29/06/2026
Four inspiring days immersed in learning with Dr Steve Olmos, diving deeper into temporomandibular disorders (TMD), chronic pain, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and the autonomic nervous system.
This was my second time attending his Mini Residency (not counting the first course I did as a new graduate back in 2004!) and my second time completing Autonomic Motor Nerve Reflex testing. Every time I revisit this education, I leave with an even greater appreciation of how interconnected the human body truly is.
As dentists, we don’t simply treat teeth.
Every adjustment we make, every appliance we prescribe, and every bite we improve has the potential to influence far more than the smile—it can affect breathing, posture, muscle function, pain patterns, and overall wellbeing.
Likewise, we must first assess whether there are underlying injuries, functional imbalances, or compensations within the body before prescribing appliances or altering a bite.
I believe that good dentistry requires the ability to look beyond the teeth and see the whole person.
Collaboration between dentistry, medicine, and allied health is essential if we want to create meaningful, lasting outcomes for our patients.
Always learning. Always connecting the dots. Always treating the person, not just the teeth.