1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,040 Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of Airway First, the podcast from the Children's 2 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:14,800 Airway First Foundation. 3 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,040 I'm your host, Rebecca Downing. 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:22,880 My guest today is Carice Laguerre, a registered dental hygienist and myofunctional therapist. 5 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:28,120 Carice is the founder of the MyoSpot, a practice aimed at amplifying oral wellness to whole 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:29,120 body wellness. 7 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:35,280 Through teletherapy, she helps clients of all ages overcome tongue ties, TMJ disorders, 8 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:41,080 sleep apnea, grinding, anxiety, and a variety of other breathing and oral facial dysfunctions. 9 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:47,680 She's passionate about education and self-help, and she's also the published author of Accomplished, 10 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,520 How to Sleep Better, Eliminate Burnout, and Execute Goals. 11 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,360 When not working with clients globally, she spends time with her husband and her four 12 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:56,360 children. 13 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,640 It was truly a pleasure and an honor to get to spend time with Carice earlier this month. 14 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,800 I hope you'll find this session as informative and enjoyable as I did. 15 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,680 And now, here's my interview with Carice Laguerre. 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:10,680 Thank you so much for joining us today, Carice. 17 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:11,880 I really appreciate it. 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:13,240 Thank you for having me. 19 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:14,760 I'm very excited to be here. 20 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,480 We're thrilled that you're here. 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:17,720 Thank you. 22 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:23,040 Before we get started, what exactly is a myofunctional therapist? 23 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,760 And tell everybody a little bit about what it is and what you focus on. 24 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:33,520 So myofunctional therapy is kind of like, I like to liken it to personal training, but 25 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,640 it's personal training only for the muscles below the eyes and above the shoulders. 26 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:43,200 So we're really in like a hyper-focused area, and it's an area that's often neglected. 27 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:50,040 So why would we even care about those muscles there and why is myofunctional therapy important? 28 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,240 It's really all about function. 29 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,920 So everything starts here, right? 30 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,880 So when we're working with myofunctional therapy, we're thinking about health and wellness. 31 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,920 A lot of what's happening between our breathing and our eating and so forth is all in this 32 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:06,920 section. 33 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,960 So when we're thinking about myofunctional therapy, it's really optimizing the way your 34 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:16,080 body is doing some of these essential tasks, breathing, chewing, swallowing, and so forth. 35 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,760 So it's kind of personal training. 36 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,640 Okay, that makes sense. 37 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:22,840 All right. 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:31,040 And as far as the personal training, so when would you see, well, I guess let me rephrase 39 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:32,920 that, do you work mainly with children? 40 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:34,000 Do you work with adults? 41 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,560 Is myofunctional therapy something that's for everyone? 42 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,040 Myofunctional therapy can be for everyone. 43 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:47,160 I will say that it is kind of like personal training where there's a lot of personal accountability 44 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,000 and responsibility involved, right? 45 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,960 So we like to say that age five and up is a good time for myofunctional therapy because 46 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:59,920 you have to be able to cooperate, to do the task and to perform all the exercises adequately, 47 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:00,920 right? 48 00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:05,600 And so those under five, not quite ready yet. 49 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:10,960 And they get it from some of the stuff probably, but will they progress through it? 50 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:11,960 Most likely not. 51 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:12,960 Okay. 52 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:18,800 So that, I guess that kind of answers one of the questions that I was going to discuss 53 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:24,240 with you, which is about tongue ties, because on your website, Airway Matters, which I will 54 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:30,000 put a link to that in our show notes, you talk a great deal about tongue ties. 55 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:35,600 So I guess it's kind of a two-part question as far as that goes. 56 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,880 Really help us understand what tongue ties are. 57 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,000 And if you wouldn't mind expanding a little bit on that, because I didn't realize until 58 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,480 recently there was something called a cheek tie. 59 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,960 I had no idea. 60 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:51,280 And if you're working with a younger child, you know, is this something that, if it were 61 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,520 to happen to an infant, could impact something like breastfeeding? 62 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,600 Absolutely. 63 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,920 So when we're talking about ties, and especially in the oral cavity, so in the mouth, we're 64 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,360 looking at the tongue as one. 65 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,760 If you're looking at your tongue, there is a natural soft tissue connection that everybody 66 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:11,760 has. 67 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,360 It connects the base of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. 68 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,160 Now some people have one that is short or very restrictive, so they can't get a lot 69 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,160 of movement from it. 70 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,920 It's very tight, or it's just very short in length. 71 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,040 And so they can't get optimal function from their tongue. 72 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,560 And our tongue has a lot of different functions that it has to perform. 73 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:37,040 So our tongue can elevate, it can protrude, it can lateralize, it can cut, it can retract. 74 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:43,760 It does all these different things, but if you've got a short connection or a tight connection, 75 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:49,000 that's a phrenum that is going to be impeding you from making a lot of those movements or 76 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,480 from doing so optimally, that's when we would consider you tongue tied. 77 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,520 And very good. 78 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,320 Function over appearance. 79 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:02,480 So just because something looks like a tie doesn't necessarily means it is one, and that's 80 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,120 a whole another podcast for another day. 81 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:06,120 Okay. 82 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:11,240 So when we're looking at our cheeks, because you just discovered cheek ties, and there's 83 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:15,680 also lip ties, top and bottom, there are little phrenums. 84 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:21,440 And if you've ever like done a scary face or you've ever flipped your lip up at somebody 85 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,840 for whatever reason, why wouldn't you do something like that? 86 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:26,520 You probably see that connection. 87 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:32,520 It goes from the lip to the ridge where the gum line of the teeth. 88 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,640 And it goes from the cheeks on the inside, if you ever take your tongue and you rub around. 89 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:42,380 So sometimes those are also tight and restrictive, and those can impede a lot of different actions. 90 00:05:42,380 --> 00:05:47,560 So it's going to impair for children when we're talking about babies specifically actually, 91 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:52,400 when we're talking about the tongue tied, the tongue has to be able to come over the 92 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:58,560 gum ridge, that lower gum ridge in order to get and compress against the nipple appropriately 93 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:03,680 to get a great pumping action for breastfeeding because it's got to win a lot of that tissue 94 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:05,600 and they've got to extract that milk. 95 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,080 It's that liquid gold, right? 96 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:08,080 Right. 97 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:13,000 You can't get it if they are unable to move that tongue forward to that spot or unable 98 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,920 to compress or lift up adequately against the breast tissue. 99 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,200 So sometimes you'll find that it's painful because they're using just that ridge as they're 100 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:27,440 trying to compress that tissue against the breast and a lot of mothers are suffering 101 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:28,440 with that. 102 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:34,160 Sometimes they can't get an open enough gait of the mouth and so that's a flange when they're 103 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:35,160 breastfeeding. 104 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,720 They can't get that opening of the mouth because it's tight on the lips. 105 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:45,040 Their lips just can't expand to go up and over to really grab a lot of that nipple tissue 106 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:52,200 or our sucking pads on babies are very prominent and important because that's what they do. 107 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,760 That's how they gain nutrition when they're little. 108 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:55,760 They have to suck. 109 00:06:55,760 --> 00:07:01,280 Either it's a breast or a bottle, but they're sucking in that motion to gather the liquid. 110 00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:07,240 So those sucking pads, you might not be able to suck as adequately your buckle ties or 111 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,040 those cheek ties, name key that. 112 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,040 So that's our babies. 113 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:16,960 But then as you get older, let's say we don't catch it when you're a baby, you get a little 114 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:24,480 older and your child, all of these can impact speech, feeding, breathing, sleeping in numerous 115 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,560 ways and it just compounds as you get older and older. 116 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:32,800 So get through childhood into adulthood. 117 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:39,040 It's really going to be our high risk people for acid reflux, different digestive diseases. 118 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:45,520 A lot of them with obstructive sleep apnea or just several sleep breathing disorders 119 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:50,440 that we could go on and on about the different manifestations. 120 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:55,880 They manifest so differently in everybody, but it is very important to be aware of. 121 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,800 So it actually impacts acid reflux? 122 00:07:58,800 --> 00:07:59,800 Yes. 123 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:08,640 And I will say, I can't give you a study that's going to prove that, but absolutely every 124 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:13,920 patient I have seen clinically that has acid reflux is also tongue tied. 125 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:14,920 Wow. 126 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,920 I need to write a paper one day on it. 127 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,600 We do need to write a paper on that. 128 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,800 That's fascinating to me. 129 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:29,280 So as a parent then, so not as a baby, let's just talk about the little, so 5, 6, 7, 8. 130 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:34,000 How would I, I guess not really how would I know, but what would be some of the signs 131 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:35,000 I would see? 132 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,760 I know, Lispine is potentially one. 133 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:43,800 What are some things that as a parent, if you see it over and over, might be something 134 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:44,800 that gives you pause. 135 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,760 Say, hey, let me ask about this. 136 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:52,960 So what I would say with children, a lot of times that we don't even look for is what's 137 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:54,640 their normal rest posture. 138 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,680 A lot of times they might have an open mouth, rest posture. 139 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:01,560 Sometimes their upper lip, they call it a cupid's bow. 140 00:09:01,560 --> 00:09:05,920 So if you imagine the lower lip as a straight, like if you had a bow and arrow, right? 141 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,680 So you imagine the lower lip as the straight of that bow and arrow, and then the upper 142 00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:11,560 lip is kind of pulled up a little. 143 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:14,040 It's like the bow part. 144 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:19,040 And then essentially what you're looking at there is potentially a tie on the upper lip 145 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:22,880 because that's going to be impeding them from being able to keep a good lip seal. 146 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:24,920 So you might be concerned. 147 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,800 A lot of times where there is a lip tie, there's also a tongue tie. 148 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:33,160 And so that would be my first indicator if I'm just looking to say, hey, let me get 149 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,440 this checked out by somebody. 150 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:40,200 Sleeping with open mouth, having the tongue low in the mouth. 151 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:45,480 A lot of times if you don't really see the child elevating the tongue for any reason, 152 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,520 any reason whatsoever, you just don't see them elevating it. 153 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,760 You've asked them to do something particular. 154 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,360 Like if they have something on their teeth and you're just just lick it off and they 155 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,120 have difficulty doing that, that I would say is a big red flag. 156 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:00,120 Okay. 157 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:01,120 Okay. 158 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:02,320 So I'm going to get that checked out. 159 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:03,320 Okay. 160 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,680 Would they have trouble swallowing or eating or anything like that? 161 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:11,640 You're not going to notice the swallow. 162 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:18,280 I think that's a very refined thing that we professionals have really gotten that down. 163 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:19,280 Right? 164 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:20,280 Yeah. 165 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,800 I don't think a common character is going to notice the swallow. 166 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:23,800 Yes. 167 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:24,800 Okay. 168 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:25,800 You might notice some messy eating. 169 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,760 You might notice that they can't quite keep food in the mouth. 170 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,160 That sometimes comes out. 171 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:31,640 So it's messy eating. 172 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,280 Eating with the mouth open. 173 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:35,280 Okay. 174 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:36,280 Okay. 175 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,360 Got it. 176 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:45,400 So if a tongue tie is discovered, I know that it can be released at birth if I'm not mistaken. 177 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,080 So if it was, what's the process? 178 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:53,080 If it's not discovered at birth, let's say it's five, six, seven again, or even later, 179 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:54,400 what is that process like? 180 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:58,760 So it's kind of similar to anything else in life. 181 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:03,880 When you are at your youngest, you are able to recover and heal the fastest and the best 182 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:05,800 you will ever in your life. 183 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:11,560 Every day you get older, it makes it a day more difficult for you to recover. 184 00:11:11,560 --> 00:11:12,560 Right? 185 00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:13,560 Right. 186 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:16,200 So your infants are going to heal a lot faster than your five and six year olds and your 187 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,080 five and six year olds are going to heal a lot faster than a 15 year old who would 188 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,160 heal faster than a 40 year old. 189 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:24,160 But the process is somewhat similar. 190 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:30,080 It's just the healing time and the recovery that becomes more difficult as you age. 191 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,880 One, we have the functional aspect of it. 192 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:38,080 So when you're young, you can functionally retrain, you'll learn how to breastfeed. 193 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:43,480 You'll get your IV CLC or your lactation consultant involved and you'll be able to gain that 194 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,320 sucking mechanism and learn how to do that rather quickly. 195 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:53,240 But after you've been five and you've been eating and sleeping and chewing and using 196 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,080 your tongue a certain kind of way, these are your patterns. 197 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:02,720 And so after your release, it becomes a little bit more difficult to repatter a lot of those 198 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:03,720 things. 199 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:04,720 Okay. 200 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:06,760 And so forth because it compounds as you age. 201 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:07,760 Right. 202 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:14,400 So the procedure can really entail a myriad of things, but let's talk about it from just 203 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:15,400 a dental perspective. 204 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:19,840 There's a lot of dentists that do releases are going to do them with a laser. 205 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:20,840 Okay. 206 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:22,560 An in-office kind of thing. 207 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:24,440 An in-office surgical procedure. 208 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,360 It is a minor surgery, but still a surgery. 209 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:33,280 And so we want to make sure that everybody goes in prepared. 210 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:39,360 So initially the first things that you have to do prior to even getting to that surgical 211 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:44,800 position would be to do myofunctional therapy because we're going to work and exercise all 212 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:49,160 of those muscles of the tongue to make sure that everything is opening and able to get 213 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,480 optimal functional healing afterwards. 214 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:52,480 Okay. 215 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,200 Kind of imagine it like any other part of your body, right? 216 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,760 So if your arm was tethered to your side and somebody said, Hey, that's not supposed to 217 00:12:58,760 --> 00:12:59,760 be like that. 218 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:00,760 And they released it. 219 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:05,120 Your triceps and biceps, they wouldn't be strong enough to allow you to raise your hand, 220 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,040 throw a ball or do anything that you need to our tongue. 221 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,520 Everybody considers it one muscle, but that's a common misconception. 222 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,680 It's comprised of eight different muscles that actually are in pairs. 223 00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:17,800 So there's 16 different muscles that are innovating. 224 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,000 I'm going to do all those motions I referenced earlier. 225 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,160 Myofunctional therapy is the first part just to kind of get those muscles. 226 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,760 And that way you're able to utilize them after your release. 227 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:30,760 Okay. 228 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:33,720 Once you're in the procedure, it's relatively simple. 229 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:35,080 They use a local anesthetic. 230 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:40,800 So you would be numb, not put to sleep, but like just numb in that one local area. 231 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:46,240 And then they're going to surgically use the laser to remove some of that frenulum or 232 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,120 tight restrictive tissue. 233 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:54,360 And then from there, you're just keeping that wound open and clean and you're managing 234 00:13:54,360 --> 00:14:02,040 it as a, you know, active person looking to keep that wound from closing in on itself. 235 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,240 Because that's what all wounds want to do. 236 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:07,680 We get to part tissue, everything's looking to kind of heal back together, but we don't 237 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:09,080 want everything to close down. 238 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:10,080 Right. 239 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,080 Because you'd be right back where you were. 240 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:13,080 Exactly. 241 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:14,080 Exactly. 242 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,960 So when we're looking at it, we're looking at myo laser release. 243 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:22,880 If you're going with a dental provider and then myo again for function. 244 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:23,880 Okay. 245 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,920 And you caveated that with, if you're going with a dental provider. 246 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:32,920 So I always assume that's who would do it. 247 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:34,720 Who else would do this? 248 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:35,720 ENTs. 249 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:41,840 There are ENTs, your nose throat doctors or otolaryngologists that would be able to do 250 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:42,840 the procedure. 251 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,280 Now there are some of them, yes, that do do lasers. 252 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:50,320 And there are others that would do the procedure when they're going to do something else because 253 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:55,920 then it's more likely than not going to involve some level of local anesthesia, general anesthesia, 254 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,280 I'm sorry, you'll be put under to go to sleep for it. 255 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:05,040 And then it's a lot of times a scowl and not necessarily a laser. 256 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:09,040 So a scissor or a scowl technique for removal. 257 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:17,640 So when we're talking specifically about mouth breathing or sleep disorder breathing, again, 258 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:22,720 I mean, it's not quite as well known as it should be. 259 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:24,240 I personally don't believe with parents. 260 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:28,640 I mean, that's part of what children's airway first is focused on. 261 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:32,400 But I still think even the parents that are becoming a little more aware about mouth breathing 262 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:33,400 is bad. 263 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,280 We want to be nasal breathers. 264 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:44,000 Really aren't still totally in tune with snoring or the fact that little kids can have 265 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,160 sleep disorder breathing or some kind of obstructive airway. 266 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:54,320 So I want to talk a little bit about that as far as how you would identify this with 267 00:15:54,320 --> 00:16:00,280 a parent and what kind of tips or guidance and therapies could a myofunctional therapist 268 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,160 provide to help with all of that. 269 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:04,480 Fantastic question. 270 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:05,480 Okay. 271 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:13,800 So when it comes to just dispelling the myth that snoring is normal and or Q, it going 272 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,200 back to the root of just physiology. 273 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:22,640 When we're thinking about our bodies, I always have to explain that we can go for a few days 274 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:23,640 without water. 275 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:29,840 We can survive weeks without food, but we cannot live but for a few minutes without air. 276 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,080 Air is our primary, right? 277 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:39,240 So when thinking about snoring, we have to think back to what is that sound coming from. 278 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:44,320 And it's the sound of air meeting resistance as it's going through your upper respiratory 279 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:45,320 tract. 280 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:51,320 Now, do we want air to meet resistance as it's coming into our bodies when it's our primary? 281 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:52,320 Absolutely not. 282 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:53,320 Right. 283 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,160 There's no reason why anybody would want that resistance. 284 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:57,800 So now it's a little less cute. 285 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:03,920 It's a little less adorable that little Jane or little John is snoring like dad. 286 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,240 It's not as cute because now you say, oh my gosh, they're struggling to breathe. 287 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:11,520 That's air not being able to reach their bodies the way that it needs to. 288 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:12,520 Correct. 289 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:18,240 So that's my big, you know, aha moment with a lot of parents when it comes to dispelling 290 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:19,240 that. 291 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,720 That's a very important thing to always discuss. 292 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,120 Yes, agreed. 293 00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:27,800 So how do you start working towards not achieving that snoring? 294 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:33,000 Well, we're going to have to do certain things like one, first we need to make sure that 295 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,640 there's no physiological blocks in there. 296 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,240 And that's always, I always send to ENT first. 297 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:42,920 So myopunctional therapy for a lot of families is not the first step. 298 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,120 First step is an ENT. 299 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:49,680 We want to know that there's nothing in the nose, enlarged turbinates, deviated septum, 300 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:56,800 enlarged adenoids, anything that could be obstructing or preventing nasal breathing. 301 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,680 That resistance that they are is meeting might be something that physiologically needs to 302 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,000 be addressed, medically needs to be addressed. 303 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:09,120 There might need to be a procedure where the adenoids are removed, the tonsils reduced, 304 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:11,760 you know, whatever is going on with that child. 305 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:12,840 So that's the first step. 306 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:18,240 But after that, then we're looking at, or once there's clearance for that, there's nothing 307 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,520 that can be found by the ENT. 308 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,000 Then we start working on nasal hygiene. 309 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,960 Well, how do we keep a nice, clean, open nasal passageway? 310 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,680 Because our nose is for breathing, our mouth is for eating. 311 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,800 So if our nose isn't working the way that it should, and physiologically there's nothing 312 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:37,720 preventing that from happening, well, then maybe we need to start working on keeping 313 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:39,160 it clear. 314 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:45,960 So using a nasal rinse, a nasal saline rinse is typically a really great tool. 315 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:51,280 You want to make sure that if you can diffuse some sort of aromatherapy, or if you're using 316 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,120 something like VIXX is always a really great option. 317 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:59,640 If people use VIXX in their rooms and in the households to kind of keep that airway nice 318 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:01,000 and open. 319 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,000 That way they're able to use their nose the way that we want them to. 320 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:09,120 Then myofunctional therapy comes in because it's like personal training. 321 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:13,880 So what we're going to do is we're going to get all of those muscles nice and tight. 322 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,600 We're going to get those soft tissues that are in the throat. 323 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:19,080 We're going to start working on them. 324 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,720 We're working on the soft palate, which is the back of the roof of the mouth where we 325 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:25,960 have our uvula that hangs down. 326 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,000 A lot of people, sometimes they open their mouths, they can't even see their uvula. 327 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,160 And that in and of itself is a problem. 328 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:37,840 They call that like a long droopy soft palate, but we don't want anything droopy. 329 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:42,160 So we get in there and we try to get our, you know, what would be six pack abs, but 330 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:43,160 for the mouth. 331 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:44,160 Six pack comes. 332 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:45,160 Yeah. 333 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:46,160 Exactly. 334 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,200 I guess it would be an eight pack, right? 335 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,200 Because they're in sets of two. 336 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:51,200 Exactly. 337 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:52,200 Exactly. 338 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,800 So then that's going to help to keep everything nice and open. 339 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:01,280 That way they're able to respirate appropriately so that we can at least, if nothing else, 340 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:02,840 reduce the snoring. 341 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:07,280 Sometimes we get elimination, but in many cases it's a great reduction of snoring. 342 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:08,280 Okay. 343 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,520 So, and that's spawned two different questions. 344 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,520 So when you were talking about saline, are you talking about something like the neti 345 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,920 pot, that kind of thing or? 346 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:16,920 Yes. 347 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,760 Now, neti pot always comes up. 348 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,360 I was going to say, I wish they could see your face right now. 349 00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:23,360 I guess the look. 350 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:24,880 Oh no, I said it. 351 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:25,880 What was that? 352 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:27,000 That's my favorite. 353 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:31,520 I love the neti pot, but when we're thinking about the neti pot, it is literally taking 354 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:36,040 it up one nostril and allowing it to run out and drain down another. 355 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,720 Now it cleans out spectacularly. 356 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:39,880 I love it. 357 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:45,800 But like convincing a parent to convince their five, six, seven, eight. 358 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,480 It's never going to happen. 359 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,960 It's not going to happen. 360 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:57,720 So I usually say like a clear X L E A R. It's spelled with an X, but it's still pronounced 361 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:58,720 clear. 362 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,200 Nasal spray is a really good one to use. 363 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,240 So the clear spray, you would use like a, it has a mist. 364 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,600 So it's a two finger spray and you just spray it up the nostril and then you spray it up 365 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,720 the other nostril and blow the nose and you're golden. 366 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:14,720 Wow. 367 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:15,720 Okay. 368 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,200 Less invasive than our neti pot. 369 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:23,600 But if you, if you've got a superstar five year old that will use a neti pot, please use 370 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:24,600 the neti pot. 371 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,680 If you've got a superstar five year old that will use a neti pot, I would like to mate 372 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,680 said five year old. 373 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,480 I don't think I could have, I couldn't have brought that in the room with my children. 374 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,880 It just, that would have been it would have been over. 375 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:53,160 So I hope put a link to the clear nasal spray in here as well, just so people have it. 376 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:57,360 You're listening to airway first with today's guest, Karise Laguerre. 377 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:00,920 You can find out more about the children's airway first foundation and our mission to 378 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:06,240 ensure that every child has access to screening, evaluation and treatment of all children's 379 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:13,400 airway disorders before the age of six on our website at children'sairwayfirst.org. 380 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:18,120 You can also find a ton of great resources for parents on our website, including videos, 381 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:22,640 blogs, recommended reading, comprehensive medical research and more. 382 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:28,800 And as a reminder, this podcast and the opinions expressed here are not a medical diagnosis. 383 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:33,560 If you suspect your child might have an airway issue, contact your pediatric airway dentist 384 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:35,240 or pediatrician. 385 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:52,440 And now let's jump back into the second half of our interview with Karise Laguerre. 386 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:57,720 The other question was you mentioned in the back of the throat and I apologize, I can't 387 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:03,760 remember exactly the term you used, but it was the term is what caught my attention where 388 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:05,480 you can't see the back. 389 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:06,480 You heal up? 390 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:07,480 Yeah. 391 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:08,480 Yeah. 392 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:11,520 But the term for that, did you say it was lax or? 393 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:13,080 Oh, long droopy. 394 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,480 Droopy, okay, that's what threw me off. 395 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:21,880 So the tongue in the back to be called droopy, that kind of threw me off a little bit. 396 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:22,880 Yeah. 397 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,480 So when you open your mouth, you want to be able to see your you heal up. 398 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,240 So that's that dangly ball that comes off of the top, right? 399 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:33,280 If you can't see that, it's hanging too far down. 400 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,200 Like we've got it behind the tongue. 401 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:37,920 It's somewhere in that pharyngeal space. 402 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:39,760 It's somewhere in your throat. 403 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:41,280 We can't have that there. 404 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:42,280 That's got to come up. 405 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:44,280 It's got to come out. 406 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:48,120 We have a lot of issues with, you know, hyperactive gag reflexes. 407 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:49,920 There are some people who are very, very sensitive. 408 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:54,280 We don't like certain textures because it's so droopy. 409 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,160 Like your whole airway is essentially kind of locked off. 410 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,240 You've got that back there, your tongue's back there and our tongue's really long. 411 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:07,440 Our tongue can go down if you think about your cervical spine down to C5 or 6. 412 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:08,440 That's down there. 413 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,440 Yeah, that is far down. 414 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,840 It's the tongue's hanging low and the ufula is hanging low. 415 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,360 Where is the room for the air to breathe? 416 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:19,000 So we've got to get it up. 417 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,160 And that's a lot of our exercises. 418 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,160 We're working on getting that thing to hang up where it's supposed to be. 419 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:26,160 Okay. 420 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:29,880 See, I didn't realize that that could be adjusted. 421 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:30,880 That's pretty cool. 422 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:31,880 Yeah. 423 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,080 All of the muscles in the body work exactly the same. 424 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:39,800 It's so weird that we as a society have like separated things as if they're not together. 425 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:41,480 Like medical and dental. 426 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,520 I mean, you can't take your teeth and like put them on the side and go hand them off 427 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:46,520 to somebody. 428 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:47,520 Medical is dental. 429 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:48,520 Right. 430 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:49,520 You know what I'm saying? 431 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:50,800 Like all of this stuff is together. 432 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,760 So all the muscles work exactly the same. 433 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:57,160 If you can work out your abs to get six pack abs, you can absolutely work out your muscles 434 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:58,840 in your mouth. 435 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:01,720 So muscles don't operate differently because they're in a different part of the body. 436 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:02,720 Right. 437 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,200 I mean, it's just so logical, but you don't think about it that way. 438 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:07,200 Seriously. 439 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:08,200 I love this. 440 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:09,200 Okay. 441 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:14,920 So on the website, MyoSpot, which I will put a link for that as well, just so people 442 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:15,920 can check that out. 443 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,240 Great website, by the way, for parents to check out. 444 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,680 You talk about holistic methods. 445 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:22,680 Yeah. 446 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,720 So when you're talking holistically is what are you referring to there? 447 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:29,240 It's a big thing for me. 448 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:36,600 I like to use a more natural approach, especially when we're dealing with growing children. 449 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:41,600 I do incorporate a lot of natural methods and techniques into my programs. 450 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:46,920 So when I'm talking about that, I see, so here's where I'm going to like walk a weird 451 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:52,080 line because I like to do a lot of biohacking things. 452 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:56,360 I like to monitor the electromagnetic field. 453 00:25:56,360 --> 00:26:00,600 We need a certain level of our own bodies, electricity, because we know that our body 454 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:01,600 is electric. 455 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:02,600 Right. 456 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:03,600 I think that's right. 457 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,480 Very high school stuff. 458 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:10,720 We've learned that we have those electronic impulses that are going from nerve to nerve 459 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,360 and our brain is sending signals all throughout our bodies. 460 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:15,000 What's happening at these fast rates? 461 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:16,000 It's electric. 462 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:17,000 Sure. 463 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:18,000 Electricity within the body. 464 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:22,960 So when we have all this technology around us, okay, so we're surrounded by technology 465 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:24,600 right now talking to each other. 466 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:25,600 Right. 467 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,920 So this technology has its own field and how does that impact our body and our body's 468 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:30,920 fields? 469 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,400 And then how does that impact us when it comes to healing, when it comes to learning new 470 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:36,400 things? 471 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,680 So when we're trying to do repatterning of our muscles or trying to learn how to do new 472 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,520 functional skills, how much does that impact us? 473 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,160 So I like to deal with different methods of biohacking. 474 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:53,920 So it comes into play all the electromagnetic fields that are around us. 475 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:59,400 It's always a big thing and being able to make sure that you're having a diet that is 476 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,400 going to age you to go into the direction that you want to go into. 477 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:08,960 I am not a dietitian, but we all know what's good and what's not good. 478 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:09,960 Right. 479 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:10,960 Right. 480 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:11,960 Process bad. 481 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:12,960 Good, whole food. 482 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:13,960 Everything else is good. 483 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:14,960 Good. 484 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:15,960 Yeah. 485 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:16,960 Right. 486 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:17,960 So I don't have to do too much recommendations. 487 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:22,640 It's like, let's just make sure we're making those smart choices. 488 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:24,680 I like to use a vibration. 489 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:31,040 I like to use all sorts of just interesting techniques to kind of get the body to a state 490 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:37,800 of acceptance of all these new patterns that I'm trying to achieve in addition to the 491 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,320 myofunctional therapy. 492 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:44,000 So, and this is back to what you mentioned earlier, that it's not just one muscle standing 493 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,000 on its own. 494 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:46,160 It's everything connected. 495 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:52,880 So you really are looking at, for example, this five-year-old child holistically from 496 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:54,280 head to toe. 497 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,840 The entirety, exactly. 498 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,800 And that's what I feel like we have to do. 499 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:05,640 We can't achieve these fine motor functions unless we've addressed the gross motor and 500 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,000 what's going on with this child as a whole. 501 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,000 Okay. 502 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:14,880 So does this even segue into parts of their life, such as their sleep patterns? 503 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,360 Oh, significantly so. 504 00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:18,360 Definitely. 505 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:19,360 Really? 506 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:20,360 Yes, absolutely. 507 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:25,840 So sleep is a very delicate thing. 508 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:31,160 And we have our circadian rhythms and we can throw that off in no time. 509 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,560 I mean, it really takes nothing to throw you off. 510 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:36,840 And once you're thrown off, we never catch up on sleep. 511 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,400 We can't catch up on sleep. 512 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:47,000 You are driving yourself into a long pattern of sleep deprivation that it's very difficult 513 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,640 to come out from. 514 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,600 So yes, everything is all connected. 515 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:54,520 It is very much all connected. 516 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:55,520 I love that. 517 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:56,800 I absolutely love that. 518 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:06,120 So if I'm a parent and I notice that my child is a mouth breather, what are some steps that 519 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:16,240 I as a parent can take to help kind of guide them, I guess, not force them, but guide them 520 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:17,600 towards nasal breathing? 521 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:18,600 Yeah. 522 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,800 First step, I would say, is to not panic and to not blame yourself. 523 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:26,560 I think that's the first thing that comes up for everybody. 524 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:30,200 So first step, doesn't matter what happened in the past. 525 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:31,640 We don't care how they got there. 526 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,160 All that matters is all the steps that you take going forward. 527 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:35,160 Okay. 528 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,120 So don't blame yourself and don't panic. 529 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:39,440 Everything can be corrected. 530 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:41,720 It's just a matter of time. 531 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:45,360 So step one, move forward. 532 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:51,160 Step two is to then make decisions as to how you're going to approach this. 533 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,440 You can take a very medical route. 534 00:29:53,440 --> 00:30:00,760 You can go to an ENT and either get your clearance or you can get the surgical route done and 535 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:01,760 so forth. 536 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:08,200 You can try to do something where you're going to just use mouth tape or have some other 537 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:12,400 way of getting the child to keep their mouth closed at night. 538 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:19,440 Now those I find can be helpful methods and some people, it works very well for them, 539 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:21,920 but I really like a more functional approach. 540 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,680 Let's try to retrain, right? 541 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:24,680 Okay. 542 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,960 So definitely we need the clearance from the ENT that we can breathe. 543 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,960 Once we know that we can breathe, I never jump to mouth tape. 544 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:35,840 At that point, I want to start working on some exercises. 545 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:37,200 Let's work on the lip. 546 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:39,680 Let's make sure that we can keep our lips closed. 547 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:41,480 Maybe play some games with your kids. 548 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:47,040 See who can keep their lips closed the longest and whoever does gets a little extra dessert 549 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:48,040 or whatever it is. 550 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:52,960 You make it fun and try to be playful and try to see what's going on. 551 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:59,240 If you're struggling trying to achieve lip seal on your own, then it's time to contact 552 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:03,600 myopunctional therapist because you're going to need some help in retraining. 553 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,800 It's probably something a little bit deeper than just the mouth is open. 554 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:12,640 You probably need to work on the tongue and the tongue's tone or the soft tissue pressures 555 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,440 that are going on in the oral cavity itself. 556 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:20,880 Something might need to be relieved in order for something else to activate. 557 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:28,360 If you make it fun and see how far you can get on your own nasal hygiene, fun activities 558 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:36,000 and exercises, and when that all fails, contact myopunctional therapist. 559 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:41,600 Before I want to make sure that this really is emphasized because you mentioned it twice, 560 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:48,400 start with your airway dentist or your ENT to make sure that there's not a blockage first 561 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:52,680 because I think that's another thing that parents think, oh, well, your mouth breather, 562 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:54,280 let's just teach you to close it. 563 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,760 Well, why are they a mouth breather? 564 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:58,280 This goes back to your holistic. 565 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:01,560 Let's get back to make sure that we're okay first. 566 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,880 I really want to reemphasize that. 567 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:12,120 But with regard to mouth tape, you said you don't want to start there. 568 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:17,840 I will tell you, as a parent and somebody working with children's airway first, and I've 569 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,880 done a lot of research on it, I will be very honest. 570 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,920 I have very mixed feelings about mouth tape. 571 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:29,520 That's why I want to talk about it because you're the first person that has ever said 572 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:33,000 anything on our podcast that made me wait. 573 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,440 It's not just me. 574 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,400 I see more as an adult if you know that you're clear and everything is okay. 575 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:45,040 Again, ENT, airway dentist, that maybe for snoring, I can see it. 576 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:46,640 I totally understand it. 577 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:50,280 I tried it because I thought, well, let's see what it feels like. 578 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:57,880 I have a hard time looking at my children and saying, and now I'm going to tape you. 579 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:03,960 Hesitations, possible issues, because as a parent, I see that, you know, is that going 580 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:05,360 to traumatize them in some way? 581 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:10,680 Do you see that or do you see other issues that arise from that? 582 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,400 I'm not necessarily concerned about trauma. 583 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:19,440 I'm more concerned about function. 584 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,640 Just taping the lips closed doesn't teach you how to keep your lips closed and it doesn't 585 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:27,640 help with the other aspects that come along. 586 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,400 This is what we see on the outside, right? 587 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:37,520 But there's so much going on behind our lips and there's so much more going on within. 588 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:42,320 What's going on with that tongue that extends all the way down to C6? 589 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,160 Is that up and out of the airway? 590 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:49,160 Because closing the mouth might actually be doing more harm than good. 591 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:55,000 And you won't know that for sure because that's not something the ENT is able to tell you. 592 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:59,920 The ENT is looking up the nose and looking through and making sure that all that is good. 593 00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:07,240 But what goes on in the mouth that also can close that airway, that long, droopy palate. 594 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:09,360 Is that something that's of concern? 595 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:13,640 I mean, there's a whole lot of factors that other people aren't looking at. 596 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:16,800 It's only the external lips are open. 597 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:18,400 Let's close them. 598 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,600 But in some cases, it can do more harm than good. 599 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:22,600 Right. 600 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:26,440 If they don't understand where you're supposed to put your tongue when your mouth is closed, 601 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:27,440 for example. 602 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:28,440 Yes. 603 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:29,680 Something as simple as that. 604 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:31,880 Why is that not happening? 605 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:36,800 Because that in and of itself leads to more questions. 606 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:38,440 Where's the tongue supposed to be? 607 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:40,760 Why is it not where it's supposed to be? 608 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,720 Is something off somewhere? 609 00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:48,320 And so closing the mouth doesn't necessarily cure all the problems. 610 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:49,320 Okay. 611 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:50,720 Got it. 612 00:34:50,720 --> 00:34:57,680 Would you advise or do you see any issue with, again, everything is clear. 613 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:02,920 And as a parent, you look over and you see their mouth is open to just politely nudge 614 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:03,920 them. 615 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:05,440 You remind them, hey, let's close your mouth. 616 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:12,040 Or I understand along with the games and things like that, which totally makes sense. 617 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:16,680 Or is that if they're, especially if they're going through myofunctional therapy, you want 618 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:22,040 to remind them of a couple other cues besides just close your mouth. 619 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:28,080 I think it's important that if you're going to do it on your own as a parent that you 620 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:29,240 make it fun. 621 00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:32,320 Because otherwise it seems more like nagging and badgering. 622 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:33,320 Gotcha. 623 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,600 And as a parent, I've found that that never worked. 624 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:38,960 That you know where, right? 625 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,080 Absolutely never a time where I've been like, no, no, no, don't do that. 626 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:45,560 And then listen, and then it never happens again. 627 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:46,560 That doesn't happen. 628 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:47,560 I don't know. 629 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:48,560 Could just be my home. 630 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:54,800 But, you know, I feel like the nudging or the subtle suggestions or the repeated suggestions 631 00:35:54,800 --> 00:36:01,360 wind up being more of a barrier to it actually working out. 632 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:05,880 So at least if you have like a third person who could be the bad guy, myofunctional therapist, 633 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:07,480 I'm usually the bad guy. 634 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:12,440 Like, hey, Miss Karee said that you were supposed to have your lips closed. 635 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:13,720 Your lips aren't closed right now. 636 00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:14,720 What's going on? 637 00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:17,520 Create a conversation around it. 638 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:24,080 But when it becomes more of like a mom said, it becomes an annoyance. 639 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:25,440 And then just turn you up. 640 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:29,400 The more you push, the more they pull. 641 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:30,720 I understood. 642 00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:36,920 So as a parent, you know, I have a five year old, six year old, seven year old. 643 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:41,760 I've been through working with the ENT or the airway dentist. 644 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,960 We know everything is clear, but we're still snoring or we're still mouth breathing. 645 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:46,960 Something else is going on. 646 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:51,120 And I know now, okay, it's time for a myofunctional therapist. 647 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:52,760 First of all, where do you start? 648 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:54,600 How do you find one? 649 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:56,960 And then what's the process like to get going? 650 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:58,600 All things. 651 00:36:58,600 --> 00:36:59,600 I think Google. 652 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:00,600 Honestly. 653 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:01,600 Really? 654 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:02,600 Okay. 655 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,880 You would just Google. 656 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:11,120 There are directories, but I find more often than not that people will find you off of 657 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:16,520 just searching like myofunctional therapist near me or myofunctional therapy near me 658 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:18,400 or whatever the keywords are. 659 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:19,800 Google is always everybody's first. 660 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:20,800 Right. 661 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:22,440 That's why it's a verb now. 662 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:23,920 That's where we go. 663 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:24,920 We Google. 664 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:25,920 We Google it. 665 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:26,920 That's how we start. 666 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:29,880 So I would say honestly, that's your first step. 667 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:35,440 A lot of times of myofunctional therapists have their business listed on Google, my business. 668 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:37,520 And so it'll come up for your local listings. 669 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,800 If you don't have anything local, well, then you're looking through and seeing who does 670 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:43,800 teletherapy. 671 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,400 So teletherapy would be virtual. 672 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:51,080 So it would be on a platform similar to zoom, but for many people not zoom, it would be 673 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:54,760 a HIPAA private one. 674 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,640 Private encrypted line. 675 00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:00,080 So it wouldn't be zoom, but it's similar. 676 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,400 So you'd be teletherapy. 677 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:07,360 If you have somebody who's in your local area, call them up. 678 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:10,480 Most often they're going to want to do a full evaluation. 679 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:14,920 So that evaluation is going to look at all of the oral facial function, what's going 680 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,080 on with all the muscles below the eyes, but above the shoulders. 681 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:20,400 They'll probably ask you to do a bunch of different things. 682 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,080 It's going to activate different muscle groups or activate different things that should be 683 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:25,080 activated. 684 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:30,160 So you're fine tuning and watching and seeing what's going on for your oral facial function. 685 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:34,560 And then from there, you typically would get the plan. 686 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:38,520 So they develop a plan as to how they're going to proceed forward. 687 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:40,520 What is it that you specifically need? 688 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:42,040 Because we're all different, right? 689 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:46,560 So muscle functions doesn't technically fall in groups. 690 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,080 It's individualized. 691 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:53,400 So we would be cherry picking and figuring out how we're going to get to your plan of 692 00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:54,960 action. 693 00:38:54,960 --> 00:39:01,840 And then we meet up weekly or bi-weekly or whatever the plan is for that specific person 694 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:08,560 to start attacking the plan of action and getting into exercises, activities. 695 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:09,560 It's a lot of commitment. 696 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:14,960 That's a big, you know, it's a commitment because just like personal training, right? 697 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:15,960 You have to practice. 698 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:16,960 Yep. 699 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:17,960 You want those six pack abs. 700 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:18,960 You got to work out. 701 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:19,960 Yeah. 702 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:21,160 You don't face when you're not with your trainer. 703 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:25,680 So you have to work out and do those exercises, especially on the days that you're not with 704 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:28,680 your multifunctional therapist two to three times a day. 705 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:33,000 So it could take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes out of your day. 706 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:34,880 And we're all so busy. 707 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,640 Everybody's so busy, especially children now, right? 708 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,360 They have school, they have homework, they have extracurriculars. 709 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:42,680 There are things going on. 710 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,240 And so it's difficult to get it into the lifestyle. 711 00:39:45,240 --> 00:39:50,400 But if you're committed, you can easily just kind of slide it in where you can fit it in 712 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:57,280 the car on the ride home from school to school, from practice, back home, right before bed, 713 00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:58,920 you'll find a way to get it in. 714 00:39:58,920 --> 00:39:59,920 That's great. 715 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:00,920 That's a great idea. 716 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:01,920 I love that. 717 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:02,920 All right. 718 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:07,800 So for parents, I just would like to open this up for you right now, just to talk to 719 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:08,800 parents. 720 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:12,320 What are things that, you know, I message is that you would want to leave them with this 721 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:19,120 with regards to breathing and really just, you know, making sure everything is okay with 722 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:20,120 your child. 723 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:23,720 You know, as we're watching the, you know, from here to here. 724 00:40:23,720 --> 00:40:24,720 Yes. 725 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:29,160 As you're watching your child and you're seeing them grow, if something seems off, whether 726 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:33,400 it's that they have crooked teeth or they're not speaking appropriately or you're hearing 727 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:40,040 them breathe or the snoring is louder or they're messy eaters or something's off and 728 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:45,440 you're not getting the attention for it that you feel it deserves because I've been there 729 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:49,200 too, I've been kind of dismissed by the pediatrician. 730 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:50,600 Don't worry about that. 731 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:51,600 That's not a thing. 732 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:52,600 They'll grow out of this. 733 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:53,600 They'll grow out of it. 734 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:54,600 Yep. 735 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:55,600 Yeah. 736 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,880 Don't, don't accept that. 737 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:03,240 Advocate for yourself, advocate for your child and make sure that you get to where you need 738 00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:05,240 to be. 739 00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:08,800 Anything that doesn't feel right, most likely is not right. 740 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:11,920 And you can get yourself to a good path. 741 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:17,240 It's just a matter of being your own best advocate and never giving up. 742 00:41:17,240 --> 00:41:21,360 Google is the world's greatest invention. 743 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:30,120 You can Google nasal hygiene tips, saline sprays for kids, best aromatherapy for kids, 744 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:32,400 how to find a myofunctional therapist. 745 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:39,320 You can Google all wonderful things to try to get to where you think you need to be, 746 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:44,840 but never give up because that's where, you know, my journey, I think, that's where my 747 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,560 journey went off the rails where I just sort of gave up. 748 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:54,960 And I think that it's a big regret, but like I said, don't be yourself up. 749 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:56,240 Don't feel bad. 750 00:41:56,240 --> 00:41:58,240 Always work towards moving forward. 751 00:41:58,240 --> 00:42:01,080 I am in such a phenomenal place now. 752 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:02,880 I wish I had advocated earlier. 753 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:04,240 I didn't. 754 00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:08,520 And my biggest thing for all parents is to always advocate. 755 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:12,440 As soon as you notice something's off, you can get to where you need to be. 756 00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:13,440 Yep. 757 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:14,440 And trust your gut. 758 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:19,920 And just to reiterate what you said, mouth breathing, snoring, you don't grow out of 759 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:20,920 it. 760 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:21,920 It's not okay. 761 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:22,920 Yeah. 762 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:24,920 You don't grow out of it at all. 763 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:26,920 In fact, it gets worse. 764 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:29,320 It gets worse and worse. 765 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:30,320 That it does. 766 00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:31,320 That it does. 767 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:35,280 I want to thank you so much for joining us on our podcast today and for sharing so much 768 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:37,440 wonderful information. 769 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:38,720 Thank you for having me. 770 00:42:38,720 --> 00:42:39,880 This has been so fun. 771 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:40,880 I've loved it. 772 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:41,880 Glad. 773 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:42,880 Yay, I'm glad. 774 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:43,880 I've really enjoyed it. 775 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:46,240 I mean, seriously, there's been great information. 776 00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:47,240 I'll make sure there's links. 777 00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:48,240 I've been taking notes. 778 00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:51,840 I'll put as much as I can in the show notes. 779 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:53,920 And please, we'd love to have you back anytime. 780 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:55,800 Oh, yeah, I'd love that. 781 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:56,800 Just let me know when. 782 00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:57,800 All right. 783 00:42:57,800 --> 00:42:58,800 Thanks. 784 00:42:58,800 --> 00:42:59,800 All righty. 785 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:05,040 Thanks again to today's guest, Karee Slaguer, for sharing her medical insight and to each 786 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:07,920 of you for listening to today's episode. 787 00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:10,760 If you're new to our podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe. 788 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:15,440 And if you enjoyed today's episode, please remember to leave us a review or a comment 789 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:17,560 about what you enjoyed most. 790 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:22,680 You can stay connected with the Children's Airwaivers Foundation by following us on Instagram, 791 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:25,320 Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 792 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:29,320 If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode, shoot us a note via our contacts 793 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:37,360 page on our website or send us an email directly at info at childrensairwayfirst.org. 794 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:41,120 And finally, thanks to all the parents and medical professionals out there that are 795 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:45,840 working hard to help make their lives of kids around the globe just a little bit better. 796 00:43:45,840 --> 00:44:15,680 Take care, stay safe, and happy breathing, everyone.