Why This Orthodontist Stopped "Should-ing" Herself & Shifted Care

23 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this personal narrative, an orthodontist describes her evolution from a conventional, protocol‑driven practice to a patient‑centered, holistic approach. She explains that unanswered questions from colleagues prompted her to explore myofunctional therapy, a decision she made while pregnant. Concurrent challenges raising her son sparked deeper reflection on healthcare philosophies, leading her to abandon the internal "should" dialogue that dictated how she thought she ought to act and how she should defer to other physicians. She also discusses her nuanced view of terminology, noting a shift away from emphasizing "airway" toward broader holistic language. The speaker credits her son for giving her the courage to change, and she reports that this mindset shift has made her professional life far more enjoyable and fulfilling.

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TranscriptAuto-generated · 1 min

So I'm a patient-centered orthodontist. I also use the term holistic, sometimes use the term airway, though we'll get into discussions why I don't focus on the term airway as much anymore. I practiced a more traditional approach until I started having a lot of questions that weren't being answered by my orthodontic colleagues. And then I took my first myofunctional therapy course when I was pregnant. Then I had struggles with my son, which led me to change all all my thoughts about healthcare. And really, I'm so grateful to my son for helping me have the courage to change my life. I say I stopped shoulding myself because shoulding myself was one thing, but I wouldn't should him, like, oh, I should just listen to the physician. And since then, my profession has been so much more enjoyable to me.

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