Straight Teeth - Crooked Cranium - Spiraling Scoliosis

In this episode of the Visceral Voice Podcast, Christine Schneider is joined by physical therapist, educator, and Applied Integration Academy co-founder Mike Cantrell for a wide-ranging conversation on dentistry, neurology, respiration, and whole-body organization.

Together, they explore how straight teeth do not always equal a well-organized system, and how focusing on teeth alone without considering the cranium, spine, nervous system, and airway can lead to unintended consequences throughout the body.

Mike shares his professional journey, beginning with his realization that orthopedic pain is often a symptom rather than a root cause. He explains how his work led him to understand the central role of neurology and respiration in movement and healing, and ultimately to recognize the unique and often underappreciated power dentists hold in influencing whole-body function.

The conversation examines why modern faces and palates are becoming narrower, including the impact of dietary changes, reduced chewing demands, and early oral restrictions such as tethered oral tissues. Christine and Mike discuss how feeding, sucking, swallowing, and tongue function in infancy shape craniofacial development and set the stage for future airway and postural organization.

They dive deeply into orthodontics, addressing why moving teeth is always possible, but why the timing and context matter. Mike explains how aligning teeth on a crooked cranium and asymmetrical body can disrupt neurology and proprioception, often contributing to symptoms such as headaches, migraines, dizziness, TMJ dysfunction, and unresolved musculoskeletal pain long after braces are removed.

A major theme of the episode is the role of teeth as neuro proprioceptive organs. When teeth are straightened without addressing cranial and body patterns, they can falsely signal stability to the nervous system, preventing the body from adapting, rotating, and grounding efficiently. This has implications not only for movement and pain, but also for breathing, balance, and vocal function.

Christine brings the conversation into the voice, highlighting how dental work, tongue position, and occlusion directly influence airway regulation, pressure management, and sound production. Mike explains how dentists, myofunctional therapists, and body based practitioners can profoundly affect vocal efficiency by influencing neurology above and below the vocal folds.

The episode closes with a call to collaboration. Christine and Mike emphasize the need for practitioners across disciplines to communicate, build teams, and educate themselves beyond their silo. They underscore the importance of continuing to share this work through teaching, research, podcasts, and clinical care so that performers, voice professionals, and patients are supported by science informed, compassionate systems.

Topics covered include
 • The role of dentistry in neurology and whole body regulation
 • Why orthopedic pain is often a symptom rather than a cause
 • Cranial compliance, patterning, and its relationship to teeth
 • How orthodontics can impact headaches, dizziness, and posture
 • Teeth as neuro proprioceptive organs
 • The relationship between occlusion, grounding, and movement
 • Tethered oral tissues and early development
 • Airway regulation, tongue function, and voice production
 • Interdisciplinary collaboration for long term health and resilience

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it with a colleague or leaving a review to help others find this work.

To learn more about Christine’s courses, programs and events, visit www.thevisceralvoice.com

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