I love to learn things that can help me, my family, and my patients. I always knew I wanted to go beyond the single tooth dentistry taught in dental school and invest in post-doctoral continuing education continuums.
I began my continuing education with the OBI Foundation for Bioesthetic Dentistry where I learned the model of optimal dental health and biologic form of the teeth and jaw joints and how they meet in an optimal occlusion. I was fortunate enough to learn from amazing mentors including Dr. James Benson, Dr. Tom Dumont, and Bern Egger.
After I saw my youngest son go from suffering to thriving after an infant frenectomy, I shadowed Dr. Ghaheri and learned how to use a laser to do a full functional release of the oral restrictions that hold back the optimal expression of biologic form. Tongue ties and lip ties not only affect breastfeeding but also swallowing, speech, muscle tension, TMJ, and sleep apnea. The fascia of the tongue is at the top of the Deep Front Line of fascia that connects from tongue to toes and passes through the diaphragm, deep core, and pelvic floor.
I attended the AOMT Frenulum Inspection & Surgery Workshop and learned about diagnosis and treatment of tongue ties for infants, children, and adults. Thats where I learned that the appearance of tongue ties is much less important than function and symptoms and I became acquainted with Dr. Sourosh Zaghi and his functional frenuloplasty technique.
I completed Orthotropics Mini-Residency with Dr. Bill Hang and he opened my eyes to reading the face to understand the airway and how you cant expand your way out of an anterior-posterior problem. In many cases you also need to develop or move the jaws forward.
I discovered Dr. Jay Harris Levy and I jumped at the chance to learn from him how teeth are sensory organs and how head posture affects occlusion. Jay introduced me to Dr. Joseph Yousefian and the world of Teledontics, a permanent structural solution to Airway Dysfunction and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
My latest passion is learning and practicing the Gillespie Approach - CranioSacral Fascial Dental Therapy. Dr. Barry Gillespie, a dentist specialist in periodontics, went in search of his own healing from headaches and sinus issues. In the process, he learned and combined the best of cranial osteopathy, craniosacral therapy, fascial therapy, and dental techniques. The Gillespie Approach can be applied to patients of all ages, but it is especially effective when used as early as possible with infants to help unwind fetal positioning trauma and birth trauma before fascial strains and compensations pile up and become symptomatic.
Gillespie ApproachCraniosacral Fascial Therapy is a gentle healing modality that provides patients with a freely moving brain, spinal cord and fascial web, all critical to optimal health. Dr. Barry Gillespie, the founder of this therapy, also created the Baby Brain Score and discovered the Infant-Driven Movement concept and resulting therapeutic techniques for babies.