The DOC Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Julia Sadove-Lopez - a dentist, parent advocate, and founder of Oris Wellness - to explore a side of pediatric airway health we haven't covered enough on this show: what it's actually like for the parents trying to navigate it.
 
We dig into Julia's personal journey from dental school through corporate dentistry, into holistic practice in Chicago alongside Dr. Kevin Boyd, and ultimately to a career pivot that took her to Portugal and led her to found Oris Wellness. She opens up about the mental health toll of clinical practice, the moment she realized she needed a change, and how she turned her passion for patient education into a coaching and advocacy business.
 
We also tackle some of the most frustrating problems in our field, including why parents are hearing completely conflicting recommendations from provider to provider, why our diagnostics are all over the map, and why the interdisciplinary nature of airway care makes things even harder for families. Julia shares what she hears from parents every day, how she helps them cut through the noise without ever telling them what to do, and what clinicians can do better to move families from fear and confusion toward clarity and action.
 
Chapters:
0:00 — Introduction & Episode Overview
3:21 — Welcome, Dr. Julia
4:16 — Julia's Career Journey: From Dental School to Holistic Practice
15:18 — Life After Clinical Practice: The Pivot
19:08 — Why Dental School Falls Short
23:07 — Sponsor Break: The Generational Wealth Code
27:37 — From Clinician to Coach: Understanding Parent Motivation
36:12 — What Parents Are Frustrated About
37:47 — Conflicting Treatment Options & The Diagnostic Problem
58:24 — Social Media's Impact on Parents and Providers
1:02:25 — Navigating Interdisciplinary Care
1:09:01 — The Coaching Model: Education, Not Diagnosis
1:14:47 — Advice for Parents & Providers
1:25:11 — Where to Find Dr. Julia
 
Key Topics:
Julia's path: from traditional dental education to holistic practice to career reinvention
Why dental school isn't preparing graduates for modern practice (and the new CODA airway/sleep requirement coming in 2028)
The parent experience: conflicting diagnoses, competing treatment philosophies, and the emotional weight of decision-making
Why diagnostics, not treatment methods, are the real failure in our profession
Social media's dual role: empowering parents while fueling confusion and anxiety
The interdisciplinary challenge: navigating ENTs, allergists, myofunctional therapists, and dentists who don't always agree
How Julia's coaching model works: education, advocacy, and helping families ask the right questions
Advice for clinicians: stop disparaging colleagues, start listening to parents, and invest in comprehensive diagnostics
Advice for parents: don't navigate this alone; find community, trust your voice, and expect to be heard
LINKS:
Oris Wellness: https://www.oriswellness.com/
Get Expanded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQ91rq2OKA
Tooth Seekers: https://www.oriswellness.com/toothseekers
The Generational Wealth Code: https://a.co/d/0iHwEITG
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
YouTube: @theorthocoach
Instagram: @theorthocoach
Email: drmike@theorthocoach.com

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Melissa Methven - a former flight attendant turned dental hygienist, widow, author, and breathwork facilitator - to discuss the hidden mental health crisis in dentistry. Melissa shares the story of her husband Scott, a beloved dentist in Wasilla, Alaska, who died by suicide in March 2022 after years of suppressing the pressures of the profession: student debt, perfectionism, emotional labor with patients, chronic pain, and escalating substance use.
Melissa opens up about her own suppression and the physical toll it took on her body, the signs she wishes she'd seen sooner, and how she found healing through community, faith, and breathwork. She also reads from her book The Truth Behind the Smiles and offers actionable solutions for dental schools, including mental health education, peer communities, and a dental-specific crisis hotline. This is a raw, important conversation about breaking the silence around depression and suicide in the dental profession, and the hope that comes from living your truth.
Timestamps:
0:00 — Introduction & Content Warning
2:41 — Welcoming Melissa & Scott's Story
3:50 — The Pressures of Dentistry & Early Signs
9:33 — Hiding Behind the Smile & Physical Symptoms
13:28 — The Common Dental Struggle
16:19 — Why We Suppress — Roots & The Perfect Illusion
19:51 — Scott's Fear & Writing the Book
25:30 — Feeling Stuck, Faith & Moving Forward
34:50 — Faith vs. Religion & Signs from Beyond
42:41 — Dental Statistics & Solutions for the Profession
47:15 — Tools for Healing & Helping the Kids
57:59 — Being of Service, Fulfillment & Closing
73:06 — Outro
LINKS
To Purchase Melissa’s Book: https://a.co/d/8nYzyTO 
Melissa on FB: https://www.facebook.com/tremblaymel/ 
Melissa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/melissamethven/
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
YouTube: @theorthocoach
Instagram: @theorthocoach

(00:00) - Introduction & Content Warning

(02:40) - Welcoming Melissa & Scott's Story

(03:49) - The Pressures of Dentistry & Early Signs

(09:33) - Hiding Behind the Smile & Physical Symptoms

(13:27) - The Common Dental Struggle

(16:18) - Why We Suppress — Roots & The Perfect Illusion

(19:51) - Scott's Fear & Writing the Book

(25:29) - Feeling Stuck, Faith & Moving Forward

(34:49) - Faith vs. Religion & Signs from Beyond

(42:40) - Dental Statistics & Solutions for the Profession

(47:14) - Tools for Healing & Helping the Kids

(57:58) - Being of Service, Fulfillment & Closing

(01:13:05) - Outro

I'm excited to welcome Nicole Vento back to The DOC Podcast for the fourth installment of our five-part series with the Vento family on creating generational wealth. Nicole is a financial advisor, CPA, and CFP who leads the investment committee at her family's firm, and she brings a rare dual perspective with her CPA background combined with institutional trading experience at Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Private Bank. 
In this episode, we dig deep into the investment and tax-efficiency side of wealth planning, breaking down retirement accounts, ETFs vs. mutual funds, estate planning, 529 plans, the student loan crisis, Trump accounts, charitable giving strategies, and the discipline and mindset it takes to achieve financial freedom. Whether you're just starting out or you've been building wealth for decades, Nicole delivers practical insights you can apply to your own financial journey. Be sure to pick up a copy of the Vento family's book, *The Generational Wealth Code*, linked in the show notes below.
**Chapters & Timestamps:**
- 0:30 — Episode Intro
- 3:06 — Welcome Back, Nicole
- 11:09 — Why You Need a Fiduciary
- 16:50 — Understanding Retirement Accounts
- 47:02 — ETFs vs. Mutual Funds: Tax Treatment
- 54:46 — Estate Planning & Step-Up in Basis
- 1:03:35 — Education Planning & 529 Plans
- 1:10:05 — The Student Loan Crisis
- 1:22:44 — Trump Accounts: A New Savings Vehicle
- 1:27:36 — Charitable Giving Strategies
- 1:33:11 — Discipline, Delayed Gratification & the Margin Mentality
- 1:37:39 — Closing & Contact Info
- 1:38:54 — Disclosure
**Links & Resources:**
The Generational Wealth Code: https://a.co/d/0iHwEITG
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/
Connect w/Dr. Mike:
Website: theorthocoach.com
YouTube: @theorthocoach
Instagram: @theorthocoach
Connect w/Nicole:
Web: Ventotaxandwealth.com  
Email: nicole@vtwmg.com
Office: 718-980-9000

Dr. Bret Christensen is an Army veteran, orthodontist, and one of only five orthodontists in the country board-certified in sleep medicine through the American Sleep & Breathing Academy. He owns and operates Christensen Orthodontics with locations in Lewiston, Grangeville, and Moscow, Idaho. In this emotional and wide-ranging episode, Bret opens up about losing his son, surviving a widow-maker heart attack at 45, undergoing open-heart surgery and getting a pacemaker, all while transforming his practice from traditional extraction-based orthodontics to a data-driven, airway-focused approach. 
He shares thousands of patient records showing that skeletal expansion dramatically improves nasal airway volume, his discovery that toddlers as young as two-and-a-half can be treated, and why he believes the AAO is standing in the way of progress. Plus, a surprise visit from his granddaughter Everly - the child who changed everything.
⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters

0:00 — Cold Open
0:13 — Introduction & Guest Bio
2:53 — Farm Kid Roots & Education
7:16 — Military Career & Orthodontics
11:32 — Building a Practice from Scratch
13:48 — The Shift from Extraction to Expansion
17:05 — Discovering Sleep Apnea Through His Father
21:02 — Surviving a Widow-Maker Heart Attack
25:55 — Training in Sleep Apnea & The Rhinometer
31:35 — Meeting Kevin Boyd & Airway Health Solutions
33:38 — Adult Expansion: Schwartz to MARPE
43:12 — Patient Transformations
56:34 — Host's Reflection on the Journey
68:46 — The AAO Pushback & Speaking Out
78:52 — Everly's Story: Treating Toddlers
89:58 — Orthodontists Need to Become Doctors
1:43:59 — Surprise Visit from Everly
1:49:34 — Closing & What's Next
KEY TOPICS: Early orthodontic intervention • MARPE for adults • Rhinometry data on thousands of patients • Nasal volume changes (3-8 cubic centimeters) • Treating children as young as 2-3 years old • The connection between sleep apnea and heart disease • Overcoming professional opposition • The future of orthodontics
 
CONNECT:
Dr. Brett Christiansen - Christiansen Orthodontics (Lewiston, Grangeville, Moscow, ID): https://christensenbraces.com/
Dr. Mike DeLuke - TheOrthoCoach.com | Dr.mike@theorthocoach.com
Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
Check out the DOC website: https://theorthocoach.com/ 

(00:00) - Cold Open

(00:13) - Introduction & Guest Bio

(02:53) - Farm Kid Roots & Education

(07:15) - Military Career & Orthodontics

(11:31) - Building a Practice from Scratch

(13:47) - The Shift from Extraction to Expansion

(17:05) - Discovering Sleep Apnea Through His Father

(21:02) - Surviving a Widow-Maker Heart Attack

(25:55) - Training in Sleep Apnea & The Rhinometer

(31:34) - Meeting Kevin Boyd & Airway Health Solutions

(33:38) - Adult Expansion: Schwartz to MARPE

(43:12) - Patient Transformations

(56:33) - Host's Reflection on the Journey

(01:08:45) - The AAO Pushback & Speaking Out

(01:18:52) - Everly's Story: Treating Toddlers

(01:29:58) - Orthodontists Need to Become Doctors

(01:43:58) - Surprise Visit from Everly

(01:49:33) - Closing & What's Next

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Erick Galindo, a pediatrician from Guadalajara, Mexico, whose approach to caring for children has evolved dramatically over his 20+ years in practice. After beginning as a traditional pediatrician focused on sick visits, vaccines, and growth charts, Dr. Galindo's discovery of the importance of tongue ties and oral function launched him down a rabbit hole that fundamentally changed how he sees his patients. Today, he works closely with dentists, orthodontists, myofunctional therapists, chiropractors, and other specialists to understand the whole child from their very first breath.
The conversation covers why standard pediatric screening protocols omit airway and breathing assessments, how the current medical system prevents physicians from spending meaningful diagnostic time with patients, and what a truly comprehensive pediatric consultation looks like - from pregnancy and birth history through craniofacial evaluation, posture analysis, and nervous system regulation.
Dr. Galindo shares powerful patient stories, including a one-month-old with fascial tension and a 12-year-old with chronic bedwetting linked to craniofacial dysfunction, illustrating how early detection and interdisciplinary care can change a child's entire health trajectory. The discussion closes with a deeply personal reflection on what it will take to transform pediatric medicine, not just systemically, but by reconnecting with our shared humanity.
**Timestamps**
0:00 — **Cold Open**
Dr. Galindo highlights how young children are losing interdental space and why snoring is a late-stage sign of airway dysfunction.
0:38 — **Introduction**
Dr. Mike introduces the episode and Dr. Galindo's background, from traditional pediatrics to a holistic, interdisciplinary approach focused on breathing, sleep, and craniofacial development.
3:22 — **Connecting Through Social Media**
How an Instagram connection over a white paper review brought the two doctors together, and the power of social media to educate and empower patients.
5:16 — **From Traditional to Transformational**
Dr. Galindo shares his career journey from conventional pediatric training in Mexico City to a transformative discovery of the importance of tongue ties, oral function, and breathing.
9:43 — **Seeing Patients Differently**
The fear and excitement of learning new things mid-career, how early intervention with infants can prevent cascading dysfunction, and the emotional impact on families when their child's trajectory is changed.
17:42 — **The Pediatric Screening Gap**
Dr. Mike walks through the AAP's recommended well-child screening list and highlights what's glaringly missing.
29:47 — **Breaking Free from the System**
How private practice and opting out of insurance allows Dr. Galindo to spend 45–60 minutes per visit, and why conventional medicine's "prescribe and see what happens" model is losing ground.
40:20 — **Inside the Consultation Room**
A detailed walkthrough of what a first visit looks like.
43:31 — **The Power of Bodywork**
Why Dr. Galindo considers bodyworkers (chiropractors, craniosacral therapists, OTs, PTs) essential collaborators, and how fascial tension, torticollis, and container baby syndrome impact feeding, breathing, and nervous system regulation.
56:50 — **Screen Time & Modern Parenting**
The compounding effects of screen addiction, poor feeding practices, pacifier overuse, and lack of movement on children's neurodevelopment and sleep, and why being healthy has become a privilege.
1:04:24 — **Colleague Pushback & Professional Isolation**
Dr. Galindo's candid account of feeling isolated from his pediatric peers, facing skepticism and ego-driven resistance, and finding kinship instead with dental specialists and bodyworkers.
1:08:10 — **Changing Trajectories: Outcomes & Early Detection**
How treating root causes rather than symptoms leads to children tapering off ADHD medications, and why early detection matters more than chasing outcomes for already-complex cases.
1:16:37 — **Reconnecting with Our Humanity**
Dr. Galindo's deeply personal answer to how we change the system: by reconnecting with what makes us human, trusting our instincts, and finding the inspiration to keep learning and growing.
1:23:17 — **Closing & Contact Info**
Final thoughts and how to connect with Dr. Galindo on Instagram.
1:26:26 — **Outro**
Closing remarks and information on The Doc Podcast resources, CE courses, and community.
LINKS:
Contact Erik Galiendo on IG:  @drerick.pediatra
Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ 
The Generational Wealth Code: https://www.vtwmg.com/our-books
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
YouTube: @theorthocoach
Instagram: @theorthocoach