Hello, my name is Zareth Jana. I am a 32-year-old female, a Prosthodontist, and a faculty member at the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine. I have struggled with anxiety and sleep disturbances for most of my life. I lived in a state of chronic sympathetic overdrive and experienced several panic attacks.
I typically slept only 5-6 hours per night and would wake up two to three times. Often, I would wake with heart palpitations, coughing, stomach discomfort, or gasping for air, and then be unable to fall back asleep. My husband also noticed I moved excessively during the night.
I received orthodontic treatment from ages 14 to 18, which included the extraction of premolars and third molars due to my small arches. I had a hyperdivergent growth pattern and was dolichocephalic, with noticeable infraorbital venous pooling.
My understanding of airway health began in 2018 when I joined Spear Education and heard Dr. Jeffrey Rouse speak. From that moment, I sensed there was something deeper contributing to my symptoms.
I graduated from dental school in 2019 and completed an AEGD residency from 2019 to 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I trained in orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) through the AOMT and applied the therapy to myself. That’s when I realized I had been a lifelong mouth breather. I began nasal breathing in June 2020.
In 2020, I began my Prosthodontics residency. I did my best to manage symptoms using non-invasive approaches like Breathe Right strips, Mute nasal dilators, and continued OMT. From January 2023 to December 2024, I used CPAP. In March 2023, I restarted orthodontic treatment with Dr. Hernández Orsini and Dr. Díaz Rubayo, which included maxillary skeletal expansion. Then, in December 2024, I underwent double jaw surgery with Dr. Michael Gunson.
That surgery changed my life. Today, I feel more energized, focused, rested, and less anxious. My sleep quality has improved dramatically. I would go through the process again without hesitation if it meant feeling as I do now. I’m incredibly grateful to have had such an amazing team of providers supporting my health.
