode! Alan welcomes back Dr. Matt Standridge to finish their deep dive into the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) controversial white paper on Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). Matt pulls back the curtain on the paper's actual citation list, exposing questionable sample sizes, misplaced reference numbers, and instances where the AAO's conclusions directly contradict the very research they cited. From the true diagnostic value of CBCT scans to the data surrounding tongue ties, premolar extractions, and palatal expansion, this episode explores the standard of evidence-based medicine in modern orthodontics and highlights the massive opportunity ahead for practitioners willing to follow the science. Some links from the show: Sleep-disordered Breathing and Orthodontics: An American Association of Orthodontists white paper update Matt Standridge's VERY thorough rebuttal Matt would like to thank some mentors/friends for the inspiration: Drs Mark Deluke, Audrey Yoon, Tracey Nguyen, Jeff Rouse, and Marianna Evans Join the Very Dental Facebook Group using one of these passwords: Timmerman, Paul, Bioclear, Hornbrook, Gary, McWethy, Papa Randy, Frank or Lipscomb! The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! We're proud to be supported by the folks at Net32! I'm a big fan of the Bioclear Method! I think you should give it a try and I've got a great offer to help you get on board! Use the exclusive Very Dental Podcast code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% OFF your total Bioclear purchase, including Core Anterior and Posterior Four day courses, Black Triangle Certification, and all Bioclear products. Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code "VERYSHIP" you'll get free shipping on your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!
Episode Summary Do you ever feel like you're practicing on an island, unsure of who to trust for quality CE or where to turn when you hit a wall with a complex case ? In this episode of Dental Digest, host Dr. Melissa Seibert introduces a masterclass in shifting your perspective from single-tooth dentistry to systemic health . Joining the show is Dr. Jeff Rouse, a preeminent authority on airway dentistry, prosthodontist, and Spear Education resident faculty member . Dr. Rouse completely reframes the airway conversation, arguing that most practitioners are getting it wrong by trying to force patients into prefabricated appliance boxes or focusing solely on end-stage sleep apnea . Instead, he explains why airway is fundamentally an anatomical problem . By pushing Frank Spear's facially-generated treatment planning into three dimensions—vertical, transverse, and sagittal—Dr. Rouse demonstrates how a compromised smile design is often a cry for help from an unhealthy upper airway . If you have ever bulked up veneers to camouflage a structural issue that actually required skeletal correction, this conversation will completely change how you treatment plan . Key Takeaways From This Episode Airway vs. Sleep: Why Dr. Rouse deliberately abandoned the word "sleep" in favor of "airway" back in 2008 to focus on early anatomical intervention before long-term neurological damage occurs . The Pitfalls of One-Size-Fits-All Appliances: A critical look at corporately and financially-driven prefabricated appliances in pediatric dentistry that prioritize practice profit over scientific, individualized diagnosis . The 3 Dimensions of Airway Anatomy: How the vertical, transverse, and sagittal boundaries of a traditional denture wax rim mirror the exact dimensions required for healthy nasal breathing . The Numbers Behind the Health: A look at clinical benchmarks, including Eric Doolan's research showing that a bone-to-bone palatal measurement under 30 millimeters guarantees illness, while 34 millimeters or greater promotes health . Recognizing the "Sick" Patient Typologies: The Apnea Patient: Often characterized by snoring, daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, AFib, and a lack of deep sleep required to clear brain toxins, which is closely linked to dementia and Alzheimer's . Young, Fit Patients: Toned individuals (particularly pre-menopausal women protected by progesterone) who do not exhibit apnea but suffer heavily from functional somatic syndromes like chronic fatigue, IBS, fibromyalgia, migraines, and TMJ disorders . Pediatric Patients: Growing children whose airway deficiencies directly correlate with ADHD and ADD diagnoses, yet are routinely given medications rather than a proper breathing and sleep evaluation . Anatomy Wins the Day: Why normalizing skeletal and dentoalveolar housing should always be the priority, ensuring patients finish treatment not only healthier but with beautiful faces, perfect bites, and stunning smiles . Featured Guest Dr. Jeff Rouse is a prosthodontist in private practice in San Antonio, Texas, and a member of the resident faculty at Spear Education . He previously practiced alongside dental icons Dr. Greg Kinzer and Dr. Frank Spear in Seattle . Dr. Rouse is the co-author of the textbook Global Diagnosis: A New Vision of Dental Diagnosis and Treatment Planning alongside Dr. Bill Robbins, and he lectures internationally on dental aesthetics and airway prosthodontics . Resources & Links Mentioned Elevated GP: Elevate your dental practice by joining Dr. Melissa Seibert's virtual study club. Get twice-monthly CE, access a comprehensive on-demand course library, and connect daily with an elite community of general dentists pushing each other to the next level . Sign up at theelevatedgp.com . Leave a Review, Get a Course: Want free access to Dr. Seibert's short course on class two restorations ? Simply leave a rating and review for Dental Digest, take a screenshot, and email it to doctor.melissacybert@gmail.com.
Alan is once again joined by podcast veteran Dr. Matt Standridge to dissect the American Association of Orthodontists' (AAO) controversial 2026 white paper on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and orthodontics. Together, they pull back the curtain on the document's surprising omissions—including a shrinking author panel that entirely removed sleep physicians—and critique its heavy, restrictive reliance on full polysomnography (PSG) as a gatekeeper for early pediatric intervention. Dr. Standridge highlights how the paper's narrow scope and questionable citations conflict with both well-established historical data and contemporary European medical guidelines, framing the white paper more as a defensive "CYA" document than a progressive guide for patient care. Some links from the show: Sleep-disordered Breathing and Orthodontics: An American Association of Orthodontists white paper update Matt Standridge's VERY thorough rebuttal Matt would like to thank some mentors/friends for the inspiration: Drs Mark Deluke, Audrey Yoon, Tracey Nguyen, Jeff Rouse, and Marianna Evans Join the Very Dental Facebook Group using one of these passwords: Timmerman, Paul, Bioclear, Hornbrook, Gary, McWethy, Papa Randy, Frank or Lipscomb! The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! We're proud to be supported by the folks at Net32! I'm a big fan of the Bioclear Method! I think you should give it a try and I've got a great offer to help you get on board! Use the exclusive Very Dental Podcast code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% OFF your total Bioclear purchase, including Core Anterior and Posterior Four day courses, Black Triangle Certification, and all Bioclear products. Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code "VERYSHIP" you'll get free shipping on your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!
In this episode of the Prolonged Field Care Podcast, Dennis sits down with Jeff to tackle one of the most time-sensitive and under-appreciated threats in tactical and austere medicine: anoxic brain injury. They break down exactly what it is, how fast it can progress from unnoticed hypoxia to devastating outcomes, and why the MARCH algorithm plus aggressive prevention of secondary injury are your most powerful tools when oxygen and resources are limited.Key Takeaways:Anoxic brain injury exists on a spectrum — brief drops in SpO2 can cause real damage, and recovery (when it happens) can take days, weeks, months, or even years of rehab.The landmark Arizona pre-post TBI study showed hypoxia and hypotension each increase mortality 2–3×; combined they increase it 5–6×. Updated analysis reveals harm begins at SpO2
Sleep, Airway and Mouth Breathing: An ENT's Guide for Dentists Could a “normal” sleep study still be missing your patient's airway problem? Why do women and children with real symptoms keep scoring “mild”? Should a mouth-breathing child see a myofunctional therapist — or an ENT first? And which four questions screen a child for sleep problems in under a minute? The roof of the mouth is the floor of the nose — so ENT and dentistry should be in constant dialogue. In practice, they rarely are. In this one, Dr David McIntosh — an Australian ear, nose and throat surgeon with a deep niche in sleep-disordered breathing — makes the case for why that has to change, and gives dentists practical ways to screen and refer. He is direct, analogy-rich and doesn't mince words; expect a few positions that cut against the grain of how sleep apnoea is usually handled. https://youtu.be/QVEc0ocxTCc Watch PDP272 on YouTube Protrusive Dental Pearl: When the Numbers Mislead Dentists love data — the AHI, the cut-offs (over 5 is mild, over 30 is severe). But take those numbers with a pinch of salt: the thresholds are arbitrary, and a single score tells you nothing about why a patient has the problem. They don't account for individual variability — especially in women and children, where a mild score can sit right alongside significant symptoms. Read the number with the anatomy and the phenotype — the clinical signs and the airway assessment — never instead of them. What You'll Take From This Episode This conversation reframes sleep-disordered breathing from a number on a report into something you can localise and refer. A sleep study tells you IF, not WHY — sleep-disordered breathing is the whole spectrum; a normal study doesn't mean normal breathing. Phenotyping the airway — map the individual anatomical causes instead of trusting a single score. Why women get missed — the gender bias built into standard adult screening tools, and what to ask instead. The four-question filter for children — snore, mouth breathe, stop breathing, wake up tired: any ‘yes' means refer. Treat the cause before the function — why myofunctional therapy comes after the obstruction is cleared, not before, and how expansion and surgery are matched to the anatomy. Highlights of This Episode 00:00 Teaser 01:00 Why ENT and Dentistry Should Be Talking 02:51 Protrusive Dental Pearl: When Sleep Data Misleads You 03:46 Meet the ENT Who Works With Dentists 06:00 Sleep Physician, ENT or Dentist: Who Should Lead? 07:26 Why Children and Adults Are Completely Different 08:58 Sleep-Disordered Breathing Is Not the Same as Sleep Apnoea 09:39 Why a Normal Sleep Study Doesn't Mean Normal Breathing 10:01 Same AHI, Different Cause: A Tale of Two Patients 12:54 Why One Night's Sleep Study Isn't Enough 13:44 Where the AHI Cut-Off Numbers Really Came From 15:27 CPAP Explained: A Bridge, Not a Cure 18:27 When Snoring Hides Something Serious 19:10 What Phenotyping the Airway Actually Means 20:27 Splint, CPAP, or Both? 21:33 Why a CBCT Can Miss a Deviated Septum 25:32 Is STOP-Bang Enough to Screen for Sleep Apnoea? 26:06 Why the Epworth Sleepiness Scale Is a Blunt Tool 26:50 Why STOP-Bang Is Biased Against Women 31:17 Sleep Apnoea in Women: Mild on Paper, Severe in Life 32:05 Midroll 36:56 The Triad: Airway, TMD and Orthodontics 37:12 The Three Most Common Causes of Night-Time Grinding 39:41 The Four Questions That Screen a Child for Sleep Problems 41:03 Tired vs Not Tired: The Sign That Changes Everything 43:36 Should You Refer to Myofunctional Therapy Before an ENT? 45:58 The Hidden Dangers of Forcing Nasal Breathing 52:28 Maxillary Expansion vs Surgery: Which One Fixes It? 54:51 How Dentists Can Assess Adenoids 56:25 Save the Child First: The Drowning Analogy 57:56 Where Dentistry and ENT Go From Here 1:00:05 Outro – New-Look Premium Notes & CPD Outro From the Guest Dr David McIntosh is an ear, nose and throat surgeon (MBBS, FRACS, PhD) with a special interest in sleep-disordered breathing and airway obstruction. A self-described compulsive educator, he is the author of several books on Amazon — including dENTal health, on the connection between ENT and dental disease, and Snored to Death, on the lesser-recognised causes of obstructive sleep apnoea in adults. References & Further Reading Sources discussed in this episode: Chervin RD, Hedger K, Dillon JE, Pituch KJ. Pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ): validity and reliability of scales for sleep-disordered breathing, snoring, sleepiness, and behavioral problems. Sleep Medicine, 2000;1(1):21–32. The 22-item PSQ; a score above 0.33 suggests sleep-disordered breathing. Loved This Episode? Try Next Airway Dentistry with Jeff Rouse – PDP229 Listen, Subscribe, Earn CPD This episode is eligible for 1 CE credit via the quiz on Protrusive Guidance. This episode meets GDC Outcomes C AGD Subject Code: 730 – Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Pathology (Sleep medicine) #PDPMainEpisodes #OralSurgeryandOralMedicine Aim & Learning Outcomes Aim: To help dental practitioners recognise sleep-disordered breathing across the whole airway, screen adults and children appropriately, and refer at the right time and to the right clinician. Learning Outcomes — by the end of this episode, dentists will be able to: Differentiate sleep-disordered breathing from obstructive sleep apnoea, and explain why a normal sleep study does not exclude clinically significant breathing problems. Apply a structured screening approach for adults and children, including recognising why standard adult tools under-detect sleep-disordered breathing in women and children. Evaluate when to refer for specialist airway assessment, and articulate why addressing anatomical obstruction should precede functional (myofunctional) therapy.
Send us Fan Mail summaryIn this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Nicole DePalma continues the two-part discussion on decannulation with Dr. Jerry Gentile. This episode focuses on what happens after a patient is tolerating capping, how long to monitor before trach removal, the role of FEES in evaluating secretion management and aspiration risk, and what clinicians should know about failed or accidental decannulation. Nicole and Jerry discuss the importance of assessing whether the original reason for the tracheostomy has resolved, whether the patient can manage secretions, and whether there is adequate upper airway patency. Nicole explains how Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing, or FEES, can help evaluate secretion management, aspiration, cough strength, sensation, swallowing safety, and airway patency when determining whether a patient is ready for decannulation from a SLP perspective. The conversation also covers the transition from capping to trach removal, including monitoring patients for 24 to 72 hours, watching for increased work of breathing, changes in CO₂, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, coughing ability, and aspiration concerns. Jerry explains what happens after the trach is removed, how the stoma is covered, and why patients may need continued monitoring after decannulation. Nicole and Jerry also review failed decannulation, signs that a patient may need recannulation, and the risks associated with accidental decannulation. They discuss when clinicians should call respiratory therapy, why reinserting a trach can be dangerous if not done correctly, and complications such as false tracking and subcutaneous emphysema. Topics covered in this episode include: The role of FEES in decannulation readiness Secretion management and aspiration risk Airway patency and when to involve ENT Capping trials and 24–72 hour monitoring Oxygen delivery during speaking valve use, capping, and after decannulation Stoma care after trach removal Failed decannulation and signs of respiratory decline Accidental decannulation and when to call respiratory therapy Risks of false tracking and subcutaneous emphysema Pediatric considerations for decannulationSupport the showhttps://tracheostomyeducation.cominstagram.com/tracheostomyeducationlinkedin.com/in/nicole-de-palma-708b16blinkedin.com/in/dr-jerry-gentile
CRNA education has never been more demanding. As nurse anesthesia programs have evolved into rigorous 36-month doctoral programs, educators are seeing increasing levels of stress, anxiety, burnout, and mental health challenges among students. So how can faculty better support students while maintaining the high standards required of the profession? In this episode of Airway Exchange, hosts Nickie and Erin welcome Gerard Hogan, DNSc., APRN-BC, CRNA, FAANA, LtCol, USAF (ret.), psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, educator, and researcher, for an important conversation about resilience in nurse anesthesia education. Dr. Hogan discusses his research on resilience among nurse anesthesia residents and explains why resilience is a skill that can be taught, strengthened, and developed over time. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
Twenty-two steps to reach an airway is not a quirky workflow problem, it's a patient safety problem. We're turning our attention to a neuro-interventional radiology (Neuro IR) suite where cables, monitors, and a poorly positioned anesthesia machine created a cramped, high-friction non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) environment. Joined by John Edwards, CRNA, we unpack how a real-world quality improvement project at the University of Kentucky Medical Center turned staff frustration into an evidence-based anesthesia workspace redesign.We start with what triggered the change: frontline clinicians describing barriers to optimal patient care, unsafe ergonomics, and a layout that made simple tasks unnecessarily hard. From there, we connect the dots to broader NORA safety expectations, including the American Society of Anesthesiologists guidance on having sufficient space, equipment access, and the ability to reach the patient quickly. Them, the team brings anesthesia staff, interventional radiology personnel, and facilities managers together to redesign the room with minimal disruption.You'll hear the practical interventions that made the difference, like cable management using existing ceiling infrastructure, switching to a more compact anesthesia machine, and repositioning equipment to restore clear access to the patient. The results are striking: smoother movement, less clutter, improved morale, and a dramatic reduction in the distance to the airway. If you work in any NORA location, this is a blueprint for safer anesthesia workflows.Subscribe for more NORA safety and patient safety insights, share this with a colleague who works off-site, and leave a review to help more clinicians find the show.For show notes & transcript, visit our episode page at apsf.org: https://www.apsf.org/podcast/311-from-cable-chaos-to-one-step-airway-access/© 2026, The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation
What if I told you disagreeing with another orthodontist doesn't mean you have to dislike them?In this Five Minute Friday, I'm talking about something that shows up way too often in our profession: disagreement turning into division. Whether it's OSOs, airway, clinical philosophy, politics, or anything else, too many people assume that if we don't see things the same way, we can't respect each other — and I think that's a huge mistake.I'm not pro-OSO, anti-OSO, pro-airway, or anti-airway. I'm pro-education. My goal has always been to help orthodontists get the right information, talk to the right people, and make decisions that fit their practice, their patients, and their lives. In this episode, I share why opinions should never define someone's character, why education beats absolutism, and why we all need more good people in our lives — even when we disagree.
In this episode, the we welcome back guest host, Dr. Neelou Weeker, and ED nurse, Leigh Clary, to discuss the critical intersection of language barriers, patient equity, and emergency care. Through two powerful clinical scenarios, the team explores the “gold standards” of medical translation, the challenges of resource-limited community settings, and how TeamSTEPPS tools—specifically closed-loop communication and situational monitoring—can be leveraged to ensure true informed consent and patient safety. The Gold Standard vs. Clinical Reality Providing equitable care means ensuring every patient, regardless of language or culture, fully understands their medical team. While academic centers are often highly resourced, executing communication seamlessly remains a universal challenge. 1. Translation Tools and Hierarchy The Gold Standard: Video- or audio-based professional interpretation tablets allow face-to-face or direct vocal translation. The Secondary Backup: In-house dual-handset “blue phones” connect directly to professional phone lines when tablets experience connectivity issues. The Tertiary Backup: Multilingual staff members can help act as a bridge. Many institutions feature language fluencies on staff ID badges. Note: Staff members should only be used to establish initial rapport or identify the required dialect, not as official medical interpreters. The Danger of Family Interpreters: While family members bring invaluable cultural context and an understanding of the patient’s baseline, studies show they only correctly interpret medical dialogue 19% of the time. The Bottom Line: Always utilize the official route first. When technology fails, do your absolute best—never settle for “good enough” when better communication is possible. 2. Academic vs. Community and Rural Settings Emergency medicine requires extreme adaptability. In resource-limited community or rural hospitals, finding an interpreter for less commonly spoken languages can take upwards of 30 minutes. Physicians must sometimes physically carry translation phones from room to room while managing other patients just to maintain an open line with a rare-dialect interpreter. Applying TeamSTEPPS to Patient Communication We routinely use TeamSTEPPS tools to communicate with our fellow clinicians, but we must remember that the patient is the most important member of the healthcare team. 1. Closed-Loop Communication & The Teach-Back Method To confirm true patient understanding, avoid simple “yes or no” questions, nods, or smiles. Instead, utilize the Teach-Back Method, requiring the patient to repeat the instructions or choices back to you in their own words. How to Phrase It (Taking Responsibility): “I want to make sure that I have been clear in what I’ve said to you. To help me feel reassured that I communicated everything correctly, could you tell me what you understand is going on?” Clinical Value: This is particularly vital for high-stakes decisions and ED discharge instructions. Multimodal Approach: In high-stakes moments, combine professional translation, family context, and teach-back to minimize errors. 2. Situational Monitoring Resuscitative environments are chaotic, and the primary physician trying to run a cod or secure an airway has immense cognitive load. The Team Safety Net: Other team members (nurses, techs, scribes) can help monitor the situation and catch critical communication errors. Reconciling Clinical Urgency with Informed Consent How do you balance the immediate need to save a life with the time-consuming process of formal translation? The ABC Priority: First and foremost, secure Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. If a patient presents to the ED in extremis and cannot communicate, clinicians must operate under the assumption that the patient wants life-saving measures performed. Task Delegation: While the medical team manages the immediate ABCs, immediately task support staff (such as social workers) with finding an official interpreter, locating family members, and gathering background information. Next Steps: Once the ABCs are stable, the team has the time and space to pause, establish formal translation, and dive deeper into informed consent for further procedures. Key Takeaways Acknowledge the Bias of Urgency: Time pressure can tempt us to bypass official translation channels. Guard against this by maintaining an equity-first mindset. Close the Loop with Patients: Ensure they can paraphrase their care plan or consent choices. Protect the Team via Shared Roles: Trust your teammates to monitor the big picture and catch subtle communication gaps during high-stress resuscitations. Do you use TeamSTEPPS or a similar model in your ED? We'd love to hear what has been successful for your team. Hit us up on social media @empulsepodcast or connect with us on ucdavisem.com Host: Dr. Julia Magaña, Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest Host: Dr. Neelou Tabatabai, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis Guest: Leigh Clary, RN, BSN, RN, CEN, ADCES, MICN , ED Nurse and TeamSTEPPS Project Lead at UC Davis Resources: TeamSTEPPS Player of the Month Program, Presentation by Leigh Clary and Jose Metica TeamSTEPPS™: Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety Heidi B. King, MS, CHE, James Battles, PhD, David P. Baker, PhD, Alexander Alonso, PhD, Eduardo Salas, PhD, John Webster, MD, MBA, Lauren Toomey, RN, BSBA, MIS, and Mary Salisbury, RN, MSN. TeamSTEPPS Pocket Guide – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality EM Pulse: TeamSTEPPS, September 17, 2021 *** Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Productions for audio production services. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the hosts or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine, UC Davis Health, or their parent organizations.
Dr. Donny Mandrawa is a myofunctional dentist, educator, and author specialising in airway health, breathing, sleep, and childhood development. He is the founder of one of Australia's leading myofunctional dentistry practices, helping children and adults address airway, breathing, sleep, and developmental concerns. In this episode, Dr. Donny Mandrawa discusses the connection between airway health, breathing, sleep quality, and overall wellbeing. He explains why symptoms such as snoring, teeth grinding, mouth breathing, and poor sleep are often signs of underlying airway dysfunction, and why early intervention can have a significant impact on childhood development and long-term health outcomes. Dr. Donny also shares his journey from traditional dentistry to myofunctional dentistry and the inspiration behind his book, Behind the Smile, which aims to raise awareness of the critical role breathing and sleep play in overall health.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When a child struggles with feeding, it's easy to get laser-focused on oral-motor exercises or sensory strategies. But what if the root cause isn't a lack of coordination, but a struggle to breathe?In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin dives deep into a critical, yet frequently missed, component of pediatric feeding therapy: airway screening. Airway issues often hide in plain sight, quietly undermining feeding progress and leaving clinicians wondering why their traditional treatment plans have stalled.Hallie breaks down the undeniable connection between airway health, posture, and feeding mechanics. She highlights the specific signs of airway obstruction every therapist should look out for, outlines clear referral pathways, and explains why screening the airway is fully within your scope of practice. If you want to elevate your clinical outcomes and treat the whole child with true clarity and intention, this episode is a must-listen.Key Topics & TakeawaysAirway in Scope: Why airway screening is not a luxury or a sub-specialty—it is a foundational part of your clinical scope as a feeding therapist.Signs of Airway Obstruction: Recognizing the red flags of compromised breathing, from subtle mouth breathing and poor daytime posture to severe nighttime sleep disturbances.Feeding Mechanics & Tongue Position: How an unsupported airway forces compensatory tongue resting positions, instantly disrupting the mechanics required for safe and efficient chewing and swallowing.The Posture Connection: Why children with airway issues alter their head and neck alignment just to breathe, and how this compromised posture stalls feeding progress.Navigating the Referral Pathway: Knowing exactly when to step back and coordinate care with an ENT or airway-focused specialist before proceeding with direct feeding intervention.Soundbites"Airway screening is not outside your lane - it is a vital part of your scope as a feeding therapist.""If a child is struggling to breathe, their nervous system will always prioritize oxygen over eating. Tongue position impacts feeding mechanics, but airway dictates tongue position.""We cannot out-therapy an airway obstruction. Sleep disturbances and daytime breathing struggles will always affect feeding outcomes."Timestamps01:15 Why Airway Screening Matters03:00 The Biggest Mistake Feeding Therapists Make06:01 Why Airway Is Often Missed in Training09:00 What Airway Dysfunction Looks Like12:00 The Medical System's Blind Spot15:02 Airway Screening: What to Look For18:00 Real-World Case Results & Outcomes21:00 How to Start Screening for Airway Issues24:00 Final Thoughts & Resources Download the Packet here: https://www.feedthepeds.com/f-a-s-t-myo-screening-packet-3WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEYEpisode 371: When You Screen a Child and Think 'Now What?'Episode 369: The 4 Layers of Feeding: How to Finally Know Where to StartSTAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICEJoin the conversation: Get behind-the-scenes insights, clinical pearls, and real conversations over on Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if CRNA school interviews have been measuring the wrong things all along? In this episode of Airway Exchange, Vicente Gonzalez, DNP, CRNA and Ann Miller, DNP, CRNA, faculty from Florida International University, break down their groundbreaking new admissions interview process designed to assess what traditional interviews often miss: resilience, adaptability, teamwork, critical thinking, and emotional regulation. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
Abundant Wellness With Andrea- From Surviving to Thriving in Mind, Body and Spirit
In this powerful conversation, Andrea sits down with pediatric chiropractor and airway-focused practitioner Dr. Kathy Cantwell to discuss one of the most overlooked contributors to behavior issues, sleep struggles, nervous system dysregulation, ADHD symptoms, and long-term health concerns in children: airway dysfunction. Dr. Cantwell shares her own personal journey with severe sleep-disordered breathing and explains how mouth breathing, tongue ties, narrow palates, and poor airway development can affect everything from emotional regulation to brain development. This episode is a must-listen for parents of children struggling with: ADHD or focus issues Chronic congestion or mouth breathing Snoring Bedwetting Poor sleep Behavioral challenges Picky eating Frequent illness Anxiety or nervous system dysregulation In This Episode, We Discuss: Why snoring in children is never “normal” or “cute” The connection between airway issues and ADHD-like symptoms How tongue ties can impact feeding, sleep, and nervous system development Signs of airway dysfunction in infants, toddlers, and older children Why open-mouth breathing changes facial development over time The relationship between airway issues, sleep deprivation, cortisol, and behavior How poor oxygenation impacts the developing brain The connection between sleep-disordered breathing and bedwetting Why many children with airway dysfunction crave carbs and struggle with picky eating How airway issues affect growth hormone, blood sugar regulation, and emotional regulation What parents can look for at home Why this issue is so commonly missed by providers The importance of a team approach when supporting children with airway dysfunction Key Signs Parents Should Watch For: Mouth breathing Snoring Dark circles under the eyes (“allergic shiners”) Chronic congestion Poor sleep quality Frequent waking Bedwetting past typical potty-training age Picky eating or gagging on tougher foods Hyperactivity or behavioral dysregulation Daytime fatigue Head-forward posture Recessed jaw or narrow palate Connect with Dr. Kathy Cantwell Follow Dr. Cantwell on Instagram Connect with Andrea Not sure where to start with your child's behavioral issues, mood and sleep? Schedule a discovery call with Andrea HERE Get a FREE airway consultation with Toothpillow by using the code ABUNDANTWELLNESS
In this episode, Lauren Schnabel, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, joined us to discuss cellulitis and lymphangitis in horses. She explained how she differentiates the two conditions, her diagnostic approach in the field and clinic, her preferred treatment strategies and adjunctive therapies, and more.This episode of Disease Du Jour is brought to you by Equithrive.GUESTS AND LINKS - EPISODE 182:Host: Carly Sisson (Digital Content Manager) of EquiManagement | Email Carly (CSisson@equinenetwork.com)Guest: Dr. Lauren Schnabel, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMRPodcast Website: Disease Du JourThis episode of Disease Du Jour podcast is brought to you by Equithrive.Connect with the Host: Carly Sisson (Digital Content Manager) of EquiManagement | Email Carly (CSisson@equinenetwork.com)
Dr. Robert Convissar - pioneer in laser dentistry, author of the world's number one selling laser dentistry textbook, and Director of Laser Dentistry at New York Hospital Queens joins Lester De Alwis on why lasers are an underused doorway to insurance-free revenue. Why most dentists buy the wrong laser and end up with a $50,000 coat rack. Why airway dentistry will reshape orthodontics over the next 5 - 10 years. And the low-friction entry points, dry socket prevention and oral cancer screening, that let any practice add cash-pay procedures one at a time. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa, Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a full online analysis report specific to your practice, your market, and your competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session
What if I told you your marketing budget isn't the problem — your tracking is?In this Five Minute Friday, I'm breaking down the three things every orthodontic practice needs to make marketing actually work: a plan, a reliable way to track where patients came from, and a clear understanding of ROI. Too many practices are throwing money at PTAs, community events, online ads, referral gifts, and sponsorships without knowing what's truly producing starts.I'll show you the exact question I ask every new patient, why your TC needs to hear the answer, and how a simple spreadsheet can help you stop guessing and start investing smarter. When you know where your growth is coming from, you can double down on what works, fix what doesn't, and grow your practice with far more confidence.Quotes“You need to have a marketing plan. You need to write things down about how you're going to market.” — Dr. Glenn Krieger“You will not be guessing where you should be spending your money. You will be spending it smartly, and your practice will grow as a result.” — Dr. Glenn Krieger
Editor-in-Chief Cecelia E. Schmalbach, MD, MSc, is joined by senior author Lee P. Smith, MD, and Associate Editor Christopher Johnson, MD, to discuss the study and approach used to establish a reliable rabbit model of airway stenosis and test how effective nebulized ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone is at reducing airway obstruction , as outlined in the paper "Evaluating the Efficacy of Nebulized Ciprofloxacin-Dexamethasone Using a Novel Model of Airway Stenosis" which published in the May 2026 issue of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Click here to read the full article. Click here to see the visual abstract.
What does the future of CRNA education actually look like? In this episode of Airway Exchange, hosts Nickie and Greg sit down with Hallie Evans, DNP, CRNA, APRN, CNE, FAANA, to explore some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing CRNA education today, including faculty shortages, mentorship, innovative teaching methods, competency-based learning, and the growing role of AI in healthcare education. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
Elyse Scheeler spent years inside the public school system as a speech language pathologist. She had a classroom full of kids making real, measurable progress. The district shut it down — not because anything was wrong, but because her program made their compliance numbers look bad.That's when she knew she had to leave.In this episode Elyse pulls back the curtain on what school staff see every single day but aren't allowed to say out loud. She couldn't tell parents what she suspected. She couldn't refer kids to outside specialists. The system had a rule for that too.We also get into the airway health connection to ADHD and behavior that nobody in a school can mention, how COVID masking quietly set back an entire generation of language development, and how Elyse now helps families with kids who have additional needs homeschool successfully — without doing it alone.In this episode:— Why your child's school limits services even when kids need more— The data vs. children problem hiding inside every IEP meeting— Airway health, sleep, and the hidden root causes of ADHD and behavior issues— How COVID masking impacted language development— Using AI to build a custom curriculum for any learning style— How to homeschool a child with additional needsLinks:→ Free 30-Day Homeschool Quick Start Guide→ What Do I Actually Teach? ($17): thehomeschoolhowto.com/what-do-i-actually-teachCONNECT WITH ELYSE
In this high-yield, no-fluff episode, Dennis is joined by Dr. Michael Falk, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, former academic, and combat-experienced relief worker who has run airways in Haiti post-earthquake, Mosul during the ISIS fight, Ukraine, and Gaza. They break down exactly why pediatric airways are a completely different beast in prolonged field care and give you field-proven tactics that actually work when you're the only one there with a BVM and a prayer.Key Takeaways You Can Use TomorrowPositioning is everything: One to two inches under the shoulders (or whole body) prevents automatic obstruction from the massive occiput.Adjuncts > early tube: NPA or OPA + side-lying (gravity is your friend) can keep you from tubing in the field.Tube sizing rule: Child's pinky ≈ ET tube diameter. Depth = 3× tube size. Always go smaller — you can ventilate, you can't un-damage a ripped airway.Intubation mindset: Kid airway is more anterior and cephalad. Slow down, work your way in, or you'll be in the esophagus.GCS decision:
In this episode, Kaycie Hatcher, DVM, joined us to discuss upper respiratory disorders in horses. She talked about common disorders she encounters in practice, her approach to building a differential diagnosis list, treatment and management strategies, and more.This episode of Disease Du Jour is brought to you by Equithrive.GUESTS AND LINKS - EPISODE 181:Host: Carly Sisson (Digital Content Manager) of EquiManagement | Email Carly (CSisson@equinenetwork.com)Guest: Dr. Kaycie Hatcher, DVMPodcast Website: Disease Du JourThis episode of Disease Du Jour podcast is brought to you by Equithrive.Connect with the Host: Carly Sisson (Digital Content Manager) of EquiManagement | Email Carly (CSisson@equinenetwork.com)
In this episode, Kaycie Hatcher, DVM, joined us to discuss upper respiratory disorders in horses. She talked about common disorders she encounters in practice, her approach to building a differential diagnosis list, treatment and management strategies, and more.This episode of Disease Du Jour is brought to you by Equithrive.GUESTS AND LINKS - EPISODE 181:Host: Carly Sisson (Digital Content Manager) of EquiManagement | Email Carly (CSisson@equinenetwork.com)Guest: Dr. Kaycie Hatcher, DVMPodcast Website: Disease Du JourThis episode of Disease Du Jour podcast is brought to you by Equithrive.Connect with the Host: Carly Sisson (Digital Content Manager) of EquiManagement | Email Carly (CSisson@equinenetwork.com)
In this episode, we sit down with mentorship program participants Jon Casto, SRNA and Abigail Poss, SRNA, to find out what surprised them, what inspired them, and what they wish every future CRNA knew before attending AANA Mid-Year Assembly Stepping into a national conference for the first time can feel overwhelming but it can also be the moment everything clicks. You'll hear real experiences from residents navigating their first major professional event, how mentorship accelerates growth, and why getting involved sooner rather than later can open doors you didn't even know existed. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
On this week's episode, Cyrus and Nick host a spirited discussion with Drs. Rory Spiegel and Max Hockstein where we debate the merits of Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV). What's the rationale for this? When is it appropriate? IS it appropriate… or is it witchcraft? Is it physiologically foolish or a perfectly logical option for hypoxemic respiratory failure? Good for all comer, good for a subset or does it belong with the vials of succinylcholine and DL blades? We may not have all the answers but on this episode we do our best to explore this ventilator mode and help you decide whether the juice is worth the squeeze! Check us out and let us know YOUR feelings while leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if your chronic symptoms aren't random… but rooted in your airway?In this episode, Dr. Rachel sits down with Dr. Bahar Esmaili—aka the “Airway Queen”—to expose what modern dentistry is getting completely wrong.After realizing that “teeth don't walk into the clinic alone,” Dr. Bahar shifted from traditional dentistry to a powerful, whole-body approach—connecting the mouth, posture, nervous system, and airway to true healing.They break down how poor breathing, jaw misalignment, and airway dysfunction can quietly drive issues like sleep disturbances, nervous system dysregulation, and even childhood development challenges—and why straight teeth don't always mean a healthy body.This conversation goes deeper than clinical insight. Dr. Bahar shares the personal turning point—her daughter's health—that led her to challenge conventional medicine and build a new paradigm rooted in airway dentistry, structural alignment, and faith-based healing.From simple breathing and posture tools to advanced airway expansion, this episode will change how you think about health:Healing isn't about isolated fixes—it's about restoring connection in the entire body.And the best part? It's never too late to start.If your airway is affecting more than you think… comment ‘AIRWAY' and share this with someone who needs to hear it.About Dr. Bahar EsmailiDr. Bahar Esmaili is a pioneering airway-focused dentist and educator known for her integrative approach to healing. Often referred to as the “Airway Queen,” she bridges the gap between dentistry, posture, nervous system regulation, and whole-body health.Driven by both clinical experience and personal transformation, Dr. Bahar has developed a unique system that goes beyond traditional dentistry, helping patients restore alignment, improve breathing, and unlock the body's natural ability to heal. She is also deeply rooted in faith-based principles, which guide her approach to both healing and purpose.Connect with Dr. Bahar Esmaili:Connect with Dr. Bahar Esmaili:Instagram: @theairwayqueenYouTube: @TheAirwayArchitectPodcast: If Your Mouth Could TalkWebsite: airwayarchitect.com
Airway management hasn't changed much in decades but that doesn't mean it can't be improved. As more procedures move into outpatient settings and deep sedation becomes more common, the need for better oxygen delivery and reliable monitoring has never been more important. That's where the Aeris Airways device comes in. It's a simple but powerful innovation designed to enhance standard airway tools, and we're diving into it with Cody Birch, CRNA and Airways Innovations Co-Founder, and Diana Lugo Imus, DNAP, CRNA. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
Send us Fan MailWhen sleep is fragmented by mouth breathing or a restricted airway, the ripple effects can show up as cavities, restless sleep, drooling, picky eating, speech concerns, bedwetting, and ADHD-like behavior in kids. Speaking of Women's Health Podcast host Dr. Holly Thacker interviews Dr. Rachel Rosen, DDS, a board-certified pediatric dentist and a Breathe Institute affiliate in Ohio, to connect the dots between airway, oral function, and whole-body health from infancy through adolescence. They talk through what modern pediatric airway screening should look like and why a quick glance at tonsils or a single referral often misses the bigger picture. Dr. Rosen explains how mouth breathing dries the mouth, drives tooth decay, and why the end goal stays simple: tongue up, lips sealed, and healthy nasal breathing. You'll also hear practical, parent-friendly guidance on what to watch for at home, why symptoms can peak deep in REM sleep, and how inflammation, allergens, and diet can worsen the cycle. If you're looking for more information, follow Dr. Rosen on Instagram or Facebook or visit greatbeginningspd.com.Diet culture, you've met your scientific match.Debunking wellness trends, fitness fads, and diet culture with science. Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show
Brews and Tiny Teeth, The Unfiltered Pediatric Dentistry Podcast
Dr. Gerry Samson is a dual-trained pediatric/ortho legend and founder of Gnathos, a continuing education platform teaching pediatric dentists valuable orthodontic skills. He practiced for 40+ years and continues to lecture and teach at various institutions. His list of accolades is too extensive to list so just trust me on this... he knows a thing or two about occlusion and the growing dentition. I invited him to come on the podcast and talk about a controversial topic of his choice, so we settled on airway dentistry in pediatric patients. Some of the things we discuss:- Sleep disordered breathing- Should we be referring kids for tonsillectomies?- The value of a second opinion to limit liability- Communication tips for parents- Structuring relationship with pediatricians - Are we over-treating tongue and lip ties?
For CRNA students, everything can come down to one moment: the board exam. But is it fair to measure years of training, clinical experience, and growth with a single high-stakes test? In this episode, Joshua Olson DNP, CRNA, CRNA educator, and co-creator of the Ollivate app, joins Erin and Louisa to discuss board prep and the use of artificial intelligence in CRNA education. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
What if I told you the smartest way to approach airway isn't to become the hero in the room — it's to become the gatekeeper who knows exactly when, where, and how to refer?In this episode of 5 Minute Friday, I tackle one of the most polarizing conversations in orthodontics: airway and sleep-disordered breathing. There's so much noise, ego, and misinformation around this topic that a lot of orthodontists either jump in too aggressively or back away completely. My take is simple: neither extreme serves patients well. We don't need to diagnose everything ourselves — but we do need to know enough to recognize red flags, evaluate the orthodontic pieces we are responsible for, and collaborate with the right interdisciplinary team.Quotes“We are part of a bigger puzzle. We're just one piece and if we work together with the science and our referral base, we'll be able to treat people really, really well.” — Dr. Glenn Krieger“We need to be gatekeepers and we need to work with ENTs and oral surgeons and myofunctional therapists and pediatric dentists.” — Dr. Glenn KriegerKey TakeawaysIntro (00:00)Why the airway conversation has become so overblown in orthodontics (00:25)Why orthodontists should be gatekeepers — not lone diagnosticians (00:46)The real problem with extreme pro-airway vs. anti-airway positions (02:17)How to use symptoms, occlusion, anatomy, and CBCT responsibly (04:55)When to treat the occlusion and when to refer to the interdisciplinary team (06:11)Why ENTs, oral surgeons, myofunctional therapists, and radiologists matter (06:32)What Dr. Krieger's Scottsdale airway course will teach orthodontists and teams (06:43)Why collaborative care creates better outcomes than ideology ever will (08:24)A real example of how orthodontic-ENT collaboration changed a child's life (10:08)Additional ResourcesI've seen firsthand how airway and sleep-disordered breathing can become one of the most rewarding parts of an orthodontic practice — but only when we stay in our lane, know what we're looking at, and work with the right team. If you want to learn how to evaluate these cases more thoughtfully, collaborate more effectively, and treat patients with greater confidence, keep an eye out for the upcoming airway and sleep-disordered breathing meeting in Scottsdale. And if you want to learn more about Orthopreneurs RD, message me directly.Register for the Make More Money Meeting: https://ortho4m.com/home - For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/
Croup is a clinical syndrome of upper airway obstruction defined by barking cough, stridor, and hoarseness. Management hinges on severity assessment, universal corticosteroid use, and selective epinephrine. The key clinical task is distinguishing typical croup from high-risk mimics that require urgent airway intervention. Learning Objectives Differentiate croup from other causes of pediatric upper airway obstruction using key historical and physical exam features. Apply a severity-based approach to croup management, including appropriate use of corticosteroids and nebulized epinephrine. Recognize clinical features that suggest alternative or life-threatening diagnoses requiring escalation of care. References Cooke A, Conway S, Griffin L. Croup: Rapid Evidence Review. Am Fam Physician. 2026;113(3):254-258. Gates A, Johnson DW, Klassen TP. Glucocorticoids for Croup in Children. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(6):595-596. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0834 Bjornson CL, Klassen TP, Williamson J, et al. A Randomized Trial of a Single Dose of Oral Dexamethasone for Mild Croup. N Engl J Med. 2004;351(13):1306-1313. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa033534 Bjornson CL, Johnson DW. Croup. Lancet. 2008;371(9609):329-339. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60170-1 Bjornson C, Russell K, Vandermeer B, Klassen TP, Johnson DW. Nebulized Epinephrine for Croup in Children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(10):CD006619. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006619.pub3 Transcript This transcript was generated using Descript and subsequently reviewed and lightly edited for spelling, grammar, and clarity. Minor inaccuracies may remain, and the audio recording should be considered the definitive version of this content. Welcome to PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast. As always, I'm your host, Brad Sobolewski. And today we're gonna talk about croup. We're gonna focus on diagnosis, severity based management, and how to differentiate it from scarier high risk conditions that may present similarly, but behave very differently. So croup is best understood as a clinical syndrome of upper airway obstruction caused by inflammation at the level of the larynx and subglottis. So in most cases this is viral laryngotracheitis, most commonly due to parainfluenza virus. But as you'd expect multiple viruses can cause it. The subglottis is the narrowest portion of the pediatric airway. So even small amounts of edema create large increases in airway resistance. So that's why the clinical picture is so consistent. You've got inspiratory stridor, hoarseness, and that characteristic barking cough, which either sounds like a seal or a dog, and yes, of course, I know the difference between the two coughs because I was a biology major. This is primarily a disease of children between six months and three years of age with a peak incidence in the second year of life. It's really, really common, like one and a half percent of all ED visits, maybe 350,000 visits a year, and 85% of these kids have mild disease. Hospitalization is rare. The range is variable, about two to 8% of cases, and return visits occur in about three to 5%. Fewer than 1% of children, a lot fewer, require intensive care or airway intervention. Honestly, most kids do really well. The ones who don't can get sick very quickly, and that's been my clinical experience. In the Northern Hemisphere, we see croup throughout the fall and winter, usually starting in around November and sort of tapering off by April. But that being said, I've seen croup-like symptoms every month of the year over the past couple of decades. Croup is absolutely a classic clinical diagnosis. A typical case begins with 12 to 48 hours of viral prodrome, you know, body aches, fever, congestion, cough, followed by often abrupt nighttime onset of barky cough and stridor. Symptoms fluctuate, and they're generally worse with agitation and get better when the kid is calm. That variability is the key feature. So what you'll have is a child who wakes up after sleeping for a few hours with a barky cough and then noisy stridor. This freaks parents out, and this is not hyperbole. There's this little center in the back of your brain that's like, please don't stop breathing and die. So appropriately, they're worried about the kid, they call emergency medical services, they bring them to the emergency department, and by and large, by the time they get there, the stridor has resolved. The kid is calm, and parents will say, I swear he looked a lot worse at home. Trust me, we believe you parents, this is what croup does. When I'm taking a history of croup, I get all of these details. Are there any sick contacts? If the parents are worried about a foreign body inhalation or ingestion, then I'm worried about a foreign body inhalation or ingestion. Listen to the lungs, inspect their airway. Always check the ears for concomitant otitis and I'll feel their trachea. I'll actually grab and hold the trachea and move it. Kids with croup really don't have a painful trachea. Kids with bacterial tracheitis, aside from looking more toxic, actually have a lot of pain when they move their trachea. Testing for croup is generally unnecessary. Labs and viral studies do not change management, and imaging is really reserved for atypical presentations or when you're considering an alternative diagnosis like a foreign body. If you do get an X-ray, what you're looking for is the classic steeple sign on the AP view. It is seen in croup, but it's not 100% sensitive nor specific. Once you've made the diagnosis of croup, it's important to assess severity, and remember that I said that most kids are mild. So mild croup is defined by the absence of stridor at rest. So they may have some stridor when they're upset or even a little bit of hoarseness or noise. It's important to listen to many, many children with croup to get a sense of this. Moderate croup includes stridor at rest with mild to moderate retractions. So at rest means that the child is in a position of comfort. They're calm with a parent, and they've generally been that way for about 10 to 15 minutes. Sometimes that's how long it can take for the stridor to dissipate once you get the kid calm. Severe croup, which is fortunately rare, involves marked work of breathing, agitation, fatigue, need for oxygen, altered mental status, and this aligns with the Westley croup score. It formalizes stridor, retractions, air entry, cyanosis, and mental status. But really, in practice, most of us get very good at bedside assessment of croup. Management of croup starts with corticosteroids. This is one of the highest-yield interventions that we have in pediatric emergency medicine. Every child with croup should receive dexamethasone. Typically 0.6 milligram per kilogram as a single dose up to a maximum of 10 milligrams. Some places will use 0.15 milligram per kilogram. Locally, we often give the IV formulation orally. It's 10 milligrams per mL. Tastes bad, but pairs reasonably well with apple juice. The oral suspension is 1 milligram per mL, tastes terrible, and pairs nicely with being spit on the ground by toddlers. The evidence behind dexamethasone is very robust. The main benefit is that it reduces return visits and hospital readmissions by about half, and those return visits include doctor's offices and emergency departments. In a Cochrane review of 1,679 children, glucocorticoids reduce return visits or readmissions with a risk ratio of 0.52, so that translates to a number needed to treat of seven. I've certainly seen seven or more croup kids during one shift, so for every seven children treated with dexamethasone, one return visit is prevented. Symptom improvement begins within about two hours and lasts at least 24 hours, but maybe up to a couple of days. Hospital length of stay for kids that get steroids is reduced by an average of 15 hours as well. Serious adverse events are rare. It's well tolerated, and other than the taste, kids do fine with it. And importantly, the benefit is consistent across all severities of croup, mild, moderate, and severe. So when you explain this to families who are very scared about their kids, but now their kid is looking better and you're only giving them a single medicine, not doing any tests or X-rays or anything, I think you have to frame the medicine in terms of what it's going to do for them over the next couple of days. So one way of explaining this to families would be to say something like this is a steroid called dexamethasone. It reduces the swelling in your child's airway that's causing the barky cough and noisy breathing. Most children start feeling better within a couple of hours, and the benefit lasts at least a full day, if not longer. Without this medicine, about one in five children need to come back because symptoms get worse again. You really get two bad days with croup in most cases. With this medicine, the risk of returning drops to about one in 10, so it cuts the chance of coming back in half. We can expect your child's cough to start improving over the next day or two. Most children are feeling a lot better within 48 hours, though a little bit of hoarseness and cough can last for a week to about 10 days. So it's possible that when your child goes to sleep later tonight, they may experience that barking cough and noisy breathing again. They're almost certainly going to be upset. The steroid blunts enough of the swelling so that you are much more likely to have them free of distress and stridor, that noisy breathing, once you get them calm. So if they're upset, get them calm, and if in about 10 minutes the stridor and noisy breathing get better, that's the dexamethasone doing its job and you can safely stay home. For children with moderate or severe croup, we're gonna use nebulized racemic epinephrine. It works fast by reducing airway edema by constricting inflamed blood vessels. You'll see improvement in stridor and work of breathing often within 30 minutes. The effect is transient and largely gone by about two hours, and you need to do a structured reassessment at about 30 minutes after the racemic epinephrine. If the child's clearly better, continue that observation for up to two hours. If they're unchanged or worse, repeat the epinephrine and start thinking more carefully about your diagnosis and disposition. Because it's got such a short duration, that two hours after treatment is the most common time period, though some institutions and some children will need to be observed a little bit longer. If they remain well appearing with no stridor at rest, normal oxygenation, minimal work of breathing, and they can tolerate oral fluids, they can be discharged. If symptoms recur, they require repeated epinephrine, or they fail to improve, then you may have to escalate care and consider admission. Honestly, with croup, supportive care is still one of the most important things. You gotta keep kids calm by minimizing agitation. Parents are experts at this with their own children. Agitation worsens airway obstruction. Airway resistance is fourfold greater when the kid's upset. Give oxygen if the kid's hypoxic. Fortunately, this is rare. Antipyretics and fluids are great, do them. Humidified air has not been shown to provide meaningful benefit, and obviously we should avoid sedatives because they can suppress respiratory drive without improving airway patency. Many parents will say that their kid was better when they were exposed to cool air or mist in the shower. Those can help, but honestly, don't stick your kid's head in the freezer if it upsets them. Keep them calm, hold them, and comfort them. Alright, croup, barking cough, stridor, variable symptoms, easy, right? There are some other diagnoses that can mimic this or overlap that you shouldn't miss. Spasmodic croup is a related phenotype. You've got sudden nighttime onset, often minimal prodrome, and recurrent episodes. These kids are typically well between episodes, and the pattern becomes more apparent over time. Some kids will bark with every mild cold or stuffy nose up until about eight or nine, but they usually don't have stridor and respiratory distress. Bacterial tracheitis is progression to a more severe and dangerous airway infection. These children often start with viral symptoms and then rapidly worsen. They've got a high fever, they appear toxic. Most importantly, they fail to respond to standard croup therapy. Toxic appearance plus lack of response should immediately shift your diagnostic reasoning. These kids may have a lot of pain when you grab and move their trachea. The cough can be more junky because again, they've got purulent mucus in their trachea. Epiglottitis is defined by the absence of barking cough and the presence of drooling, dysphagia, and tripod positioning. These children are very anxious, they're very ill, their airway is at risk, and so your immediate priority is keeping them calm and having the airway managed in the safest environment, generally the operating room. Deep neck space infections, including retropharyngeal cellulitis and abscesses and peritonsillar abscesses, present with fever, neck stiffness, sometimes even torticollis, and lymphadenopathy. Kids won't really have a barky cough and the exam localizes to the neck rather than the airway alone. Acute foreign body aspiration presents with sudden onset symptoms, no viral prodrome, no barking cough, and sometimes some asymmetric exam findings. The diagnosis is frequently missed when clinicians anchor too early on croup. If you have an esophageal foreign body, remember that 70% of these get stuck at the thoracic inlet. So always think about a kid who sounded like they had croup and got croup treatments, but also has some swallowing issues and is the right age to put things in their mouth. This is when you see coins and button batteries and other things stuck not in the upper airway, but in the esophagus right behind it. Alright, now when it comes to disposition, most kids with croup are gonna be sent home. Children who improve, they have no stridor at rest, minimal work of breathing, can be discharged home with clear return precautions. Those with persistent symptoms, need for repeated racemic epinephrine, hypoxia, or concerning features should be admitted. For kids who continue to worsen despite standard therapy, escalation includes high-flow nasal cannula, noninvasive ventilation as a bridge. Heliox can be used as a temporizing measure to reduce work of breathing. Fortunately, needing to intubate a child with croup is rare, but when it's needed, it can be challenging due to subglottic narrowing. You need the best proceduralists, and you should downsize your endotracheal tube by 0.5 to 1 millimeter smaller than usual. And I'll reiterate this again. The natural course of croup is really favorable for most kids. The fear's not gonna go away for the parents, this is a scary diagnosis, but I think with some reassurance, we can help them understand that this is something that is unlikely to cause significant problems and will get better. Most kids improve significantly within 48 hours, though like any other respiratory illness, symptoms can persist for a week or so. Severe outcomes are fortunately rare, and they almost always occur in children whose severity or alternative diagnosis was not recognized early. So again, here's my take-home points. Croup is a clinical diagnosis. Severity determines your management. Steroids, dexamethasone, should be given to all patients. Racemic epinephrine is used for moderate to severe disease with mandatory reassessment and observation. And most importantly, always reassess the diagnosis when the presentation does not fit the expected patterns. Things can get rough when you're barking up the wrong tree and thinking it's croup when it's actually something else. Well, I hope you enjoyed this episode on honestly one of the most classic conditions that we see in the pediatric emergency department. If you've got any feedback on the episode, send it my way. As the kids would say, like, rate, and review. I would love it if you left a review on your favorite podcast site. It helps more people find the show. I do this as a labor of love because I enjoy teaching, and I think that this is a wonderful way to reach my colleagues and learners. If you've got suggestions on other topics or episodes, I'd love to hear them. For PEM Currents: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Podcast, this has been Brad Sobolewski. See you next time.
This week, we are talking about the busiest "real estate" in the human body, the neck. Dr. Tali Lando, a pediatric otolaryngologist who spends her days (and many terrifying nights) operating on the tiny, fragile airways of babies and children, joins us to talk about being chased by police while rushing to an emergency to the precision required to remove a peanut from a toddler's lung, Dr. Lando shares what it's really like to live on the brink of medical catastrophe. The conversation dives into the "turf wars" of emergency intubation and why Dr. Lando has zero hubris about telling everyone else to get out of the way when a child can't breathe. She also reveals the inspiration behind her new book, Breathless, including the bizarre Saturday night case of the "cocaine condom" and the structural parallels between a surgery "timeout" and the life lessons learned in the OR. Beyond the high-stakes surgeries, we discuss the heavy toll of the "surgeon's psyche". Dr. Lando opens up about her personal battle with stage 3C breast cancer and why the medical system's tendency to prioritize risk management over physician mental health is a systemic failure. Takeaways: The specific reason Dr. Lando once encouraged a police officer to chase her all the way to the hospital. Why the "Pants Patient" is the most feared phrase in a consultant's vocabulary. The "Eureka moment" in a shower that led to a surgical book structured like a medical "timeout". Why Dr. Lando believes surgeons should stop "compartmentalizing" and start practicing "emotional regulation". The miracle of nebulized TXA and how it's turning surgical "murder scenes" into stable recoveries. Want more Dr. Tali Lando: @drtalilando — To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com Can't get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/ If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken If you want more information on models I use: Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15 -- A friendly reminder from the G's and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information. Produced by Human Content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this Part 2 or our 2-part EM Cases podcast series on Cardiac Arrest Update, Dr. Sheldon Cheskes and Dr. Rob Simard take us beyond the algorithms and into the real-world decision-making of cardiac arrest care. We answer questions like: Do vasopressin and steroids improve survival or just ROSC? Should we be giving amiodarone earlier—and is lidocaine just as good? When should we use calcium, bicarbonate, or magnesium, and when should we avoid them? What role does ketamine play in CPR-induced consciousness? How should we choose between supraglottic airways and endotracheal intubation? What are the pitfalls of waveform capnography (ETCO2) to help guide CPR quality, detect ROSC, and inform prognosis? What is the role of PoCUS and TEE during cardiac arrest? When should we terminate resuscitation—and how do ETCO2 and POCUS factor into that decision? Should we widen the criteria to consider thrombolytics and who should go to the cath lab, and should we be ordering whole-body CT after ROSC for everyone who isn't going to the cath lab or getting ECMO? And finally, what are the key post-ROSC targets that actually impact neurologic outcomes in cardiac arrest patients? and many more...Please consider a donation to EM Cases to support ongoing high quality Free Open Access Medical Education https://emergencymedicinecases.com/donation/
What if learning could be both highly effective and a genuinely fun experience? In this episode, we explore an innovative approach to CRNA education that blends simulation, competition, and teamwork to create deeper engagement and better outcomes for students. AANA Chief Science & Practice Officer Shayne Hauglum, PhD, CRNA, APRN, joins the show to share how “Sim Wars” is reshaping the way students learn by focusing on communication, leadership, and team dynamics instead of just technical skills. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
In this episode, I sit down with Kara Pfister, a speech-language pathologist and certified orofacial myofunctional therapist, to unpack one of the most misunderstood—and underutilized—areas in orthodontics: function. We break down what myofunctional therapy actually is, when you should be referring (and when you shouldn't), and why working without a team is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in modern orthodontics.If you've ever wondered why some cases relapse, why certain patients struggle with expansion or open bites, or how to actually build a referral network that improves outcomes—not just checkboxes—this episode will give you practical, real-world insight you can apply immediately. More importantly, it might completely change how you view your role as an orthodontist—not just as a tooth mover, but as a gatekeeper for long-term function and health.Quotes“We're not just fixing speech—we're often preventing bigger problems before they even start.” — Kara Pfister“If they release the tongue without addressing function… it's like doing surgery on a hip and expecting someone to just walk again.” — Kara PfisterKey TakeawaysIntro (00:00)Why orthodontists must act as “gatekeepers” for function (00:30)What a myofunctional therapist actually does (01:17)Why most speech issues aren't being caught early enough (02:46)The real causes: airway, tongue tie, and oral habits (14:35)Why school speech screenings often miss these problems (13:04)How to identify when to refer (31:22)The truth about tongue ties—when they matter (29:53)Why releasing a tongue tie without therapy fails (30:58)Expansion vs. tongue tie timing—what comes first (36:17)How improper function leads to relapse (34:49)Building a referral team that actually works (40:51)Where to find qualified myofunctional therapists (44:11)Additional ResourcesIf you're serious about improving outcomes—not just finishing cases—you need to stop working in isolation.Start by building your team:Find a qualified myofunctional therapist through https://iaom.com (International Association of Orofacial Myology)Connect with specialists (ENTs, oral surgeons, therapists) who share your philosophyAnd if you want to reach Kara directly:
The world of myofunctional therapy is currently seeing a surge in "preformed appliances"—ready-made mouthpieces designed to guide dental growth and improve breathing. But are they a silver bullet or a systemic shortcut?In this episode, Hallie Bulkin is joined by the legendary Autumn Henning to pull back the curtain on these tools. From hygiene concerns like mold growth to the physiological risks of "cookie-cutter" treatment, this conversation is a must-listen for any therapist or parent considering an appliance-based approach. They dive deep into why a multidisciplinary team and a holistic view of the "Integrated System" are the only ways to achieve lasting functional outcomes.Key Topics & TakeawaysThe "Cookie-Cutter" Limitation: Why a one-size-fits-all appliance can lead to compensation rather than correction.The Hygiene Factor: A frank discussion on mold growth, dyes, and sensitivities in pediatric appliances.Airway First, Always: Why comprehensive imaging and evaluation must precede any device being placed in a child's mouth.The Multidisciplinary Team: Understanding the roles of SLPs, myofunctional therapists, and airway-aware dentists in a successful "Integrated System."Financial Reality: Assessing the cost, durability, and true clinical value of these devices versus functional therapy.Key Soundbites"Kids can bite through these appliances in 24 hours. We have to look at the durability and the 'why' behind that force.""We can't treat in silos; the system is integrated. If you move the jaw without looking at the airway, you're missing the big picture.""Don't dismiss treatment based on a diagnosis alone. Early intervention and the right team can change a child's entire facial development trajectory."Timestamped Chapters00:00 – Introduction and Guest Credibility01:54 – How Preformed Appliances Work vs. Case Selection06:16 – The Hidden Issues: Mold Growth and Appliance Hygiene10:01 – The Necessity of Comprehensive Evaluation and Imaging16:34 – Building a Multidisciplinary Team for Holistic Success27:20 – Sleep Disordered Breathing and Neurodevelopmental Impacts41:26 – Autumn Henning's Program Updates: TOTS Gold & Feed the PedsWORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEYWhy We Can't Ignore the Airway in Pediatric Feeding TherapyEpisode 309: 5 Airway Health Tips for Children with Hallie BulkinSTAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICE
What if CRNA students could practice critical anesthesia skills over and over again without limits, without pressure, and without risking patient safety? In this episode of Airway Exchange, Louisa and Erin explore how virtual reality is transforming nurse anesthesia education. Joined by Katie Cole, DNP, CRNA, CHSE and Kelly Wiltse Nicely, PhD, CRNA from Emory University, we'll dive into how VR simulation is being integrated into training for foundational skills like intubation, induction sequences, and anesthesia gas machine operation. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:
The foundation of health isn't just how we move or eat—it's how we breathe.In this milestone episode, Hallie Bulkin is joined by certified practitioner Kaitlyn Shrum to pull back the curtain on the Buteyko Method. While many view breathing as a passive act, this deep dive reveals how functional breathing is the literal bedrock of speech, feeding, and cognitive development.From addressing the root causes of sleep apnea to navigating the "Physiological Pyramid," Hallie and Kaitlyn discuss why speech pathologists and myofunctional therapists must look beyond the mouth and into the airway to achieve lasting clinical results.Key TakeawaysThe Buteyko Blueprint: Understanding the science behind Dr. Konstantin Buteyko's method and how it recalibrates the body's breathing patterns.The Physiological Pyramid: Why airway and breathing form the base of the pyramid, supporting sleep, feeding, and—finally—speech at the very top.Beyond the Mask: How breathwork addresses physiological triggers like pharyngeal critical closing and arousal thresholds that CPAPs or surgery alone might miss.The "Stalled" Patient: Why children often plateau in traditional speech therapy when an underlying airway or tongue-tie issue remains unaddressed.A Holistic Shift: Moving from treating symptoms to managing the "Root Cause" of speech and developmental disorders.Key Soundbites"Breathing is the foundation. If the base of the pyramid is crumbling, everything above it—sleep, feeding, speech—is at risk.""We have to stop treating the mouth in isolation and start treating the human being as a respiratory system.""Proper airway management is the difference between a child struggling for years and a child finally finding their voice."WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEYWhy We Can't Ignore the Airway in Pediatric Feeding TherapyAirway First: The Pediatric Dentist's Essential Role in Treating Tongue Ties and Growth IssuesSTAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICE