Episode Details

Episode Summary

Dr. Mike DePascale is a Connecticut-based orthodontist and co-owner of a multi-location practice with his partner and mentor, Dr. Jeff Kozlowski. In this episode, Dr. DePascale shares his remarkable personal journey from suffering severe obstructive sleep apnea in his early 20s and undergoing orthognathic surgery to becoming a passionate advocate for airway-focused, early-interceptive orthodontic care. The conversation covers the philosophy behind their thriving partnership, why airway is still woefully undertaught in residency programs, how to practically integrate early airway-focused treatment into a busy practice, the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration, and what it takes to maintain peak fitness while building a career and a family. This is a conversation about so much more than teeth, it's about breathing, thriving, and never settling.

Timestamps

0:00 — Introduction to The DOC Podcast and Dr. Mike DePascale
10:57 — Dr. DePascale's origin story: cold-calling medical offices to find his path
12:30 — Diagnosed with severe sleep apnea in his 20s: 3 car accidents, 2–4 hours of sleep a night
15:30 — Choosing orthognathic surgery over CPAP — and how it saved his life
19:00 — Finding Dr. Jeff Kozlowski: choosing mentorship over immediate money
24:00 — What makes a practice partnership actually work: communication, consistency, and commitment
33:00 — Residency training: what it prepared him for — and what it didn't
38:00 — Why airway is barely taught in orthodontic residencies (and what needs to change)
45:00 — The 1968 Salzman Index, Medicaid, and how the system trains orthodontists to pull teeth instead of treat early
53:00 — How to practically integrate airway screening into a busy multi-doc practice
58:00 — Team training, sleep questionnaires, and the power of interdisciplinary referral networks
63:00 — The emotional reality: a mom crying after finally hearing "tongue tie" for the first time after 5 specialists
68:00 — How early is too early? Dr. DePascale's own son: frenectomy at weeks old, T&A at age 2
75:00 — Why orthodontists are uniquely positioned — and obligated — to lead in the airway space
80:00 — Fitness as a non-negotiable: from not finishing a mile to running a 4:53, and why he never gets out of it

Links

• Register for the In-person Early Treatment Comprehensive: https://www.earlyorthotreatment.com/ 
• Join The DOC Community on Facebook for more great content and discussions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Cb9rkQVde/
• Check out the DOC CE Courses: https://theorthocoach.com/ce-courses/
• Website: theorthocoach.com
• Email: drmike@theorthocoach.com
• Instagram: @theorthocoach

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