Dhru Purohit Show: Snoring, Airway Health, and the Hidden Red Flags in Women

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
Welcome to today's episode where we're diving into something that affects millions but gets brushed off way too easily—snoring. We're breaking down a fascinating conversation between Dhru Purohit and Dr. Leedia Riman, a dentist who specializes in airway health and whole-body wellness.
And right off the bat, Dr. Riman doesn't mince words. She calls snoring "a significant red flag." What really caught my attention was her stat that more than 35 percent of women start snoring after pregnancy. The culprit? Dropping progesterone levels and airway changes.
That's exactly what happened to her. During her third pregnancy with twins, she developed congestion and snoring that didn't go away after birth. But here's the kicker—she also experienced this deep fatigue that went way beyond typical new parent exhaustion. As an integrative dentist, she knew something was off.
Right, and she already understood how a narrow bite or jaw can restrict airway space. She also points out something really important about orthodontics—common procedures like closing gaps or pulling premolars can actually make the palate narrower, which affects both the nose and tongue.
So what did she do about it? She worked with an airway-centered orthodontist and got something called MARPE— mini-screw assisted rapid palatal expansion. She describes it as true skeletal expansion that creates new bone rather than just tipping teeth.
And the results were impressive. More room for her tongue, better sleep, and she jokes it was like "nature's Ozempic" because it helped her lose postpartum weight. But beyond her personal story, she really broadens the picture. Absolutely. She lists all these signs of airway trouble that people miss—mouth breathing, dry mouth, sudden bad breath, new cavities, and teeth grinding. And the mouth is hormonally responsive during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. That's where myofunctional therapy comes in to retrain oral muscles. She also lays out five pillars of oral health: a trusted dental home, less frequent snacking, nasal breathing, a nutrient-dense ancestral diet, and supplementation. The warning about poor oxygenation and low nitric oxide affecting energy and cognition really resonated. Especially for children, she says undiagnosed airway problems are often mistaken for anxiety, depression, or ADHD. That's huge. The episode also tackles GLP-1 medications. While weight loss can help the airway, chronic use may create dry mouth and a more acidic oral environment. She recommends baking soda rinses, hydroxyapatite toothpaste, and proper nasal hygiene. The bottom line? The mouth reflects everything—hormones, sleep, nutrition, breathing, even mental health.
Dr. Riman urges everyone to investigate root causes and stop treating snoring as harmless background noise. Your body is trying to tell you something.