In this two-hour roundtable recorded at a global airway, breathing, and sleep conference, Howard Farran sits down with three of the field's most passionate voices: Dr. Toshi Hart, Diplomate and President-Elect of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy; Dr. Kimberly Ann Meyer, current President of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain; and Dr. Mark Levi, a Sydney-based diplomate who turned his own severe sleep apnea diagnosis into a career treating children.
The conversation centers on a provocative idea: that the malocclusion, crowded teeth, and breathing problems flooding modern dental practices stem from generations of underdeveloped jaws — driven by softer diets, less nursing, and mouth breathing. Dr. Hart shares how a single 45-minute lecture on craniofacial epigenetics redirected her career, leading to a study in which guided growth appliances produced a 76% reduction in decay. Dr. Levi makes the case for early intervention in children as young as three, explaining why the window to influence facial growth closes far earlier than most clinicians realize. Dr. Meyer connects the dots between nasal breathing, nitric oxide, tongue posture, tonsils and adenoids, and the cascade of downstream effects on sleep, behavior, and long-term health.
Along the way, the group tackles the fierce professional pushback they face, why mothers — not journals — are driving change, the relationship between bruxism, airway, and even implant failure, and how a single-chair, drill-free practice can outperform a traditional one. The episode closes with practical guidance for young dentists on where to begin, why education matters more than expensive machinery, and how building thriving children builds a thriving practice.
Episode #1709 : Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran, Howard sits down with a powerhouse airway roundtable — Dr. Toshi Hart, Dr. Kimberly Ann Meyer, and Dr. Mark Levi — three leaders changing how dentistry thinks about jaw development, breathing, and sleep.
From why 80% of kids have underdeveloped jaws, to a 76% reduction in decay through early intervention, to the pushback these "myofunctional quacks" proudly embrace — this is a candid, eye-opening conversation about treating the root cause, not just the cavity.
🎧 If you've ever heard a child grinding their teeth at night, this episode will change how you see it.
#DentistryUncensored #AirwayHealth #DentalSleepMedicine #PediatricDentistry #Myofunctional #CraniofacialEpigenetics
