Why This Dentist Is Challenging Everything You Know About Teeth | Patrick McKeown & Dr Staci Whitman

Why do so many bright kids struggle to focus, sleep well or speak clearly? Speech-language pathologist Laura Walls joins Patrick McKeown to explore how mouth breathing, tongue posture and body posture affect attention, sleep and speech, in children and adults alike. They cover where the tongue should rest, teeth grinding as a possible sign of airway problems, why surgery doesn’t automatically restore nasal breathing, and simple habit-building ideas for parents and teachers.

Patrick McKeown sits down with Dr. Tim Hughes, an anaesthetist, advanced breathwork instructor, and co-founder of The Breath Doctors. Tim uses breathing to calm patients before surgery and himself before he walks through the hospital doors. A conversation about performing under real pressure—and how something as simple as breath can be the difference.

Patrick McKeown and James Nestor meet face-to-face for the first time to discuss the science of breathing, functional breathing methods, and how nasal breathing transforms sleep, health, and well-being. After years of correspondence—Zoom calls, Instagram Lives, emails, voice notes—they finally sit down together. What was meant to be one episode ran long. They kept talking well into dinner.

What if the key to running further, calmer, and healthier wasn't in your legs — but in your nose? In this episode, Patrick McKeown sits down with Dr. Bill Hang: orthodontist, airway pioneer, and marathon runner approaching his 80th birthday. After hearing Patrick speak 15 years ago, Bill made two decisions that changed his life — taping his mouth at night and running with his lips sealed. He's since run the Boston Marathon multiple times breathing entirely through his nose, including once with his mouth taped the whole way. But this conversation goes far beyond running. Dr. Hang shares why he walked away from traditional extraction orthodontics, how forward jaw development can transform a child's airway, and what every parent should know before agreeing to have their child's teeth removed.

In this short, on-the-go episode, Patrick McKeown shares key insights on breathing as he reflects on a recent visit to physiotherapist Kelly Starrett in San Francisco. Patrick explores how breathing affects athletes, children, and women, with a special focus on sleep and the stress response. He explains why exercise-induced bronchoconstriction is often driven by over-breathing, why nose breathing in childhood is essential for healthy facial and dental development, and how female breathing patterns shift across the menstrual cycle. You’ll learn what the BOLT score (Body Oxygen Level Test) reveals about your breathing, why building CO₂ tolerance matters, and how simple practices—like nose breathing during light to moderate exercise and breathing light, slow, and deep (LSD)—can transform your health, sleep, and resilience to stress. Recorded against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, this mini episode invites you to step out of your head, into your body, and back into the present moment—one gentle breath at a time. Show Notes – Bullet Points Patrick’s visit to Kelly Starrett in San Francisco and their shared focus on breathing and movement Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction: How over-breathing and hyperventilation during exercise narrow the airways Why “breathing harder” can make symptoms worse Children’s breathing, growth, and dental health: Importance of nasal breathing for craniofacial development How mouth breathing, low tongue posture, and dry mouth affect jaw growth and crowded teeth Links between oral breathing, the mouth–gut microbiome, and overall health Women’s breathing and the menstrual cycle: How progesterone post-ovulation and in the mid‑luteal phase stimulates breathing Potential drop in CO₂ levels (up to ~25%) and links to pain, fatigue, anxiety, and panic Using the BOLT score to track breathing across the cycle Building CO₂ tolerance: Nose breathing during light to moderate exercise “Breathing less air” exercises: gentle air hunger for 3–5 minutes Reducing sensitivity to CO₂ and improving biochemical breathing Diaphragmatic vs upper chest breathing: How mouth breathing reduces diaphragm recruitment Role of nasal breathing, tongue on the roof of the mouth, and a BOLT score above 20–25 seconds Sleep, upper airway resistance, and waking at night: Overview of Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) and low arousal threshold How fast, upper‑chest, mouth breathing signals stress to the brain and disrupts sleep Optimal (LSD) breathing vs stress breathing: Stress pattern: fast, hard, upper chest, mouth breathing, quick exhale, irregular rhythm Optimal pattern: Light, Slow, Deep through the nose with soft inhale and relaxed, gentle exhale Patrick’s personal journey: Decongesting the nose, using breathing exercises for wheezing and sleep Mouth taping since the late 1990s and later development of MyoTape Safety note: why people with obstructive sleep apnea should not tape across the mouth Closing reflections at the Golden Gate Bridge: Using the breath to come into present-moment awareness Experiencing beauty and awe through the body, not just analytical thought Call to action: Start by breathing through your nose, at rest and during gentle exercise Practice breathing light, slow, and deep to support sleep, calm, and overall health