#23 - Dr. James Thomas: Why Babies Suck, Tongue Ties & the Truth About Airway Health

#22 - How Many Things Have You Not Done Because You Knew You Wouldn't Be Great?

How many things have you not done because you knew you wouldn't be great at them? In this solo episode, Melissa goes deep on perfectionism — what it actually is, where it hides, and why so many of us are "closet perfectionists" who look messy on the outside but are quietly running our lives by an impossible standard on the inside. She breaks down the three types of perfectionism (self-oriented, social, and other-oriented), the family and generational patterns that pass it down, and the moment she realized she'd bought a guitar she was too afraid to open because she wouldn't be "good" at it. She talks about kids' birthdays, business identity, marriage, healing your origin story, and the one shift that changes everything: moving out of your head and into your heart. If you've ever avoided something because you couldn't guarantee you'd be great at it, this one is for you. In this episode: – The real definition of perfectionism (and why it's not what you think) – The 3 types of perfectionists and how to spot which one you are – What it means to be a "closet perfectionist" – How perfectionism gets passed down through families – Why life's best stuff is messy by design – Head vs. heart: where perfectionism actually lives – A 4-question self-check to find your pattern Whether you're a parent, business owner, creative, or just someone tired of the standards you keep setting and missing — pull up a chair. This one feels like therapy Connect With Melissa Mugno: Instagram: Melissa_the_mouth [https://www.instagram.com/melissa_the_mouth?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]Facebook: Melissa The Mouth [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550676220515]Faceologymyo [https://www.instagram.com/faceologymyo?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Book a Myofunctional Consultation [https://calendly.com/faceology/comprehensive-evaluation?month=2025-11]ashley@melissamugno.com

#23 - Dr. James Thomas: Why Babies Suck, Tongue Ties & the Truth About Airway Health

What if the tongue tie was never the real problem? In this episode of Mind Your Mouth, host Melissa Mugno sits down with Dr. James Thomas — pediatric dentist, airway pioneer, founder of HealthLatch, and author of the new book Why Babies Suck — for an honest, story-driven conversation about infant feeding, oral dysfunction, and why so many struggling moms get told to just accept "colic." Dr. Thomas (JT) opens up about his journey from a traditional pediatric practice to becoming a self-described "relentless problem solver" who built his career on systems, storytelling, and going after the source of a problem instead of slapping on a Band-Aid. Together they unpack why releasing a tongue tie is rarely the whole answer, how to take families from intuition to awareness to advocacy, and what it really takes to build a thriving, transparent, story-based airway practice. Whether you're a dentist, myofunctional therapist, lactation consultant, or a parent who has ever felt unheard, this conversation will leave you seeing the mouth — and whole-body health — in a completely new way. What we cover: * Why "the problem isn't tongue tie" — and what actually is * Oral dysfunction as the real root cause of airway and feeding issues * The intuition → awareness → advocacy framework for educating families * Building a story-based, radically transparent practice * The book Why Babies Suck and the power of validating moms * Therapy-first care and knowing when NOT to treat Dr. James Thomas's book, Why Babies Suck, is available now on Amazon. Subscribe to Mind Your Mouth for more conversations connecting the mouth to your words, your health, and your whole-body wellbeing. Connect With Melissa Mugno: Instagram: Melissa_the_mouth [https://www.instagram.com/melissa_the_mouth?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]Facebook: Melissa The Mouth [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550676220515]Faceologymyo [https://www.instagram.com/faceologymyo?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Book a Myofunctional Consultation [https://calendly.com/faceology/comprehensive-evaluation?month=2025-11]  ashley@melissamugno.com Connect with Dr. James Thomas: www.healthlatch.com [http://www.healthlatch.com]  LINKED IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjamesthomas FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/healthlatch INSTAGRAM: @health.latch YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@healthlatch

#21- Dr. Soroush Zaghi: Calling Out Medicine | Tongue Ties, CBCT & The Future of Myofunctional Therapy

Dr. Soroush Zaghi rarely does podcasts — so this one is special. In this episode of Mind Your Mouth, Melissa Mugno sits down with Dr. Soroush Zaghi — ENT, sleep surgeon, founder of The Breathe Institute, and the surgeon widely credited with pioneering the modern standard of tongue tie release — for a wide-ranging, deeply honest conversation about how far the airway movement has come, where it's headed, and the gatekeeping holding it back. Dr. Zaghi opens up about the moment in Switzerland that became the highest pinnacle of his career, the new Breathe Institute suite, why "over-training" is the secret to clinical confidence, and why he's so frustrated with PhDs and orthodontists who hide behind "we need more randomized controlled trials" to dismiss work that's helping kids breathe, sleep, and thrive. They get into: • The evolution of the Zaghi tongue tie release technique and what's changed in 8 years • Why you cannot RCT functional therapies — and why anyone demanding it is misinformed • The truth about CBCT imaging and pediatric radiation (it's a fraction of an airplane ride) • The 3-dimensional Breathe protocol for diagnosing tongue space (maxillary width, posterior airway, hyoid position) • Why ENTs prescribing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy without imaging is malpractice in plain sight • Where myofunctional therapy is going — licensure, regulation, and the hygiene-profession parallel • Why myofunctional concepts (nasal breathing, lip seal, chewing, swallowing) belong in preschool, not just clinics • The truth about defensiveness, fear, and ego in the dental and medical communities • Building a brand on social media — what works, what doesn't, and why long-form still matters Whether you're a provider, a parent, or someone who's been told "there's no research" one too many times — this conversation will leave you fired up. Connect With Melissa Mugno: Instagram: Melissa_the_mouth [https://www.instagram.com/melissa_the_mouth?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]Facebook: Melissa The Mouth [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550676220515]Faceologymyo [https://www.instagram.com/faceologymyo?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Book a Myofunctional Consultation [https://calendly.com/faceology/comprehensive-evaluation?month=2025-11]ashley@melissamugno.com  Learn more about Dr. Zaghi and The Breathe Institute: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soroushzaghimd/ [https://www.instagram.com/soroushzaghimd/]https://www.instagram.com/breathe_institute/ [https://www.instagram.com/breathe_institute/]  https://www.zaghimd.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnPiBGCzaMFatvN6HvDkjPeUYIgd-ZlH2loxc0O5ExYjfcek0yr5JW7JGpevs_aem_HJNYGoNrSUnkFU_XMVvA2w [https://www.zaghimd.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnPiBGCzaMFatvN6HvDkjPeUYIgd-ZlH2loxc0O5ExYjfcek0yr5JW7JGpevs_aem_HJNYGoNrSUnkFU_XMVvA2w] https://thebreatheinstitute.com/ [https://thebreatheinstitute.com/]  Subscribe to Mind Your Mouth so you never miss an episode. #TongueTie #AirwayDentistry #MyofunctionalTherapy #DrZaghi #TheBreatheInstitute #SleepApnea #MouthBreathing #CBCT #AirwayHealth #MindYourMouth

#20-Why Your Pediatrician Isn't Talking About Airway | Dr. Erick Galindo on Tongue Ties & ADHD

In this episode of Mind Your Mouth, Melissa sits down with Dr. Erick Galindo — a pediatrician from Guadalajara, Mexico with nearly 20 years of practice and 190K+ followers on Instagram — for an unfiltered conversation about what traditional pediatric training gets wrong about breathing, sleep, tongue ties, and ADHD. Dr. Eric shares how he went from a conventional pediatrician (who once dismissed tonsils, tongue ties, and crooked teeth as things kids would "grow out of") to becoming one of Latin America's most visible voices in the airway health movement. Together, they unpack why nasal breathing belongs next to toothbrushing in every family's daily routine, why toe walking and ADHD symptoms might be rooted in the nervous system, and why the best thing most parents can do for their children is work on themselves first. This is a deep, honest, and sometimes uncomfortable conversation about parenting, responsibility, the overdiagnosis of ADHD, the limits of talk therapy, and why the airway movement is really a movement about human consciousness. What you'll learn: * Why pediatricians miss airway, tongue tie, and sleep issues in routine checkups * How to tell if your child's "behavior problem" is really a breathing problem * The connection between mouth breathing, ADHD, and central nervous system dysregulation * Why tongue tie release should be a last resort, not a first one * How parents' anxiety and patterns show up in their babies' bodies * What an ideal pediatric training program would look like Connect With Melissa Mugno: Instagram: Melissa_the_mouth [https://www.instagram.com/melissa_the_mouth?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]Facebook: Melissa The Mouth [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550676220515]Faceologymyo [https://www.instagram.com/faceologymyo?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Book a Myofunctional Consultation [https://calendly.com/faceology/comprehensive-evaluation?month=2025-11]ashley@melissamugno.com Connect With Eric Galindo Instagram: Drerick.pediatra [https://www.instagram.com/drerick.pediatra/]

#19 Better Than Flonase? How SONU Band Uses Sound & Resonance to Clear Nasal Congestion | Dr. Paramesh Gopi

What if a wearable device that uses sound vibrations could outperform Flonase for nasal congestion — without a single drug? In this episode of Mind Your Mouth, host Melissa Mugno sits down with Dr. Paramesh Gopi, founder and CEO of Sound Health and creator of the SONU Band, to explore where cutting-edge science meets ancient healing wisdom. Dr. Gopi shares his deeply personal journey — from a debilitating three-month sinus infection and a deviated septum, to working with Stanford's top rhinologist Dr. Peter Huang and discovering that sound vibration could change his breathing, his inflammation, and his life. He breaks down the science behind nitric oxide production in the sinuses, why 88% of people have a deviated septum (and why most don't need surgery), and how the body's mechanoreceptors can actually shift your neurotransmitters through touch and vibration. Together, Melissa and Dr. Gopi go deep on the woo-woo AND the hard science — covering chakras, meridians, the Sino-Palatine Ganglion (your body's nasal control center), pranayama breathing, and how humming monks and singers have the lowest rates of sinusitis in the world. They also explore how the SONU Band uses AI and facial scanning to personalize sound frequencies to each individual's unique sinus anatomy — and why it's now standard of care at Stanford, Cedars-Sinai, and the VA. Topics covered: * SONU Band vs. Flonase — the FDA-equivalent trial results * What nitric oxide has to do with immunity, anxiety, and vagal tone * Why surgery may not fix your sinus problems * How humming, chanting, and sound heal the sinuses * The forehead as the highest neuro-mechano-receptor portal in the body * Chakras, meridians & the third eye — validated by neuroscience * Sound Health's next frontier: sleep, pain, and anxiety management USE CODE: MINDYOURMOUTH FOR 10% OFF https://soundhealth.life/products/sonu-band [https://soundhealth.life/products/sonu-band] Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyabenedictoklich/2025/06/27/sonu-is-turning-sound-therapy-into-the-next-wave-of-wearable-wellness/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyabenedictoklich/2025/06/27/sonu-is-turning-sound-therapy-into-the-next-wave-of-wearable-wellness/]SONU Band Research: https://soundhealth.life/blogs/research/ifar-publications [https://soundhealth.life/blogs/research/ifar-publications]Learn more about SONU Band:https://soundhealth.life/blogs/team/meet-soundhealth-s-team [https://soundhealth.life/blogs/team/meet-soundhealth-s-team] Connect With Melissa Mugno: Instgram: Melissa_the_mouth [https://www.instagram.com/melissa_the_mouth?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]Facebook: Melissa The Mouth [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550676220515]Faceologymyo [https://www.instagram.com/faceologymyo?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Book a Myofunctional Consultation [https://calendly.com/faceology/comprehensive-evaluation?month=2025-11]ashley@melissamugno.com