Discovering the Hidden Dangers of Sleep Apnea with Meghna Dassani

In this episode, Emily welcomes special guest Meghna Dassani, a practicing dentist and expert in sleep apnea treatment. Meghna shares her personal journey and how her passion for helping others with sleep apnea started after losing her father-in-law to the condition.

She discusses the importance of recognizing sleep apnea in both adults and children, and how it can lead to various health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Meghna also highlights the telltale signs of sleep apnea and the crucial role of sleep in our overall well-being.

Tune in to learn more about this important topic and how Meghna is making a difference in the world.

QUOTES

The Effects of Sleep Apnea on Health: “So if you went out for a run today or you did CrossFit, or our kids went and played tennis or karate and all the learning that they did, when is this healing happening? At night when they’re sleeping. That’s when all of that healing is supposed to happen. But instead, for these people that are stopping breathing, what’s happening, their heart is actually working overtime. Their heart is actually going a stop, start, stop, start to get enough oxygen to the brain.”

— Meghna

The Impact of Sleep on Children’s Health: “We have a 16 year old that we saw in the practice that came in because he was wetting the bed. Obviously, we know mom has tried everything. They’d seen the pediatrician seen all different kinds of specialists… When they come to the dentist, it’s their last hope, right? It’s like, what else can I try that could possibly, maybe help my child? And it’s so funny. When his appointment was, we start seeing patients at seven. So usually my assistant sees the patients first, gathers all the details that I may need. And then I walk in and she came to get me. And she was like, doc, you might want to see this one first. And I was like, okay, let’s go in and see what’s going on. And I had this very sullen 16 year old boy in the chair, just slouched down, head hanging low, and he wouldn’t meet my eyes. And I was like, hey, dude, what’s going on? And he’s like, can she not be here? Pointing to my assistant, obviously he’s embarrassed. And I said, I kind of need her in here. Let’s talk about what’s going on. And he mumbles and he said, I still wet the bed. And it broke my heart to see a 16 year old boy have to admit this to a complete stranger.”

— Meghna

The Hidden Epidemic of Undiagnosed Sleep Disorders: “I definitely believe that number is a lot higher than what we think it is.”

— Meghna

Viral Topic: Factors That Impact Jaw Development

Quote: “There’s a lot of factors that cause it. It could be genetic. It could very well be genetic. It could just be how your body structure is, growth and development. A lot of it happens with the growth of the face, because your airway begins right here, starting with your nose and then going down to your lungs. A lot of that is impacted with how your jaws grow and develop. So if you have a small jaw, or if we have a child that’s a thumbsucker, certain habits, if we have a child that is a mouth breather, all of that impacts it. So there’s a whole range of what could cause it.”

— Meghna

The Impact of Modern Society on Child Development: “I do think we’re seeing more of it. Like I mentioned earlier, we’ve shifted into a society that does not necessarily give whole foods to our children.”

— Meghna

The Impact of Dentists in Screening: “Thankfully, in children, when we catch them soon enough, we have the ability to impact the direction of growth. If I see a child with a very narrow arch, narrow palate, I can impact that to grow in the direction that we need it to.”

— Meghna

Thumb-sucking and Pacifiers: “Can play a role? Yes. Because what happens is, when our children are growing and developing, a lot of times when we see children that want to suck their thumb or use their pacifier on an extended basis, some of that is where growth and development but you and I know a lot of it is our emotional needs being met. How are they soothing? How are they self soothing? And if that child is self soothing by constantly sucking their thumb or constantly having a pacifier or however it is that they may do, that can again lead into that structure of being able to shift growth and development away from what normal or natural needs to be.”

— Meghna

The Power of Overcoming Fear: “The fear of being out there, putting your idea, your passion in front of the world, am I going to be judged? Are people going to take it the right way? And then, of course, the ever present impostor syndrome, who am I to be able to tell people?”

— Meghna

“Creating a Better Life: ‘I would say to create a life that is better than your dream is focus on your purpose. Focus on your why. Because when you take it outside of you, when it’s not just your dreams about yourself, about who you want, or it could even be for those around you, but when it becomes focused on why you are doing what you’re doing, your purpose expands to encompass others. When you’re actually doing it from a place of giving as opposed to wanting, needing, I do think life changes exponentially.'”

— Meghna