Hello. My name is Zareth Jana; I am a 30 y/o female in Prosthodontics residency at the University of Puerto Rico. I’ve suffered from anxiety and sleep problems all of my life. I’ve had several panic attacks, and I am usually very emotional. I live in high sympathetic tone.
I sleep an average of 5-6 hours and wake up 2-3 times during the night. Sometimes I feel heart palpitations when I wake up. Sometimes I feel that I am gasping for air. Sometimes I wake up coughing. Sometimes I wake up to go to the bathroom and then cannot go back to sleep. Sometimes I wake up due to an upset stomach.
My partner tells me that I move excessively during the night. I used to grind my teeth during the night during dental school (2015-2019).
I received Orthodontic therapy from age 14 to 18; had my third molars and premolars extracted because my arches are too small; I am a high angle, SNA~ 75.95, SNB~ 72.27; inter molar distance (maxilla) is 31.6mm (CBCT) using dental landmarks and worse using bony landmarks. I have a long face and infraorbital venous pooling.
I began to learn about airway with Jeffrey Rouse in 2018 when I became a member of SpearEducation. Since I heard him speak, I knew something was wrong with me.
I graduated from dental school in 2019. Then I did an AEGD residency (2019-2020). During COVID, I trained in orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) with the AOMT and did the treatment myself. With OMT, I realized that I had been a mouth breather all my life; I began nasal breathing in June 2020.
I began my Prosthodontics residency in 2020. I have been trying to cope with non-invasive therapy such as breathe right strips, mute nasal dilators, and orofacial myofunctional therapy. I am currently using my partner’s old CPAP machine. I will have a PSG done on March 3, 2023.
In 2022 I became a member of Airway Circle. I listened to Dr. Christopher Tran’s lecture and knew he would understand me, so I contacted his office and had a virtual consult with him. I expressed that I would like to go from least to most invasive, starting with transverse expansion with MARPE and septoplasty. He assessed my tongue function and recommended another tongue tie release (I had an incomplete release in January 2022) and buccal/labial tie releases. I consulted with an orthodontist; his case presentation is scheduled for March 1, 2023; he believes he can expand my maxilla with MARPE. I need SFOT on the lower because of my thin phenotype; my lower teeth cannot be moved buccally because there is no bone. If this does not work, then I will have double jaw surgery.
I want to help end this gender disparity in Airway disorders. Don’t hesitate to contact me at zareth.jana@upr.edu if I can help in another way. Sydney, thank you for showing your journey to the world.
