About this episode

This episode discusses the critical role of oral function in children's health, sleep, and development with expert Mel Van Schelven.

If you've ever wondered why your child snores, breathes through their mouth, or struggles with crowded teeth, this episode is going to be a game-changer. Jen sits down with Mel Van Schelven — Oral Health Therapist, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist, and founder of The Face Place to unpack the often-overlooked connection between how our kids chew, breathe, and sleep. Mel shares why the mouth is truly the foundation of so much of our children's health, how our increasingly soft, processed diets are robbing kids of the jaw and airway development they need, and what parents can do right now — starting at the dinner table — to set their little ones up for a lifetime of better health. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the bones of the mouth are literally the bones of the airway — and why oral function and sleep cannot be separated How our ancestors chewed up to four and a half hours a day compared to our modern average of just half an hour, and what that means for our kids' facial development The difference between crunchy and chewy foods, and why crackers and pouches aren't cutting it for jaw development Why "food before one is just for fun" could be doing more harm than we realise…

People in this episode

Host: Jen Cuttriss

Guest: Mel Van Schelven

Topics covered

• oral function
• sleep
• feeding
• child development
• health

Keywords

• oral health
• sleep
• feeding
• child development
• jaw development
• mouth breathing
• nutrition

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Face Place

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Thriving Parent-ing podcast page.