Airway First

Airway First

Welcome to Airway First - A Parent's Guide to Sleep and Airway Health for Children Each episode explores the topic of children's sleep and airway health with medical professionals and clinicians. Some of the topics discussed include: Sleep Health Practices for Children Mouth Breathing / Nasal Breathing / Proper Breathing Signs and Symptoms of Airway Dysfunction in Children Treatment Options for Oral Dysfunction Pediatric Airway Dentistry and Myofunctional Therapy Parent Stories Early Childhood Development Our focus is on providing you with the education and tools you need to help guide your child toward better sleep, airway health, and a life where they can thrive. You can find more resources on our website at www.childrensairwayfirst.org.

Episodes

March 5, 2025 55 mins

Our guest today is Dr. Neel Bulchandani, a holistic chiropractor, bodyworker, movement teacher, podcaster, and philosopher. He utilizes systems thinking in a field he developed called Integrative Airway & Feeding Chiropractic.

He graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2008. He created the Airway Map – a new way of understanding the body’s maladapted patterns from tongue ties, narrow palates, and jaw issues – and from ...

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Our guest today is Dr. David McIntosh, a Pediatric ENT Specialist with a particular interest in airway obstruction, facial and dental development, and its relationship to ENT airway problems, and middle ear disease. He is also passionate about Indigenous Health. He has undertaken advanced surgical training in ENT and Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatric training at Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand.

Dr. McIntosh h...

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Our guest today is Dr. David McIntosh, a Pediatric ENT Specialist with a particular interest in airway obstruction, facial and dental development, and its relationship to ENT airway problems, and middle ear disease. He is also passionate about Indigenous Health. He has undertaken advanced surgical training in ENT and Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatric training at Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand.

Dr. McIntosh h...

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Our guest today is Claire Duque, a Myofunctional Therapist & Occupational Therapist. Before being trained in myofunctional therapy, Claire served the adult population as an occupational therapist. Having a child with airway issues ignited her passion for this space and her desire to help kids and their futures.

Claire believes that sleep and breathing are the cornerstones of health for a child. Claire is particularly passionate ...

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My guest today is Mallory Roberts--- a Speech Pathologist trained in craniosacral therapy, myo-functional therapy, and infant massage. She is particularly interested in infant reflux, infant oral development, and bottle feeding.

Through her professional work and due to the lack of support during her own babies’ feeding journeys, she created The Feeding Mom. Here, she empowers parents through their feeding journeys locally and world...

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My guest today is Jordan Rusk, BS, RPSGT, CCSH. As the Program Director at Lone Star College-Kingwood and an RPSGT, her work revolves around advancing healthcare education in sleep medicine and providing career opportunities for individuals with a passion for healthcare and helping others.

At Texas Children's Hospital, Jordan's role as a Sleep Educator involved formulating a comprehensive training program to enhance the onboarding ...

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My guest today is Dmitry Spektor, RPSGT, CCSH. Dmitry is a registered sleep technologist with over 20 years of experience in all aspects of sleep disorder medicine, sleep research, and clinical trials.

He is the Sleep Lab Operations Manager for Pediatric Sleep Specialists in Texas (offices available in Texas and Colorado). Previously, he was the Lead Sleep Technologist for Memorial Hermann Hospital and Children's Hospital Los Angele...

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My guest today is Jatin Tekchandani, recently elected Vice President of the Texas Society of Sleep Professionals, who is a multifaceted expert in sleep medicine and data analytics. With a diverse background spanning polysomnography, engineering, and leadership roles, his career encompasses diagnosis, therapy development, and cutting-edge research.

Starting as a night technologist, Jatin worked his way up through hands-on experience,...

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My guest today is mom of three, Jenny Gay. Jenny and her family have been on an airway journey that includes all three of her sons and herself.

In this episode, Jenny shares her ups and downs, tips, and many of the resources she has found along the way. She hopes this information will help other parents in their own airway journeys with their children.

Show Notes

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Show Notes:

Throughout the episode, Dr. Mitchell mentions several resources that may be useful for both parents and medical professionals. This blog post is dedicated on providing all of that supporting material:

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My guest today is Dr. Hilary Pada. Hilary was raised with an appreciation of nature, family, community, and creativity. Born and raised in Kelowna, Hilary returned home after University years having backpacked in Africa, Europe, Central America and lots of road trips through Canada! A 2000 graduate of UBC Dental School.

Dr. Pada's interest in Hospital, Emergency, and Complex Medical-Dental care motivated her to pursue the UBC-VGH G...

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My guest today is Dr. Hilary Pada. Hilary was raised with an appreciation of nature, family, community, and creativity. Born and raised in Kelowna, Hilary returned home after University years having backpacked in Africa, Europe, Central America and lots of road trips through Canada! A 2000 graduate of UBC Dental School.

Dr. Pada's interest in Hospital, Emergency, and Complex Medical-Dental care motivated her to pursue the UBC-VGH G...

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My guest today is Dr. Kevin Coppelson. Dr. Kevin Coppelson is a board-certified and fellowship-trained Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon practicing at The Breathe Institute in Southern California. He practices a broad range of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery- with a focus on skeletal augmentation for the treatment of maxillofacial deformities and sleep-related breathing disorders.

Dr. Coppelson brings the knowledge and experience n...

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My guest today is Maggie Lavender - a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner licensed in Texas with specialization in Sleep Disorders Medicine and Neurology.

She attended Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She began her career working in a pediatric intensive care and burn unit. She later moved to Houston, Texas and continued her career in a neuroscience inte...

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My guest today is Occupational Therapist, Natalie "Nat" Udwin. Nat is an infant development, airway and reflexive feeding specialist. Most people know them on Instagram as "Nat The Baby OT".

Nat has a B.A. in Studio Art from Whitman College and a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Milligan College and has been an OT for 12 years. They have specialized in infant development for 7 years now.

Nat, alongside some incredible mentors and c...

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My guest today is Dr. Claire Stagg. Dr. Stagg's academic journey began at the University of Bordeaux, France, where she earned her Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS) in 1982. With a relentless thirst for knowledge, she has amassed over 2,700 hours of additional training, with an emphasis in TMJ / Sleep Disorders, Orthopedics, and Dental Rehabilitation. Her quest for excellence led her to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, w...

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My guest today is Kelley Rubio, an Arizona native and US Army veteran with a heartfelt commitment to pediatric care since 1996. Her practice has two locations in the Phoenix Valley and she works with patients in person and via Telehealth. As a licensed dental hygienist, she specializes in myofunctional therapy and is a Certified Buteyko Breathing Practitioner.

Kelley stays at the forefront of her field through ongoing training, hold...

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My guest today is Dr. Mark Levi. Dr. Levi has over 30 years experience as a Dentist, and over 20 years in Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine. He is a member of the Australasian Sleep Association, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and European Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.

As a former sufferer of Sleep Apnea, Dr. Levi understands the problem from all perspectives, and has the technical expertise to provide the best custo...

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Today's episode is a bit different in that I have invited a panel of luminaries and medical professionals who are passionate about airway and sleep health. Each of today's guests participated, in some form or fashion, in the SEC Sleep Conference that was held in Houston, Texas earlier this month.

Our special guest panel includes:

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My guest today is Dr. Julia Sadove-Lopez. She is a biological dentist, accredited by the IAOMT. She attended dental school in Indiana and went on to practice dentistry at a holistic dental practice in Chicago. She was able to work closely in collaboration with Dr. Kevin Boyd, even serving as a research assistant for his anthropology research with the Penn Museum.

She was practicing general dentistry, but her passion for identifying ...

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