Ep. 79: "Dentists Are Gatekeepers for Pediatric Sleep-Disordered Breathing: What the Mouth Can Reveal with Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharjee"

🦷 Could the dental office be one of the most important places to identify children at risk for sleep-disordered breathing?Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea is not simply a story of enlarged tonsils and adenoids — and removing them does not always resolve the problem. So what else should we be looking for?In this episode of Airway Answers with Nicole Goldfarb, Nicole sits down with Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharjee, pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist, to explore what decades of research have taught us about pediatric sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) — including residual sleep apnea after adenotonsillectomy, craniofacial risk factors, obesity, insomnia, and the different phenotypes of pediatric OSA.🔬 Dr. Bhattacharjee also discusses new 2026 research examining craniofacial risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in dental and orthodontic practices and why the mouth and craniofacial structures may provide important clues that help dentists and orthodontists recognize children who need further evaluation.💡 IN THIS EPISODE:• Why tonsil and adenoid removal does not always resolve pediatric OSA• The surprising rate of residual sleep apnea after adenotonsillectomy• The fascinating brain-lung connection• COMISA: when insomnia and sleep apnea coexist• Craniofacial clues dentists and orthodontists can look for• New 2026 research on pediatric sleep-disordered breathing screening• Why pediatric sleep apnea has different phenotypes• The importance of interdisciplinary airway care⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Pediatric Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Why Dentists Should Be Paying Attention00:27 Meet Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharjee02:39 Why Tonsil & Adenoid Removal Does Not Always Cure Pediatric Sleep Apnea04:56 Dr. Bhattacharjee’s Research & Career08:13 The Brain-Lung Connection: Sleep, Breathing & the Brain11:49 COMISA: Insomnia + Sleep Apnea in Children16:59 Residual Sleep Apnea After Adenotonsillectomy22:09 Can Early Intervention Change Future Sleep Apnea Risk?27:46 Obesity, Weight Loss & Tirzepatide in Sleep Apnea33:05 New 2026 Research: Craniofacial Risk Factors for Pediatric SDB38:21 Screening for Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Dental Practices43:55 Why Sleep Physicians Need to Look Inside the Mouth51:27 The Different Phenotypes of Pediatric Sleep Apnea56:17 Final Thoughts & Takeaways👨‍⚕️ ABOUT DR. RAKESH BHATTACHARJEERakesh Bhattacharjee, MD, is Director of Pediatric Sleep Medicine at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California San Diego. A pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist, his clinical and research work focuses on pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, sleep-disordered breathing, and related health outcomes.His research has helped advance our understanding of residual OSA following adenotonsillectomy and the different factors contributing to sleep-disordered breathing in children. He is also a co-author of the 2026 study examining pediatric craniofacial risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in dental and orthodontic practice settings.🎙️ ABOUT THE HOSTNicole Goldfarb, M.A., CCC-SLP, COM®, is a speech-language pathologist and Certified Orofacial Myologist® specializing in orofacial myofunctional disorders, airway health, and sleep-disordered breathing. She is the owner of the San Diego Center for Speech & Myofunctional Therapy and host of Airway Answers with Nicole Goldfarb: Expanding Your Breath of Knowledge.Nicole lectures nationally and internationally on the relationship between orofacial function, airway health, sleep, speech, and interdisciplinary care and has presented more than 50 lectures to dental, medical, and allied-health audiences.🔔 SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW AIRWAY ANSWERS▶️ Watch & subscribe on YouTube:https://youtu.be/gx4kaju4KtQ🎧 Follow Airway Answers on Buzzsprout:https://airwayanswers.buzzsprout.com/2408017/follow🌐 Airway Answers:www.AirwayAnswers.info🏥 San Diego Center for Speech & Myofunctional Therapy:www.SanDiegoCenterForSpeechTherapy.com📩 Email:[email protected]📘 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565074499503📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sandiegospeechandmyotherapy/🎵 TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@airway.answers👍 Like, subscribe, and share this episode with a dentist, orthodontist, pediatric dentist, pediatrician, SLP, sleep professional, or other provider who works with children.#PediatricSleepApnea #SleepDisorderedBreathing #DentalSleepMedicine #PediatricDentistry #AirwayDentistry #PediatricOSA #AirwayAnswers