Episodes

  • Should 3D/CBCT Imaging be the Standard of Care in Orthodontics? (w/Dr. Dania Tamimi) [Ep.158]

    Should 3D/CBCT Imaging be the Standard of Care in Orthodontics? (w/Dr. Dania Tamimi) [Ep.158]
    May 28 2026

    In this episode of The DOC Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Dania Tamimi, an oral and maxillofacial radiologist, Harvard-trained dental educator, and holistic health advocate, for a wide-ranging conversation on why diagnosis must come first in dentistry, and why 3D CBCT imaging is no longer optional for orthodontists who want to truly serve their patients.

    Dr. Tamimi brings a uniquely multidisciplinary perspective, weaving together radiology, yoga therapy, kinesiology, and craniofacial anatomy to make the case that the mouth and the airway cannot be treated in isolation. Together, we challenge the "tooth straightener" mindset still dominant in orthodontics, break down the science of nasal breathing and its profound impact on facial development, and take a critical look at recent AAO position statements on airway and CBCT.

    Whether you're a seasoned clinician, a young provider, or a curious parent, this episode will change the way you think about dental imaging, airway, and what it means to truly diagnose.

    Timestamps:
    0:00 — Introduction & Meet Dr. Dania Tamimi
    4:01 — Dr. Tamimi's background: oral & maxillofacial radiology explained
    4:46 — A parallel career in fitness and why it matters for TMJ
    6:55 — "It's all connected" - the TMJ, airway, and the whole body
    10:01 — Dr. Mike's airway awakening: how getting a CBCT in 2014 changed everything
    12:37 — Why we image: diagnosis is the single most important step
    18:38 — CT vs. CBCT: what's the actual difference and why does it matter?
    21:58 — Cone beam CT explained: lower dose, dental-specific, and what it can (and can't) show
    25:52 — Why is 3D CBCT adoption still debated in orthodontics?
    30:09 — Fear, comfort zones, and the cost of not knowing
    36:07 — "Knowledge gives you power, fear takes it away"
    38:59 — "I don't want to be responsible for what's on the scan" - the liability fear no one talks about
    44:07 — Should orthodontists rename themselves craniofacial orthopedists?
    52:00 — No such thing as a routine X-ray: why clinical exam must come first
    1:13:34 — The science of nasal breathing: nitric oxide, filtration, and why mouth breathing changes your face
    1:14:35 — How mouth breathing narrows jaws, crowds teeth, and displaces the tongue into the airway
    1:19:01 — Challenging the AAO white paper: "No craniofacial phenotypes can identify airway problems"?
    1:23:25 — Can orthodontists read their own scans? How to know when to refer

    LINKS

    • Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive:https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/
    • Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
    • Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
    • Enroll in one-on-one coaching w/Dr. Mike: https://theorthocoach.com/doc-coaching/
    • Link to Dr. Mike’s review of the AAO White Paper Update on SDB: https://youtu.be/pKSD_PVO4G0?si=CSxQy4V6tZoe551t
    • Dr. Tamimi TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/zlYuHwqrsPo?si=30NiJu_UiuPeKRlX
    • Contact Dr. Tamimi: https://inspire-imaging.com/
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Rethinking When, Why, & How We Treat Patients (w/Dr. Mike DePascale) [Ep.157]

    Rethinking When, Why, & How We Treat Patients (w/Dr. Mike DePascale) [Ep.157]
    May 21 2026

    Episode Summary

    Dr. Mike DePascale is a Connecticut-based orthodontist and co-owner of a multi-location practice with his partner and mentor, Dr. Jeff Kozlowski. In this episode, Dr. DePascale shares his remarkable personal journey from suffering severe obstructive sleep apnea in his early 20s and undergoing orthognathic surgery to becoming a passionate advocate for airway-focused, early-interceptive orthodontic care. The conversation covers the philosophy behind their thriving partnership, why airway is still woefully undertaught in residency programs, how to practically integrate early airway-focused treatment into a busy practice, the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration, and what it takes to maintain peak fitness while building a career and a family. This is a conversation about so much more than teeth, it's about breathing, thriving, and never settling.

    Timestamps

    0:00 — Introduction to The DOC Podcast and Dr. Mike DePascale
    10:57 — Dr. DePascale's origin story: cold-calling medical offices to find his path
    12:30 — Diagnosed with severe sleep apnea in his 20s: 3 car accidents, 2–4 hours of sleep a night
    15:30 — Choosing orthognathic surgery over CPAP — and how it saved his life
    19:00 — Finding Dr. Jeff Kozlowski: choosing mentorship over immediate money
    24:00 — What makes a practice partnership actually work: communication, consistency, and commitment
    33:00 — Residency training: what it prepared him for — and what it didn't
    38:00 — Why airway is barely taught in orthodontic residencies (and what needs to change)
    45:00 — The 1968 Salzman Index, Medicaid, and how the system trains orthodontists to pull teeth instead of treat early
    53:00 — How to practically integrate airway screening into a busy multi-doc practice
    58:00 — Team training, sleep questionnaires, and the power of interdisciplinary referral networks
    63:00 — The emotional reality: a mom crying after finally hearing "tongue tie" for the first time after 5 specialists
    68:00 — How early is too early? Dr. DePascale's own son: frenectomy at weeks old, T&A at age 2
    75:00 — Why orthodontists are uniquely positioned — and obligated — to lead in the airway space
    80:00 — Fitness as a non-negotiable: from not finishing a mile to running a 4:53, and why he never gets out of it

    Links

    • Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/
    • Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
    • Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
    • Website: theorthocoach.com
    • Email: drmike@theorthocoach.com
    • Instagram: @theorthocoach

    Thank you for your support of The DOC Podcast, and please share the show with others who may benefit from hearing this conversation!
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • The Good, Bad, & Ugly of the AAO White Paper Update on SDB and Orthodontics [Ep.156]

    The Good, Bad, & Ugly of the AAO White Paper Update on SDB and Orthodontics [Ep.156]
    May 14 2026
    In this episode, Dr. Mike breaks down the 2024 update to the 2019 AAO White Paper on obstructive sleep apnea and orthodontics, published in the AJODO in April. After presenting to hundreds of medical, dental, and myofunctional therapy colleagues across the country, he recorded his full presentation for listeners worldwide.Timestamps0:00 – Introduction, episode overview & why Dr. Mike recorded this presentation1:17 – Context: Presenting across the U.S. (Houston, Bronx, Long Island) — the near-universal reaction was shock at the document's flaws3:07 – THE GOOD begins3:07 – Good #1: Acknowledges the full spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), not just OSA3:55 – Good #2 & #3: Calls on orthodontists to screen all pediatric patients for SDB, emphasizes early detection, and acknowledges multifactorial etiology requiring interdisciplinary care5:07 – THE BAD begins5:07 – Bad #1–2: Author panel was 8 orthodontists + 1 librarian (no physicians, no myofunctional therapists); document inconsistently uses "OSA" vs. "SDB" throughout8:03 – Bad #3–5: Minimal screening guidance (32 signs & symptoms largely ignored); only briefly mentions comorbidities; never discusses the importance of nasal breathing13:00 – Bad #6: Overall focus is on what not to do rather than guiding orthodontists on how to help patients14:00 – THE UGLY begins15:01 – Ugly #1: Reliance on PSG-confirmed OSA to justify intervention — challenges with pediatric sleep studies (access, sensitivity, first-night effect, lack of standardization); what Reference 34 actually says vs. how it was cited22:40 – Patient case study: Child with AHI of zero but severe signs of airway disease — the ENT said "what does the orthodontist know about sleep medicine?"26:34 – Ugly #2: "No way to determine if a patient is a mouth breather" — justified by a study of 9 adults on a cycle ergometer; Dr. Kandasamy's 2025 AJODO editorial; what the actual research shows (European OJ, AHA, ADHD literature, microbiome)36:51 – Ugly #3: "No craniofacial phenotypes can identify SDB" — directly contradicted by Reference 34 and the original 2019 white paper; Harvold primate studies, Hew et al. (2011), Principato's tongue mechanics explained43:03 – Ugly #4: "Most children with SDB will outgrow it" — both cited references (Refs 17 & 18) actually contradict this claim; cardiovascular, neurocognitive, and ADHD consequences of waiting53:03 – Ugly #5: "CBCT has no diagnostic value for SDB" — contradicted by Reference 34; what CBCT can detect; the radiation argument debunked57:29 – Ugly #6: Must refer to a physician for diagnosis before any intervention — ignores lack of access to pediatric sleep physicians; a formal diagnosis does not change the orthodontist's treatment plan for normalizing craniofacial growth1:00:00 – Ugly #7: Misleading analysis of tongue tie (ankyloglossia) and PSDB — references were miscited; what the scoping review (1,228+ patients) and 2026 systematic review actually concluded1:07:27 – The evidence-based medicine argument: what David Sackett (founder of EBM) actually said — and how Class I occlusion, ceph norms, clear aligners, and IPR are held to a different standard than airway treatment1:19:20 – Ugly #8: "Orthodontic extractions have no impact on airway" — the Larson article debunked (patients didn't even necessarily have orthodontic treatment); extractions treat the symptom and ignore the underlying etiology1:28:20 – Path forward: "Straight teeth bias," the need for a paradigm shift, and the vision for a profession that creates both beautiful smiles and healthy nasal breathersResources MentionedAAO White Paper Update: Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Orthodontics (https://www.ajodo.org/article/S0889-5406(26)00035-1/fulltext) Dr. Mike's OrthoTown article: Defining Evidence-Based Orthodontics (https://www.orthotown.com/magazine/article/9835/defining-evidence-based-orthodontics?fbclid=IwY2xjawP14fxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFrVWE3M3EwYWJTRWpEdENTc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhwMNgFJyCJB6JMvVDSomu6drLwAym2SI7CDx-eXbuwrUwBxzP6NpyP7HpT8_aem_NmfJlB15aUQgioH6xWUu3A)Early Orthodontic Treatment Comprehensive – 2-day hands-on course with Dr. Mike & Dr. Daniel Camacho, Fort Lauderdale, FL, November 13–14. Save $1,000 by enrolling before May 31st. Limited to 20 docs. (https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/)ConnectWebsite: theorthocoach.comEmail: drmike@theorthocoach.comFacebook: The DOC Community (https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/)Subscribe on Apple Podcasts & SpotifySubscribe to the DOC YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@theorthocoach)Please share this episode widely — with medical, dental, and myofunctional therapy colleagues, parents, and anyone invested in children's health.
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Do Kids Outgrow Their Airway Issues? An ENT's Perspective (w/Dr. David McIntosh) [Ep.155]

    Do Kids Outgrow Their Airway Issues? An ENT's Perspective (w/Dr. David McIntosh) [Ep.155]
    May 7 2026

    In this episode, I sit down again with Dr. David McIntosh, an ENT surgeon from Australia and one of the sharpest medical minds I know when it comes to pediatric airway and sleep-disordered breathing. We dig deep into the recently updated AAO white paper, including what it got right, what it got dangerously wrong, and why publishing a document about interdisciplinary care without a single interdisciplinary author is a problem we can't ignore.

    Dr. McIntosh also walks me through one of the most eye-opening breakdowns I've ever heard about Scammon's curve, and what orthodontists were never actually taught about what that data really shows. This episode is a must-listen for any dental or medical professional who works with children and cares about more than just straight teeth.

    Timestamps:
    0:02:40 — Welcome & introducing Dr. David McIntosh back to the show
    0:04:35 — The AAO white paper update: eight orthodontists, one librarian, and zero medical or myofunctional colleagues
    0:09:51 — The quote that stopped Dr. McIntosh cold: "Pre-pubertal OSA tends to resolve naturally"
    0:11:34 — Dissecting the flaws in reference #17: small sample sizes, changing scoring rules & selection bias
    0:13:01 — Reference #18 from a 2010 Journal of Pediatrics paper that actually contradicts the white paper's own conclusion
    0:22:59 — Why the CHAT study should have been their starting point
    0:23:09 — The Karen Bonuck study: 12,000 children, 7 years of data, and what early SDB really does to development
    0:27:54 — Christian Guilleminault and why he wished he'd never invented the AHI
    0:38:16 — Breaking down Scammon's curve: what it actually measures (and what it doesn't)
    0:40:25 — The original data came from the spleen and thymus — not tonsils or adenoids
    0:53:30 — "I don't care about teeth" — Dr. McIntosh on why craniofacial outcomes are the wrong finish line
    0:55:34 — Straight teeth bias: why orthodontists need to think like dentofacial orthopedists
    1:04:08 — Mouth breathing and craniofacial growth: why the debate doesn't even matter anymore
    1:20:41 — Dr. McIntosh and Bill Harrell's upcoming Airway Breathing Academy — what it is and who it's for

    I hope this episode challenges the way you think about what we're really treating when we treat children's airways, because it's never just about the teeth.

    If you found this valuable, please follow me on Instagram at @theorthocoach, join our community at The DOC Community on Facebook (link below), and subscribe on YouTube at @theorthocoach. Your support helps keep these important conversations going. See you next episode.

    LINKS

    • Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/
    • Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
    • Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
    • Guillimenault & Huang article in Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2018: Guilleminault C, Huang YS. From oral facial dysfunction to dysmorphism and the onset of pediatric OSA. Sleep Med Rev. 2018 Aug;40:203-214.
    • Connect with Dr. McIntosh:
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.mcintosh.180
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.mcintosh.ent/?hl=en
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • What's Causing the Chronic Disease Epidemic in Our Children? (w/Beth Lambert)

    What's Causing the Chronic Disease Epidemic in Our Children? (w/Beth Lambert)
    Apr 30 2026

    In this episode, I sit down with Beth Lambert - bestselling author, founder of Documenting Hope, and creator of the CHIRP Study - for a deep dive into the skyrocketing rates of chronic illness in children. Beth shares her personal journey from pharmaceutical consultant to healthcare reform advocate, explains the "Total Load" theory of disease, and discusses the environmental, dietary, and systemic factors driving conditions like autism, ADHD, autoimmune disease, and allergies.

    The conversation covers vaccines, fluoride, gut health, sleep, and practical steps parents can take today, all grounded in science, and without the usual gatekeeping.

    Timestamps:

    0:23 – Introduction: Meet Beth Lambert
    8:01 – Beth gets kicked out of 3 pediatricians' offices for asking about root causes
    15:50 – How post-WWII pharmaceutical culture shaped modern medicine
    17:57 – Direct-to-consumer drug advertising: the U.S. is one of only two countries that allow it
    22:07 – The data: from 2% of kids with chronic illness in 1960 to 54%+ today
    24:23 – What's driving the epidemic? Food, air, water, antibiotics, toxins — the "Total Load"
    25:48 – Explaining the Total Load Theory and why no single cause explains it all
    30:40 – The CHIRP Study: Child Health Inventory for Resilience and Prevention
    31:15 – Preliminary findings: more health stressors = worse health outcomes
    36:32 – The vaccine-autism debate: why we need open, unbiased science
    37:59 – Antibiotics and the microbiome: the biggest signal in the CHIRP data
    43:13 – "The science is settled" — why that phrase has no place in real science
    54:38 – Fluoride: Beth hasn't used it in 20 years — here's why
    1:06:25 – Gut health: why the microbiome is foundational but not the whole picture
    1:12:22 – Is it ADHD or is it sleep deprivation? The airway-behavior connection
    1:19:57 – Biohacks (peptides, red light, vagus nerve stimulators): helpful tools, not solutions
    1:23:16 – Take-home message: clinician-parent partnership and owning your child's health
    1:25:37 – Where to find Beth & Documenting Hope: documentinghope.com

    LINKS:

    • Epidemic Answers: www.epidemicanswers.org
    • The Documenting Hope Project: www.documentinghope.com
    • A Compromised Generation: http://sentientpublications.com/shop/books/all-titles/a-compromised-generation/
    • Brain Under Attack: http://www.brainunderattack.com
    • Follow Beth on Socials: @documentinghope
    • Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
    • Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
    • REGISTER: 2026 Early Orthodontic Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • A Drug-Free Approach to the Management of Nasal Congestion (w/Drs. Hwang, Gopi, & Lin) [Ep.153]

    A Drug-Free Approach to the Management of Nasal Congestion (w/Drs. Hwang, Gopi, & Lin) [Ep.153]
    Apr 23 2026
    Episode SummaryIn this two-part episode, I sit down with the founders of Sound Health and the Sonu Band - one of the most innovative products in the airway and sleep health space. In Part 1, Dr. Paramesh Gopi shares his personal journey from tech entrepreneur to co-founder of Sound Health, driven by his own debilitating struggle with chronic sinusitis and allergies. He explains how a chance meeting with Stanford physicians, Drs. Peter Hwang and Bryant Lin led to the world's first FDA-approved AI wearable using acoustic resonance therapy to decrease nasal congestion.In Part 2, Drs. Hwang and Lin dive deeper into the science. They discuss the neurogenic underpinning of nasal and sinus disease, how acoustic vibration at individualized resonant frequencies modulates the autonomic nervous system (specifically the sphenopalatine ganglion), and why neuromodulation, not just mechanical mucus clearance, may explain the device's broad effectiveness. Together, all three guests explore the future of the Sonu Band, the potential to bridge the gap between ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, and primary care physicians, and the exciting platform that pairs face scanning and voice analytics to deliver personalized airway data at scale.Timestamps3:22 — **PART 1 begins: Interview with Dr. Paramesh Gopi**4:11 — **The personal health crisis that changed everything** — Multiple sinus infections, rounds of antibiotics, a lifetime of allergies, and why a life-threatening level of illness in 2019 forced a new path.11:25 — **5 years without antibiotics or sprays** — Dr. Gopi describes his transformation after becoming the first patient to try acoustic resonance therapy with Drs. Hwang and Lin.16:57 — **Shared stories: empathy in medicine** — Dr. Mike and Dr. Gopi connect over parallel personal experiences with chronic sinus disease and how those experiences drove each of them into broader airway-focused work.24:23 — **The Sound Health app & free nasal airway report** — Anyone can download the app, speak into it, and get a quantified nasal airflow report — no purchase necessary. The role of voice biomarkers in identifying breathing patterns.29:53 — **How the Sonu Band works: the physics of resonance** — Dr. Gopi explains the mechanism using the analogy of resonating a bottle to pop a cork. Sound waves at the right frequency physically alter aerodynamics inside the sinus cavities to clear mucus blockages.32:28 — **AI-powered facial scanning replaces the CT scan** — How Sound Health trained AI on hundreds of CT scans to predict internal sinus anatomy from a simple face scan using your phone's camera.43:54 — **Why avoid single-solution thinking?** — A conversation on multifactorial airway disease and why combining therapies (expansion, resonance, surgery, pharmacology) with no-downside non-pharma options makes sense.48:19 — **Data-driven treatment and longitudinal tracking** — Sound Health's published 2,375-person usage study, correlating face shape with symptom improvement over 12+ months.52:21 — **The "Screen, Treat, Monitor" platform** — How Sound Health envisions its technology becoming a reimbursable remote therapeutic monitoring tool, usable by dentists, orthodontists, speech therapists, and physicians.1:01:07 — **Dr. Mike's personal Sonu Band experience** — Noticeable improvement in nasal patency, reduced reliance on nasal steroids, and sleeping on his "bad side" for the first time in decades.1:08:17 — **PART 2 begins: Interview with Drs. Peter Hwang & Bryant Lin**1:09:18 — **Origin story: humming, singers, and a hallway conversation** — Dr. Hwang recounts a 1990s residency comment about singers having fewer sinus problems that incubated for 20 years before becoming a product. Dr. Lin describes early prototyping with cell phone vibration motors and buzzer kits.1:23:29 — **Long-term real-world data** — Beyond the FDA trials: adherence patterns, frequency of use, and what happens when patients stop using the device. The difference from rebound effects seen with decongestant sprays.1:38:59 — **Why sleeping position affects nasal congestion** — The science of nasal cycling, pressure receptors, and dependent venous congestion. Why lying on one side makes the other side open up.1:43:06 — **What's next for Sound Health** — Upcoming indications: facial pain/migraines, rhinitis of pregnancy, younger pediatric patients, and a sleep entrainment product (Spatial Sleep) designed to guide brainwaves into theta for insomnia relief.LINKSREGISTER for the 2026 Early Orthodontic Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ Sound Health Life: https://soundhealth.life/ Sleep Help Products: https://spatialsleep.com/ Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
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    1 hr and 49 mins
  • From Restoring Teeth to Transforming Lives (w/Dr. Chad Capps) [Ep.152]

    From Restoring Teeth to Transforming Lives (w/Dr. Chad Capps) [Ep.152]
    Apr 16 2026
    Episode OverviewI'm excited to share this week's episode, and I have to say, this one really hit home for me personally. My guest is Dr. Chad Capps, a board-certified orthodontist practicing in Rockwall, Texas, who also serves as adjunct faculty in the Department of Orthodontics at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. What makes this conversation so compelling is that, like me, he didn't set out to be an airway-focused orthodontist. He evolved. And the path that got him there, full of personal health struggles, defining patient moments, and a relentless pursuit of deeper purpose, is one I think so many of you will connect with. You'll get to listen to two board-certified orthodontists who were not trained in airway-focused treatment share how their thinking evolved and why we believe orthodontists are uniquely positioned to change lives, not just straighten teeth. We dive into the science, the clinical realities, and the politics of our profession, as well as the reasons we are both so passionate about airway-focused treatment. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.Highlights & Timestamps2:24 — **Welcome & Introduction**The conversation kicks off with how our shared work on an upcoming publication brought us together.3:18 — **A Career Path Redirected**What started as a passion for restorative dentistry led to a defining patient moment — a mom in tears handing over a teacher's note about how her child's life had changed after expansion and an ENT referral. That was the turning point.6:01 — **"That's What I Want to Do for the Rest of My Life"**The moment the decision was made to pursue orthodontics — with airway and growth at the center of it.7:41 — **Personal Health as a Clinical Lens**After attending an airway-focused CE course, the pieces fell into place personally — UARS misdiagnosed as narcolepsy, multiple tongue surgeries, atrial fibrillation, and two children who also struggled. Living through these experiences has shaped an extraordinary level of clinical empathy and insight.17:46 — **Building a Practice That Can Actually Do This Work**The practical side: how do you restructure your schedule, limit new patient exams, build a stable and educated team, and create systems that allow for the depth of care airway treatment demands? Spoiler — it's not easy, but it's worth it.32.13 — **The AAO White Paper on Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing**A candid breakdown of what the updated white paper gets right — and where it falls short. We discuss the dismissal of craniofacial phenotypes, the role of CBCT, the spectrum of SDB beyond OSA, and the troubling contradictions within the paper's own cited references.54:25 — **CBCT in Everyday Practice**How CBCT is used not just for diagnosis, but as a communication tool — with ENTs, with parents, and with patients themselves. When patients can see their own airway on screen, they become partners in their care.1:16:31 — **Extractions & Airway: The Real Conversation**It's not the extraction itself — it's the failure to diagnose and address the underlying skeletal issue. A thoughtful breakdown of why this debate is often argued on the wrong terms, including a close look at the Larson article frequently cited by AAO leadership.1:23:00 — **Not Everyone Has to Practice This Way — And That's Okay**A mature and respectful take on the diversity of orthodontic practice. Not every provider needs to be an airway orthodontist — but everyone should be aware enough to recognize it and refer when they see it.1:27:59 — **Closing Thoughts**Why this work is "the most rewarding thing you will ever do in your life" — and a call to keep the conversation going, keep the community growing, and keep moving the needle.Connect:Capps Orthodontics Website: https://cappsortho.com/ Email Dr. Capps: drc@capsorthodontics.comJoin The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/Enroll in one-on-one coaching w/Dr. Mike: https://theorthocoach.com/doc-coaching/ Dr. Gozal Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-irreversible-consequences-of-pediatric/id1689703392?i=1000758827479 If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a colleague. That's how we move the needle together!
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Creating Margin in Your Schedule & Your Bank Account (w/Dr. David Phelps) [Ep.151]

    Creating Margin in Your Schedule & Your Bank Account (w/Dr. David Phelps) [Ep.151]
    Apr 9 2026

    Episode Summary

    In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. David Phelps, dentist turned financial freedom educator, real estate investor, and founder of Freedom Founders. Both of us retired from our clinical practices in our mid-40s and share remarkably parallel journeys. We dive deep into why earning more won't set you free, how to build genuine margin in your money and your time, the danger of tying your identity to your profession, and why having hard conversations with your spouse about money is the most important financial move you can make. Dr. Phelps also shares the deeply personal story of his daughter's battle with leukemia and a liver transplant, and how a family health crisis became the catalyst for his financial freedom journey.

    Key Topics Covered

    • Why income alone will never create freedom, and what will
    • The power of living below your means and compounding savings over time
    • What your schedule says about how "free" you really are
    • How to have honest money conversations with your spouse
    • The negotiables and non-negotiables every couple needs to define together
    • Letting go of your identity as "the doctor" when stepping away from practice
    • Recognizing and recovering from burnout
    • Why starting small is the only way to start at all
    • Building passive income outside the practice as a path to optionality

    Timestamps

    0:23 — Episode introduction: Dr. Mike introduces Dr. David Phelps and his mission to help professionals achieve financial freedom
    4:08 — Dr. Phelps' background: growing up an entrepreneur and why dentistry appealed to him
    7:41 — First real estate investment in dental school: partnering with his dad to buy a property and discovering the power of assets
    12:00 — The question that changes everything: how both doctors ended up retiring from clinical practice in their mid-40s
    12:16 — Dr. Phelps shares his daughter's diagnosis with high-risk leukemia and the years of treatment that followed
    17:06 — Update: his daughter is now 34 and thriving — and the pride of escorting her at her high school homecoming after her recovery
    23:32 — Dr. Mike's parallel story: how COVID forced him to stop, sleep, and gain perspective on his own life and career
    36:22 — Identity crisis: what happens when your profession IS your identity — and why that's dangerous
    37:16 — Dr. Mike reflects on never feeling fully comfortable being "Dr. Mike" in the community
    40:33 — How to begin building an identity beyond the chair — before you leave it
    45:06 — The two types of margin every professional needs: money and time
    46:12 — "Income is not wealth": why trading time for dollars will never get you free
    47:41 — Why most high-income earners don't budget — and the cost of that habit
    1:04:44 — Burnout is real: what's driving it in healthcare today and why young doctors are saying they only want to work five years
    1:24:12 — Dr. Phelps' closing advice: start small, be consistent, and let compounding do the work
    1:28:32 — Where to find Dr. Phelps: Freedom Founders Podcast, YouTube, and freedomfounders.com

    LINKS:

    • Freedom Founders Podcast: https://www.freedomfounders.com/podcast/?_ga=2.77650064.549393833.1775698798-1177225500.1774543265
    • Website: https://www.freedomfounders.com/
    • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drdphelps
    • Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
    • Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
    • The DOC Podcast w/Dr. Brett Gilbert on mental health & burnout: https://youtu.be/LakpR7XiS9U
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    1 hr and 30 mins