My awareness of airway disorders began approximately 8 months ago when I came across a recorded webinar by Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, where she discussed the benefits of getting a cone beam CT scan to assess the presence of hidden infections as well as airway size. She talked about sleep-disordered breathing and the causes, and that most times people who grind their teeth in their sleep are doing so because they’re not getting enough oxygen. And she mentioned that people with tongue ties often do this. I had always thought I might have a tongue tie, but not one person ever brought it up over the course of my life (I’m now 45 years old).
Years ago, my dental hygienist noted that my teeth showed signs of grinding, and the dental office made me a nightguard. I ground through that over the course of a couple of years and got another one made. There was never any mention of a possible airway issue.
As I continued to educate myself about tongue ties, I started to learn about myofunctional therapists and how they can determine if one has a tongue tie. I started following myofunctional therapists on Instagram and after a couple of months, I signed up for a virtual comprehensive myofunctional evaluation with her. I was interested in doing this for myself because I wanted to understand what would be involved. My 5 year old daughter was showing signs of an airway disorder: dark circles under the eyes all the time, large tonsils (which were removed in September 2023…right before I started to learn about all this), crowded teeth and a narrow, high dental arch.
My evaluation with the myofunctional therapist indicated that I do have a tongue-tie, and she helped me find someone in my area who does tongue tie releases. I have my first appointment with that office at the beginning of May 2024.
I am also interested in getting evaluated for sleep-disordered breathing. While my dental arch isn’t super narrow, I am concerned that my mouth didn’t develop large enough for my tongue, as I have a mildly scalloped tongue. I found a dentist in my area that focuses on airway health, but I have yet to make a consultation appointment.
In the meantime, I am in my third week of myofunctional therapy to ready myself for an eventual tongue tie release.
I am fascinated with the work you are doing to bring awareness to the medical community and beyond. Everyone I talk to has no idea about the link between proper tongue posture, mandibular development from birth, and airway health.
