The Diagnosis Problem: Why Conflicting Care Is Failing Kids and Frustrating Parents (w/Dr. Sadove-Lopez) [Ep.178]

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Julia Sadove-Lopez - a dentist, parent advocate, and founder of Oris Wellness - to explore a side of pediatric airway health we haven't covered enough on this show: what it's actually like for the parents trying to navigate it.

We dig into Julia's personal journey from dental school through corporate dentistry, into holistic practice in Chicago alongside Dr. Kevin Boyd, and ultimately to a career pivot that took her to Portugal and led her to found Oris Wellness. She opens up about the mental health toll of clinical practice, the moment she realized she needed a change, and how she turned her passion for patient education into a coaching and advocacy business.

We also tackle some of the most frustrating problems in our field, including why parents are hearing completely conflicting recommendations from provider to provider, why our diagnostics are all over the map, and why the interdisciplinary nature of airway care makes things even harder for families. Julia shares what she hears from parents every day, how she helps them cut through the noise without ever telling them what to do, and what clinicians can do better to move families from fear and confusion toward clarity and action.

Chapters:

0:00 — Introduction & Episode Overview3:21 — Welcome, Dr. Julia4:16 — Julia's Career Journey: From Dental School to Holistic Practice15:18 — Life After Clinical Practice: The Pivot19:08 — Why Dental School Falls Short23:07 — Sponsor Break: The Generational Wealth Code27:37 — From Clinician to Coach: Understanding Parent Motivation36:12 — What Parents Are Frustrated About37:47 — Conflicting Treatment Options & The Diagnostic Problem58:24 — Social Media's Impact on Parents and Providers1:02:25 — Navigating Interdisciplinary Care1:09:01 — The Coaching Model: Education, Not Diagnosis1:14:47 — Advice for Parents & Providers1:25:11 — Where to Find Dr. Julia

Key Topics:

Julia's path: from traditional dental education to holistic practice to career reinventionWhy dental school isn't preparing graduates for modern practice (and the new CODA airway/sleep requirement coming in 2028)The parent experience: conflicting diagnoses, competing treatment philosophies, and the emotional weight of decision-makingWhy diagnostics, not treatment methods, are the real failure in our professionSocial media's dual role: empowering parents while fueling confusion and anxietyThe interdisciplinary challenge: navigating ENTs, allergists, myofunctional the