The Sleep Is A Skill Podcast

180: Dr. Ratti Handa, DMD: How Hidden Tongue Ties Could Be Sabotaging Your Sleep (And How to Fix It!)

Oct 10, 2024

Dr. Ratti Handa, an internationally renowned dentist from Boston, specializes in airway-centered dentistry that emphasizes holistic health. She discusses how hidden tongue ties can sabotage sleep quality and overall health. Listeners learn about recognizing tongue ties, potential surgical solutions, and the importance of breathing through the nose. Additionally, she explores the benefits of morning and evening routines, innovative sleep technologies, and the impact of minimalism on sleep management, all linked back to enhancing airway health.

57:08

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Dr. Ratti Handa

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Quick takeaways

Tongue ties significantly affect sleep quality and overall health, often going unnoticed due to inadequate traditional assessments.

Identifying tongue ties requires self-assessment methods and consultation with trained airway-centered providers for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Proper tongue posture is crucial for promoting nasal breathing and reducing the risk of sleep apnea, ultimately enhancing sleep health.

Deep dives

The Importance of Tongue Ties in Sleep Health

Tongue ties, or tethered oral tissues, significantly impact sleep quality and overall health. Many individuals remain unaware of their tongue tie due to traditional assessments that fail to account for subtle restrictions. Tongue ties can affect how the tongue rests and functions, influencing breathing patterns, swallowing, and even digestion. Awareness of this connection is crucial, as addressing tongue ties may alleviate various sleep-related issues and reveal underlying health problems.

Intro

4min

Exploring the Impact of Tongue Ties on Sleep Quality

4min

Understanding Tongue Ties and Their Impact

21min

Optimizing Sleep: The Power of Cooling Technology and Essential Minerals

5min

Navigating Tongue Ties and Sleep Health

12min

Enhancing Sleep Quality Through Evening Routines and Innovative Sleep Technology

2min

Morning Routines and Sleep Health

3min

The Impact of Minimalism and Behavioral Changes on Sleep Management

4min

Dr. Ratti Handa, a practicing dentist in the Boston area since 1999, has always been deeply curious about the person behind the teeth. Her journey toward promoting overall health and healing through dentistry eventually led her to adopt a biologically holistic approach, with a focus on airway-centered dentistry.

Dr. Handa’s philosophy shifted to viewing the person through the lens of airway health, rather than solely focusing on teeth and gums. Today, she rarely addresses issues related to teeth, gums, or bite without first evaluating the patient's airway.

Over the years, Dr. Handa has successfully collaborated with professionals from various fields, including functional medicine, nutrition, health coaching, myofunctional therapy, physical therapy, sleep specialists, general dentists, chiropractors, and optometrists. Together, they work toward the common goal of optimizing airway health for overall well-being.

Dr. Handa finds the field of dentistry exciting for its potential to improve nasal breathing, while ensuring optimal bite alignment, tongue positioning, and TMJ joint health. Her approach promotes a relaxed, closed lips posture, which has a profound effect on the parasympathetic nervous system. She is passionate about watching the benefits of this body-centric approach, where teeth, bite, and the fascia all work in harmony, allowing for better communication between the head, neck, and the rest of the body.

In addition to her airway-centered practice, Dr. Handa incorporates sleep hygiene awareness and coaching into her treatments. She believes that with the right approach, a good night’s sleep can become the norm, rather than a luxury, even in today’s fast-paced world.

SHOWNOTES:

😴 What are tongue ties, and how can they unknowingly affect your breathing during sleep?

😴 Discover the signs of tongue ties you might be missing.

😴 What’s the link between tongue ties and sleep disorders?

😴 Could releasing a tongue tie help you stop snoring or even fix sleep apnea? Find out how this works?

😴 What role does the play in both breathing and sleep

😴 What post-release strategies, like myofunctional therapy and bodywork, can ensure that better breathing and sleep

😴 Dr Handa’s biggest AHA moment about her sleep

😴 And many more!

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GUEST LINKS:

Website: www.rattihanda.com

Instagram: instagram.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RattiHanda/

Linkedin: linkedin.com/rattihanda

DISCLAIMER:

The information contained in this podcast, our website, newsletter, and the resources available for download are not intended to be medical or health advice and shall not be understood or construed as such. The information contained on these platforms is not a substitute for medical or health advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation.

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