The Hidden Airway Problems Affecting Millions

What if the way your child breathes is shaping their sleep, behavior, facial growth, and long-term health and no one ever told you?

Most families don’t realize that airway health is at the center of how a child grows, how they sleep, and how their body functions. And for many adults, years of poor breathing patterns are still affecting their energy, mood, and overall well-being today.

In this episode, Dr. Liz sits down with Dr. Amanda Vanderstelt of Aligned Orthodontics, one of Denver’s leading voices in airway-focused orthodontics. Together, we take a deep look at how airway, structure, and growth interact long before most parents or providers begin thinking about orthodontics.

Dr. V shares her own story of growing up with airway challenges, how it shaped her curiosity as a clinician, and how modern orthodontics is shifting toward a more proactive, whole-system approach. We talk about the signs that often show up early: dark circles, restless sleep, mouth breathing, slow tooth eruption—and why so many of these clues are missed or dismissed as “normal.”

We also explore why timing matters so much. Early childhood is a window where jaw growth, breathing patterns, and inflammation are constantly influencing each other. Waiting until age seven or waiting for all adult teeth can mean missing years of optimal growth. Dr. V explains the difference between expanding a jaw that is still developing versus trying to correct problems once the airway is narrow, teeth are crowded, and facial growth patterns are already locked in.

In this episode, we cover:
-How airway issues influence jaw development and posture
-Why early structural changes can prevent lifelong challenges
-The connection between tonsils, adenoids, inflammation, and nasal breathing
-What makes airway-centered orthodontics fundamentally different

This isn’t just a conversation about teeth. It’s a conversation about breathing, sleep, brain development, immune function, and the long-term health of children and adults.

Whether you're a dentist expanding your airway expertise, a parent searching for clarity, or someone who has struggled to understand your own sleep and breathing challenges, this episode helps connect the dots in a way most people never experience.

These are the insights that truly change outcomes and change lives.

Connect with our guest   / dr.vandersteltortho  
Learn more & get support: https://untetheredairwayhealthcenter.com
Follow us for more:
Instagram:   / untetheredairway  
Facebook:   / untetheredahc  
Tiktok:   / untetheredairway  
Subscribe, like, and share if this resonated with you, because when you breathe better, you live better.