Episode Summary
Dr. Vatish shares his unexpected journey from implant dentistry to becoming a leading practitioner in tongue tie releases and airway-based dentistry. The conversation covers diagnosis across age groups, the role of CO2 laser in treatment, the critical importance of myofunctional therapy, and the ongoing debate around evidence-based medicine in this emerging field.
Key Topics & Concepts
- Tongue tie diagnosis across age groups — From infant nursing and latching difficulties to speech issues in toddlers, bruxism and sleep apnea in adults, and why posterior ties are often the most symptomatic despite being called "mild"
- The three pillars of physiological health — Sleep, breathing, and eating as a diagnostic framework; the critical difference between surviving and thriving
- CO2 laser and modern release techniques — How laser technology, suturing for primary tension healing, and pre-/post-operative myofunctional therapy transformed outcomes compared to traditional scissors or diode approaches
- Myofunctional therapy is essential, not optional — Why releasing a tongue tie without concurrent therapy can make things worse; the personal trainer analogy for setting realistic patient expectations on duration and intensity
- Interdisciplinary team care — Orthodontists, myofunctional therapists, speech therapists, osteopaths, lactation consultants, and ENTs working together; why no single monotherapy solves airway problems
- Evidence-based medicine beyond RCTs — The parachute analogy; Sackett's triangular epistemology of research, clinical experience, and patient values; why absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
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What is The DOC Podcast?
The DOC Podcast brings you unique educational content taught by Dr. Mike DeLuke, a Board Certified Orthodontist with over 20 years of clinical and academic experience. Dr. DeLuke built his orthodontic practice from scratch in the early 2000s and grew it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise in less than 10 years. He was able to retire from his private practice at the age of 46 years old, and now devotes his energy to teaching his colleagues how to succeed both personally and professionally. He also provides locum tenens coverage for colleagues in South Florida.
Dr. DeLuke has served as a faculty member at numerous hospitals and orthodontic residency programs around the country, including as the cleft craniofacial orthodontist at Albany Medical Center in New York, and as a clinical professor at The University of Connecticut in the Department of Orthodontics. He is presently an adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Healthcare Network and a Visiting Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at Montefiore Einstein Hospital in the Bronx.
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