This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am excited to be joined by Dr. Staci Whitman who is a Functional Kids’ Dentist in North Portland, Oregon. In this episode, Dr. Staci tells us about how she became interested in functional dentistry, the oral & gut microbiome relationship, airway and sleep health, and tongue and lip ties. Plus Dr. Staci also talks about the pros and cons of toothpaste and describes what her perfect toothpaste would be.  KEY TAKEAWAYS:Can cavities and mold be connected?It's estimated that up to 80% of kids have some sort of sleep disorder or breathing dysfunctionHow does mouth breathing affect the teeth?What does your saliva say about your oral health?2 different tests Dr. Staci uses: Bristle or MicrobiomeOral health in relation to gut healthThe effect of different toothpastes on the microbiomeWhat is hydroxyapatite?Airway dentistryShould kids mouth tape?The evolution of the human jawThe importance of chewing our foodABOUT GUEST:Doctor Staci Whitman is a Functional Kids’ Dentist in North Portland, Oregon. She is the founder of NoPo Kids Dentistry where she takes a whole-body, holistic, and functional approach with her patients. Her dentistry/practice is grounded by science and powered by love.Doctor Staci attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and worked as a general dentist for 2 years before earning a certificate in pediatric dentistry from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She has always been passionate about children’s sleep and airway health, focusing her research in residency on how to improve airway assessments and diagnostic tools in the pediatric population.Doctor Staci is an Internationally Certified Health and Wellness Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and is currently attending the American College of Integrative Dentistry and Medicine and the Institute of Functional Medicine, with expected certification dates in 2022. She dreams of a world without cavities and believes in motivating families to join her as a team, keeping their children healthy and thriving with small, manageable daily changes.WHERE TO FIND:Website: https://www.doctorstaci.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor_staci/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorstaciYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@doctor_staci WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionistPodcast Instagram: @lessstressedlifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlifeLeave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links