The Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast

Sheree Wertz
  • 5.0 (66)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

I help parents and caregivers of children with special needs sort through all the conflicting information out there, making it easier to free up time to create fun family focused oral health habits with simple tips, tricks and bright ideas to reduce cavities and design a healthy mouth routine that has your kids begging you to brush let them brush their teeth. Understanding how oral health is connected to overall health will help reduce disease, save time, money and heartache.

  1. Sep 28

    My Family Member Asked AI About Their Health. Now What?

    What happens when the first place a parent turns with a health concern isn’t a clinician—but AI? I’m seeing more families use AI to make sense of symptoms, diagnoses, treatment options, and questions about their children’s health. And honestly, I understand why. AI is available immediately, it can organize a mountain of information, and it can give you something to work with when you’re worried and don’t know where to start. But there’s a critical distinction we need to understand: information is not the same thing as clinical assessment. In this episode, I’m talking about where AI can genuinely help families—and where relying on an answer without the right clinical context can cause us to miss what’s actually happening. For parents and dental professionals, this conversation raises an even bigger question: when symptoms show up together—teeth grinding, mouth breathing, restless sleep, fatigue, difficulty focusing, changes in the tongue, jaw or palate—are we looking at each symptom individually, or are we looking at the whole picture? AI can help you become more curious. It can help you organize what you’re seeing and ask better questions. But when you need to understand what’s actually happening in your child’s body, you need someone who can see the things AI can’t. If this episode gave you a new perspective, please rate, follow, share, and review the Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast. And as always, take what resonates with you, leave what doesn’t, and keep asking better questions. Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy Book a consultation today: I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can. https://shereewertz.com/15-min

  2. Sep 21

    Back to School, Back to Basics: The Morning Habits That Matter More Than You Think

    What if the problem isn’t that your child needs a better toothbrush, a more elaborate morning routine, or another product promising to fix their oral health? What if we’ve been overlooking the basics that happen long before they sit down in the dental chair? In this episode, I’m going back to basics—and looking at the surprisingly powerful connection between morning routines, hydration, chewing, oral hygiene, nasal breathing, sleep, nervous-system regulation, and the health of the mouth. Because a child can brush every day and still develop cavities. They can spend eight hours in bed and still wake up exhausted. And sometimes the missing piece isn’t more effort—it’s understanding what’s actually happening. You don't need to overhaul your family's entire routine tomorrow morning. Start with one basic thing you can actually repeat—even on the chaotic days. And if this episode gave you something to think about, rate, follow, share, and review the podcast. It helps more parents and dental professionals find these conversations. Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy Book a consultation today: I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can. https://shereewertz.com/15-min

  3. Sep 14

    Calm the Body, Focus the Mind: Simple Tools for Helping Kids Regulate

    What if the child who can’t sit still, melts down over the smallest thing, or seems completely checked out isn’t actually giving you a behavior problem to solve? In this episode of The Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast, I’m looking at what may be happening underneath the behavior: a nervous system that has been activated for too long with nowhere to release that energy. Whether you’re a parent trying to get through the after-school transition or a teacher managing a classroom full of dysregulated kids, I want to offer a different place to start—regulate the body before trying to manage the behavior. I’ll walk you through simple, practical ways to help children reset, including movement, breathing, co-regulation, and body awareness. We’ll also look at why the way we respond in those difficult moments can become part of how a child learns to understand their own body—and why this is a much bigger part of self-care than we often realize. If this episode gives you a different way to look at a child’s behavior, share it with a parent, teacher, or dental professional who might need to hear it. And if you enjoyed the episode, please rate, follow, share, and review The Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast. Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy Book a consultation today: I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can. https://shereewertz.com/15-min

  4. Sep 7

    Fill Your Cup: Why Self-Care Isn’t Selfish for Moms, Caregivers & Busy Professionals

    September is Self-Care Awareness Month—but what if the reason you’re exhausted isn’t that you need a better routine? What if you’ve been taught to ignore the warning signs your body has been giving you for years? In this episode, I’m speaking directly to the moms, caregivers, dental professionals, and chronic “show up for everyone else” people who have learned to put themselves last. We talk about what happens when running on empty becomes your normal—and why self-care isn’t selfish, indulgent, or something you earn after everything else gets done. Because your body is always communicating. Your nervous system is always responding. And the people around you—especially your children—may be learning more from how you care for yourself than from anything you say. So here’s the question: What happens when the person everyone depends on has nothing left to give? Press play and let’s talk about it. If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to rate, follow, share, and review The Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast. And if you know someone who has been running on empty for far too long, send this episode their way. Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy Book a consultation today: I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can. https://shereewertz.com/15-min

  5. Aug 31

    Before You Buy Another Sleep Product, Ask Yourself This

    Before you buy another sleep product, another pillow, another supplement, or download another sleep app, I want you to stop and ask yourself one question: How are you breathing?   In this episode, I'm talking about something I see over and over again with the patients I work with: sleep problems and breathing problems are often not two separate issues. So before we focus on making sleep more comfortable, we need to start asking what's actually disrupting sleep in the first place. We'll talk about mouth breathing, airway function, why the nervous system may stay activated during sleep, and a connection that has helped so many families finally start asking different questions about bedwetting and nighttime urination.   Sleep is supposed to be a time when your body can rest, repair, and restore. So if you're struggling with sleep—or your child is—don't just look at what's happening around the bed. Start asking what may be happening with breathing.   If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate, follow, share, and leave a review for the Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast. It means so much and helps more people find these conversations!   Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy   Book a consultation today:   I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can.   https://shereewertz.com/15-min

  6. Aug 24

    Why I Mouth Tape While Sleeping: The Surprising Connection Between Mouth Breathing, Sleep & Oral Health

    I tape my mouth shut every night before I go to bed. And before you wonder if I’ve lost my mind, I want to tell you what happens when I don’t. I wake up multiple times, my mouth and throat are dry, I have drool on my pillow, I wake up with a headache, and I’m up going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Same person, same bed, same sleep routine—just different breathing.   In this episode, I’m talking about why I mouth tape, what actually happens when you sleep with your mouth open, and why nasal breathing matters so much for sleep, your airway, your nervous system, and your oral health. I’ll also walk you through how I recommend getting started, what to look for, and when mouth taping is not appropriate. Because mouth taping isn’t about following a trend. It’s about paying attention to what your body is telling you.   If this episode was helpful, take a minute to rate, follow, share, and review the podcast. And remember: take what resonates with you, leave what doesn’t, and trust your instincts. Your body is talking to you all the time—we just need to learn how to listen.   Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy   Book a consultation today:   I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can.   https://shereewertz.com/15-min

  7. Aug 17

    Stronger, Healthier Teeth: Looking Beyond Fluoride for Cavity Prevention

    I spent more than 35 years in dentistry believing that fluoride was one of the most important tools we had for preventing cavities. But after working with mobile dentists and seeing children with significant tooth decay—even when they were brushing, getting fluoride treatments, and following the advice I had been taught—I started asking a different question: What else is going on in the mouth that allows cavities to develop?   In this episode, I’m taking you through three options for stronger, healthier teeth—fluoride, xylitol, and hydroxyapatite—and, more importantly, the bigger picture behind cavity prevention. We’ll talk about mouth breathing, saliva, diet, oral bacteria, myofunctional therapy, and why I believe looking at the root cause matters just as much as choosing the right product. My goal isn’t to tell you what choice to make. It’s to give you information so you can ask better questions and make the decision that feels right for you and your family.   There are options, but the product is only part of the picture. Look at how you’re breathing, your saliva, your diet, your oral bacteria, and what’s happening in the mouth before you decide what belongs on your teeth. Take what resonates with you, leave what doesn’t, and always ask questions and look for the evidence.   Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy   Book a consultation today:   I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can.   https://shereewertz.com/15-min

  8. Aug 10

    How to Be the Connector in Healthcare: Trust Your Instincts & Advocate for Better Answers

    What happens when you know something isn’t right—but no one seems to be connecting the dots?   In this episode of the Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast, I’m talking about one of the most important roles you can play in your own healthcare or your child’s healthcare: being the connector. Our healthcare system is highly specialized, and while that expertise is valuable, it can also mean that important connections between symptoms, providers, and systems get missed.   I’m sharing what 35 years in healthcare has taught me about patient advocacy, trusting your instincts, asking better questions, and recognizing when “common” doesn’t necessarily mean normal. We’ll talk about how to communicate with your pediatrician, dentist, orthodontist, ENT, and other providers, what to do when your concerns are dismissed, and why you shouldn’t underestimate what you observe every day.   If you’ve ever walked out of an appointment feeling unheard, confused, or convinced that there’s more to the story, this episode is for you. You don’t need a medical degree to advocate effectively—you need curiosity, persistence, and the willingness to keep asking, “Could these things be connected?”   Check out The Mind Mouth Body SHIFT Method -- https://shereewertz.com/academy   Book a consultation today: I am always here to help answer any question and schedule a 15 minute call with me. If I cannot help, I can get you to a provider that can. https://shereewertz.com/15-min

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About

I help parents and caregivers of children with special needs sort through all the conflicting information out there, making it easier to free up time to create fun family focused oral health habits with simple tips, tricks and bright ideas to reduce cavities and design a healthy mouth routine that has your kids begging you to brush let them brush their teeth. Understanding how oral health is connected to overall health will help reduce disease, save time, money and heartache.

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