Conventional orthodontics is a scam. And I say that as a dentist who had all three of his now adult daughters go through conventional orthodontics.
Today’s newsletter reveals why your child’s crooked teeth aren’t the problem—they’re the symptom of something far more important: a struggling airway. You’ll learn the early signs almost every doctor misses, what’s really at stake, and the exact steps you can take now to change your child’s health—for life.
Today’s Sponsor
Every night, my grandson has a magnesium drink before bed.
It’s part of his airway routine—just like brushing, flossing, xylitol nasal spray, and mouth tape.
Why?
Because magnesium supports:
- Muscle tone (including airway muscles)
- Deeper, more stable sleep
- Nervous system regulation
- Less teeth grinding
Most kids (and adults) are low in magnesium. I take it every night, too. It’s one of the few supplements I never travel without.
CLICK HERE and use code “ASKTHEDENTIST”
So, what do I mean when I say conventional orthodontics is a scam?
My daughter is 28. She’s thriving in a corporate career at a top tech company in Los Angeles (yes, I’m proud of her!). She eats well, has a low BMI, works out, meditates. She’s a phenomenal soccer player and skier. To most doctors, she looks like the picture of health.
And yet—she’s currently undergoing MARPE (Miniscrew-Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion), a procedure that uses tiny implants to literally widen the upper jaw to improve nasal airflow and create space for the tongue to rest.
Why? Because behind the scenes, she’s been quietly suffering from:
- Snoring
- TMJ pain
- Teeth grinding
- Years of restless sleep
- Fatigue no one could explain
She didn’t have any cavities. She had braces as a teenager, just like everyone else. Then Invisalign.
We straightened her teeth, but no one asked about her breathing. Not her pediatrician. Not her orthodontist. Not even me, her dentist—because 30 years ago, we weren’t trained on airway.
And now, she’s living proof of a truth I want every parent to hear:
If we had caught this earlier, she wouldn’t need MARPE in her 20s.
The Window We Missed…
The reality is shocking:
- 90% of facial growth is complete by roughly age nine
- By age 3, sleep-disordered breathing is already affecting the brain
- By age 7 the best chance for interceptive orthodontics is already closing
And yet we’re still telling parents, “They’ll grow out of it.”
We’re still waiting until adult teeth come in—around age 10 to 12—to start braces.
We’re still offering phase one orthodontics too late, around age 8 or 9, when 90% of facial growth is already complete.
We’re still ignoring mouth breathing and snoring unless it’s “severe.” And we’re missing the critical window.
Ages 1 to 6 are when true prevention happens—while the airway, jaw, and facial structure are still rapidly developing. This is the age for myofunctional therapy, nasal hygiene to support nasal breathing, ENT evaluation, tongue and lip tie release, and early palatal expansion with removable or fixed appliances when needed.
Most pediatricians and orthodontists aren’t trained to assess these issues through an airway lens. But if you catch them early, you can change how your child sleeps, grows, and thrives
A Different Outcome—My Grandson
Now here’s the good news.
I have a 3-year-old grandson. Early on, we noticed he was mouth breathing. He had a lip tie, a tongue tie, and enlarged adenoids blocking nasal airflow. By age three, he was showing signs of speech delay.
But this time, we caught it.
- A skilled ENT released his tongue and lip tie
- His adenoids were removed
- He’s working with a top myofunctional therapist
- He drinks a magnesium lemonade one hour before bed (link HERE and search for “magnesium breakthrough drink”—ask your pediatrician about the proper dose for your child, since it’s formulated for adults)
- He’ll get palatal expansion before first grade
He’s sleeping better. Eating better. Breathing better. He’s still mouth breathing occasionally—but far less than before.
Magnesium is essential for jaw growth, muscle tone, and bone development. If you’re guiding facial growth through expansion or encouraging proper tongue posture, magnesium matters!
Magnesium is also one of the most common—and easy-to-fix—deficiencies in kids.
No one thing does the trick. There’s no silver bullet. It’s the combination: releasing ties, restoring nasal breathing, myofunctional therapy, nutritional support, supporting proper oral posture, improving sleep quality. Together, that’s what changes the trajectory.
I wish you could walk into your pediatrician’s office and have all of this addressed at once. But the system doesn’t work that way. As long as we’re in the middle of an airway crisis, it’s parents who have to connect the dots.
That’s why I’m writing this—to make it easier to see the full picture.
Early intervention gave my grandson a different path—because this time, we knew what to look for.
What’s Really at Stake
This isn’t just about snoring or straight teeth.
This is about brain development, metabolism, and behavior.
Children with sleep-disordered breathing are often misdiagnosed with ADHD—because the behavioral symptoms look nearly identical.
In a long-term study published in Pediatrics, Dr. Karen Bonuck found that children with sleep-disordered breathing had a significantly higher risk of developing behavioral issues, including hyperactivity and inattention, by ages 4 and 7.
Many parents and teachers see the behavior, but they miss the root cause: poor sleep.
Still think it’s “just snoring”?
How the Airway Shapes the Face (and the Brain)
At The Breathe Institute, they teach something most dental schools still don’t:
- Nasal breathing stimulates nitric oxide production—boosting oxygen delivery and immune function
- The tongue is nature’s palate expander—but only if it can rest on the roof of the mouth
- When the upper jaw is narrow, the nasal floor is narrow—limiting airflow and increasing sleep strain
This is why palatal expansion isn’t cosmetic—it’s life-changing. Form, in this case, determines function. And it all happens before age 10!
The Signs Parents Can’t Afford to Ignore
These symptoms are common—but not normal:
- Mouth breathing
- Snoring—even “a little” (includes wheezing, whistling, or even those “cute” gurgling sounds. A healthy airway is silent while breathing.)
- Forward head posture
- Crowded baby teeth
- Bedwetting
- Picky eating
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Speech delay
- ADHD-like behavior
- Craving carbs (for energy)
These are early signs of airway dysfunction.
They do not self-correct.
They do not “go away with time.”
They morph into fatigue, anxiety, metabolic issues, and adult sleep apnea.
What You Can Do Today
You don’t need a diagnosis to take action. You just need a new lens.
✅ Watch your child sleep
Check on them multiple times—throughout the night and early morning.
Is their mouth open? Do you hear snoring, wheezing, or any noise at all?
Note their head position, body posture, and how restful their sleep looks.
A silent, closed-mouth sleeper is the goal.
✅ Find an airway-informed dentist or myofunctional therapist
Don’t settle for “just cavities.” You want a provider who evaluates the airway. If you’re looking for a dentist who thinks like that, check my Functional Dentist Directory or the AADSM Directory.
✅ Ask the right questions
What’s their palatal width? Tongue posture? Can they nasal breathe with lips closed?
✅ Act early (ages 3–8 is best)
Expansion, therapy, and surgical collaboration are most effective before age 7—and expansion needs to be completed by age 9, while the upper jaw is still soft and growing.
✅ Trust your instincts
If something feels off, it probably is. You are your child’s best advocate.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about fixing mouths.
It’s about restoring sleep, attention, behavior, facial development—even emotional regulation.
Airway health is whole-body health.
And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Let’s stop normalizing poor sleep and narrow jaws.
Let’s stop waiting to see if they “grow out of it.”
Let’s build a new model—one where dentists, ENTs, pediatricians, and parents work together from the start.
Because your child deserves so much more than straight teeth.
–Mark
P.S. Seen signs of mouth breathing in your kid? Hit reply. I read every message, and I’d love to hear your story. Image below is of my grandson, shared with permission from his parents, pictured sleeping with his myotape.
