Functional Oral Health

02/09/2026

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day week & spreading the love through awareness… 💕👅

Check your tongue!

Quick self-check (do this in front of a mirror):

1. Open your mouth comfortably wide with your tongue flat/down (relaxed position).

2. Now lift your tongue high—aim for the roof of your mouth, right behind your front teeth.

• Can you reach it easily?

• How far do you have to close your mouth to make contact?

• Very little / almost no closure (great—likely good mobility!)

• About 50% closure

• Almost closing your teeth together

• Or is it hard to lift your tongue high at all?

If you need significant closure, strain, or can’t get there comfortably… this is a key red flag 🚩 that there could be an underlying tongue tie restriction (ankyloglossia).

This can quietly impact:

• Proper tongue resting posture (high on the palate for optimal oral rest)

• Sleep quality (e.g., snoring, mouth breathing, or apnea concerns)

• Breathing patterns

• Jaw/neck tension

• And more (like swallowing, speech, or even overall posture/energy)

You’re not alone—many adults discover this later in life!

Reach out to a myofunctional therapist (in-person near you or virtually) to get clarity on next steps for you or your child.

They can assess function properly and guide you.

I’m available for initial consultations—book directly on my website:
www.functionaloralhealth.ca
(or click the link in bio )

To find a myofunctional therapist local to you,
check these trusted directories:

• Airway Circle →

• AOMT → .aomt

• IAOM →

Knowledge is power—and taking this small step could make a big difference in how you feel. 💪❤️

Tag someone who might benefit, and share your results below (no judgment—just curiosity!).

Let’s spread awareness and better health this week!

02/09/2026

Preview from my episode with !
Episode 199 on the Kid Carson Show.

Why I’m VERY cautious about recommending lip taping!

Check it out for more information on airway centric dentistry, myofunctional therapy & biological dentistry!

02/09/2026

Preview from my episode with !
Episode 199 on the Kid Carson Show.
Check it out for more information on airway centric dentistry, myofunctional therapy & biological dentistry!

02/08/2026

A 20-Year-Old Idea That Still Powers My Workouts Today

About 20 years ago at an LVI conference, I first learned about Dr. Anil Makkar’s Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM)—a neuromuscular device that optimizes jaw position for better strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance.

I was able to go to this lecture with my dad (a retired NM neuromuscular dentist, and it transformed how I saw how jaw positioning can positively & negatively impact fitness.

He made me a PPM, which I used for half and full marathons—noticeably improving posture, reducing neck/shoulder fatigue, which improved my endurance.

Back then, the concept felt revolutionary and ahead of its time. The world wasn’t fully ready.

Now?

It’s gaining traction—science and athletes recognize jaw alignment’s role in performance.

Seeing Dr. Makkar’s work (via New Age Performance) on Dragons’ Den sharing a similar philosophy of how I still use my PPM in the gym for heavy lifts and HIIT workouts.

As a myofunctional therapist today, I draw on these neuromuscular principles to help clients with breathing, tongue posture, and overall function.

Thank you, Dr. Makkar, for pioneering this concept.

Your ideas didn’t just inspire a lecture—they shaped my running years, my training, and my practice helping others move better.

If you’re into performance optimization, explore neuromuscular dentistry custom mouthguards.

Small alignment = big gains. 💪🦷
Grateful for trailblazers.

Discount code for 15% off: getnewage

02/07/2026

2-Year Transformation Magic! ✨🦷🧍‍♀️

February 2024 → February 2026

(Started at age 10, absolutely thriving at 12!) 🚀

So incredibly proud of this incredible kid and their amazing, supportive family ❤️🙌

Over the last 2 years, their determination + our teamwork with an airway-centric approach changed everything:

🌿 ALF therapy

😊Myobrace

💪Myomunchee

Now, with just one last baby tooth on top, that beautiful canine has plenty of room to erupt naturally—no crowding drama! 🦷✨

First photos: initial consultation

Last photos: today’s final appointment 🎉

Even the recent changes (slides from July 2025 → Feb 2026, just 6 months) show how the smallest shifts create the BIGGEST impact 🌟

Proof that early, holistic guidance works wonders. Grateful to witness this journey! 🥹💙

Thank you for letting me share this case!

*Mom & child gave consent to share these photos

HealthySmileJourney TransformationTuesday PediatricDentistry GrowthGuidance SmileTransformatio

02/06/2026

Common Questions I Hear Daily from Families

I receive these questions every day from parents and patients…

Why is my child recommended to wait for braces until all their adult teeth come in, around 11-12 years of age?

Why am I hearing about tongue ties, airway concerns, and crowded teeth for the first time as an adult, even though I’ve been seeing my dentist and dental hygienist for years?

Why have I gone through the orthodontic process as a teen or adult (sometimes multiple times) without anyone explaining how an airway-centric approach could have made a difference?

I’ve seen my medical doctor, ENT specialist, and sleep physician for myself and/or my child, and no one has discussed the concerns you’re bringing up—why?

How have the medical and dental systems dropped the ball on assessing airway health and supporting children’s growth guidance?

I’m so frustrated that this was missed for so many years!!!!!

Unfortunately, these are the conversations I have daily with families and parents.

After a consultation with me, the dots often start to connect for them.

The reason more medical and dental professionals aren’t having these conversations is a lack of education.

We weren’t taught to look for these issues in school, nor were we given guidance on how to address them or which providers to collaborate with.

Dentistry operates as a silo in healthcare, disconnecting what’s happening in the mouth from the rest of the body.

Connecting these silos requires years of additional education that’s expensive and time-consuming, often taking time away from family and friends. Many of the professionals I work with are incredibly passionate but also experience burnout when starting this learning process—and even years into it. It takes time to learn while creating a balance to continue offering these services to our local and international communities.

I truly appreciate the providers I collaborate with, as we’re a dedicated group that commits significant time outside of clinic hours to elevate this rapidly evolving field.

02/06/2026

My episode with Kid Carson launched last night! (Kid Carson Show Episode 199)

We dive into airway-centric and biological dentistry, and how to support the development of healthy faces naturally in children.

It all starts with how we breathe and function at birth—and how our modern world impacts growth and development as we age. We also talk about what you can do to positively influence this when working with young children.

02/02/2026

02/02/2026

A few years ago, I had a profound conversation with my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Mary Bourke at Myomunchee headquarters in New Castle, Australia.

I was venting my frustrations about expansion devices, orthodontic relapse, myofunctional therapies effectiveness and how even an “airway-centric” approaches still felt incomplete—like key pieces were missing from the procedures and philosophies out there.

Then she said something that hit me hard.

When I shared a photo from 2021, she replied:
“It’s not about the teeth. It’s always been about developing the face as nature intended… but we keep getting in the way.”

That moment shifted everything. I finally understood why it’s so hard for dental professionals and parents to grasp this concept.

We’re conditioned to see an orthodontist solely to “move teeth,” while ignoring the rest of the body.

But when we shift to a true airway-centric approach—collaborating with a team that allows the body to unwind, heal, and grow organically—real change happens naturally.

That’s exactly why I’ve always loved starting with the MyoMunchee.

People often get confused and compare it to those hard plastic appliances from the dentist, asking “Which one is better?”

They’re completely different tools with different goals.

The MyoMunchee is a soft, silicone chewing device designed to strengthen the muscles of the lips, face, and jaws through natural chewing (starting with just 10 minutes a day).

It supports proper tongue posture, nasal breathing, swallow patterns, and facial development—as nature intended.

Hard plastic appliances focus more on growth guidance. Supporting forward movement of the jaws when the tongue posture is high on the roof of the mouth. Chewing is not recommended with these devices or they lose their effectiveness.

They can actually complement each other beautifully… when guided by a provider who truly understands functional, holistic care.

It’s not about forcing change. It’s about getting out of the way and letting the body do what it’s built to do.
🌿

02/02/2026

When working with a myofunctional therapist, we can help you spot signs in your child that you might not notice, such as:

• Mouth breathing
• Enlarged tonsils
• Narrow jaws and faces not growing forward including tight & crowded teeth
• Rounding in the shoulders
• Head forward posture
• Alignment issues in the shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet

We don’t address the full structure ourselves, but we’re great at referring you to the right professionals who can help.

Every child is unique, so there’s no one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter process.

Start by finding a myofunctional therapist in your area (check these internal directories: Airway Circle, AOMT & IAOM), or click the link in my bio to schedule a virtual consultation to learn more