Orthodontics, TMJ & Airway: Treat the Cause, Not the Bite | Dr. Drew McDonald

What if the malocclusion is the symptom, not the diagnosis? Orthodontist Dr. Drew McDonald explains why he looks at the joints and airway in every case, why he orders MRIs on children as young as six, and why treating at age four to six can prevent jaw surgery later. In this episode: - The orthodontic failures that changed how he practices - Why disc displacement can stop the lower jaw from growing, and what it means for Class II cases - Why 85% of maxillary growth is done by age five, and what that means for "age seven" - 3D-printed expanders for young children - Gut inflammation, adenoids, hypermobility and the retrusive jaw - Why general dentists are the front line for airway and TMJ Plus dental news: Patterson's $4.1 billion sale, a Texas court blocking the overtime rule, and the ADA's model workforce legislation. Dr. Drew McDonald is an orthodontist in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he works alongside Dr. Brian Shah on joint- and airway-focused and surgical cases. He previously practiced in Albuquerque, earned his DDS at Creighton University and completed his orthodontic residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:58 Jeff's house almost caught fire 6:07 Chad's trip to Germany 8:55 December in the dental office 11:51 Tonight's guest 13:02 News: Patterson to be acquired for $4.1 billion 14:19 News: Texas court blocks the overtime rule 17:08 News: why join the ADA? Its model workforce legislation 22:44 Welcome Dr. Drew McDonald 26:44 An orthodontist who looks at joints and airway 28:57 The failures that changed how he practices 30:06 What Mark Piper's study club showed him 31:46 Why orthodontics hasn't kept up 33:38 What will it take for airway to go mainstream? 38:08 Admitting we were wrong 38:35 The teen's chief concern vs the long game 42:02 Why he treats kids at four, five and six 44:03 Disc displacement and Class II growth 45:51 MRIs on six-year-olds 48:29 Why orthodontists got defensive about joints and airway 53:18 How he started ordering MRIs 55:35 3D-printed expanders for young kids 56:39 Breastfeeding, the gut and inflammation 1:00:01 Genetics, hypermobility and the retrusive jaw 1:02:53 Dentists as primary care 1:04:43 Closing 1:09:31 The Face First seminars 🎧 Listen to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dentists-in-the-know/id1543254763 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Elfj6LX0hCUyp0AgdTsij 📺 Make sure you subscribe to catch new episodes live every Wednesday at 8pm ET! https://www.youtube.com/@dentistsintheknow 🌟 Stay up to date on all the latest dental trends when you follow the DINKs: https://fanflet.com/dinks/social-2