In this fascinating interview, Dr. Ameet Trivedi explains why acid reflux might start with your airway. He breaks down how your tongue, posture, and even childhood diet can affect your breathing and digestion—and what you can do to start feeling better.
Introduction and Personal Motivation
Josef Kreitmayer
Welcome to another amazing talk here at the Reflux Summit. I’m very happy to welcome Dr. Ameet Trivedi, a holistic dentist in Austin, Texas, who focuses on airway restrictions, especially related to acid reflux. That connection is not widely known, so I’m thrilled to have you here. Would you tell us how you got into this very specific topic?
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Thank you so much. My name is Dr. Ameet Trivedi, and I run a holistic, functional dental practice in Austin. I’m airway and biomimetic certified, which means I mimic biology in my treatments to get to the root cause of dysfunctions.
I became deeply interested in airway health due to my own experience with severe TMJ. I became a TMJ specialist but eventually realized I was only treating symptoms.
A mentor helped me see that the root cause was airway restriction. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and told I needed a CPAP, which didn’t treat the root cause. My mentor taught me how to regrow the maxilla and jaws to open up the airway. That permanently resolved my sleep apnea and TMJ.
Later, I discovered that my mother’s long-standing reflux was connected to her airway. Doctors couldn’t find anything wrong but gave her medication. After treating her airway restriction, her reflux disappeared. Since then, I’ve been passionate about sharing this connection.
TikTok, Imaging, and Everyday Cases
Josef Kreitmayer
We found you on TikTok, where you show real imaging of head and airway structures. It’s one thing to talk about it, but showing it adds real value.
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Yes, I see these images daily, so most videos come from recent cases. I love what I do because I get to help people every single day. It’s gratifying to see others learn and benefit.
How Modern Diet Causes Airway Restrictions
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Our diets have drastically changed over time. Hundreds of years ago, we ate foods that required chewing and effort. That resistance developed muscles and bones, including the maxilla and mandible.
As food became more processed, we lost that resistance. Formula feeding and mushy baby foods add to the issue. Without resistance, muscles don’t grow, bones don’t expand, and airways become narrower.
Epigenetics explains how our environment shapes gene expression. Rapid dietary changes have caused maladaptation. We’re four generations into underdeveloped jaws, and children are now born restricted.
The good news is that we can re-stimulate growth with resistance, either through food or oral appliances.
Treating Adults with Reflux and Airway Issues
Josef Kreitmayer
What can adults do to change this if their development is already done?
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
First, we assess airflow through the nasal cavity, sinuses, and throat. Any resistance activates protective reflexes like reflux.
We scan the head to check for structural blockages. Inflammation from allergens or food sensitivities often plays a role.
If the jaw is too narrow, it forces the tongue down and back, blocking the airway. We use appliances to expand the maxilla side-to-side and front-to-back, creating more room.
While adult changes aren’t as dramatic as in children, they’re still effective. Reducing inflammation and expanding the palate are key to improving reflux.
The Maxilla and Non-Surgical Expansion in Adults
Josef Kreitmayer
Can the maxilla be changed without surgery?
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Yes. The palate, which is also the floor of the sinus cavity, responds to targeted pressure.
We place appliances that apply force at three points to stimulate bone growth. The tongue originally activated this area during breastfeeding and chewing.
By mimicking that stimulation, we can regrow bone in adults. Appliances are worn 16 to 22 hours a day, often paired with outward-pulling aligners.
I did this myself and permanently reversed my own moderate sleep apnea.
Bone Growth and Timeframes
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Once bone grows, it stays. It’s not like cartilage or a rubber band.
We support growth with diet, nasal breathing, and a low-inflammatory state.
Patients typically gain four to six millimeters, enough to reposition the tongue and ease symptoms.
The full process usually takes one to two years, but most feel improvement after three months.
Sleep Apnea, Tongue Position, and Airflow
Josef Kreitmayer
So this all starts with the tongue not having enough space?
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Exactly. At night, muscles relax. If the tongue doesn’t fit in the palate, it collapses backward and blocks airflow, causing sleep apnea.
Our ancestors had wider palates and didn’t suffer from this. Today, restricted tongues crush the throat and create resistance.
How Airway Restriction Triggers Reflux
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
When airways are restricted, the body creates negative pressure to breathe.
The diaphragm compresses, and that pressure pushes acid up past the lower esophageal sphincter.
The narrower the airway, the more force is required, especially when lying down. That’s why reflux worsens at night.
This is a mechanical issue, not just diet-related.
Airway Restriction and Reflux: A One-to-One Link
Josef Kreitmayer
Do all reflux patients have airway restrictions?
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
In my experience and among my colleagues, yes. Every reflux patient I’ve seen has airway restriction.
Even hiatal hernias often develop from chronic pressure caused by airway resistance. It’s a biomechanical chain reaction.
Childhood Origins and Adult Onset
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Most airway issues start in childhood—poor breastfeeding, early bottle use, mushy foods, and allergies.
Children adapt but develop signs like bedwetting, ADHD, or malocclusion.
As muscle tone decreases with age, symptoms worsen. Adults often had these issues all along—they just went unnoticed.
First Steps: Inflammation and Nasal Breathing
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
If someone isn’t ready for expansion, we start with the nasal cavity. Nasal breathing increases oxygen and reduces resistance.
We look for inflammation, often driven by food sensitivities like dairy, gluten, or eggs.
Simple finger-prick tests can identify triggers. Removing inflammatory foods clears sinuses, improves breathing, and positively affects digestion, sleep, and immunity.
Whole-Body Inflammation and Mouth Breathing
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Sinus and gut tissue are similar. Inflammation in one often reflects inflammation in the other.
Mouth breathing triggers immune responses, disrupts oxygen levels, and shortens lifespan.
Nose breathing lowers blood pressure and pulse. Mouth breathing is linked to fatigue, poor cognition, and social stigma.
Tech Neck and Posture
Josef Kreitmayer
How does posture affect airflow?
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Forward head posture, often caused by phones or airway compensation, further restricts breathing.
When the head juts forward, airways narrow and muscles strain.
The body does this instinctively to improve airflow, even during sleep. Long-term, it leads to neck pain, spinal issues, and more restriction.
Ideal Posture and Airway Capacity
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Ideal posture places the ear canal directly above the shoulders.
Athletes with ideal airways naturally stand this way.
Restricted airways force people to lean forward. A healthy airway supports posture, breathing efficiency, and performance.
Measuring Airway Restriction
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
The ideal airway cross-sectional area is 600 square millimeters.
Most people are below 300. I often see values in the low 100s.
One child had an airway of just 92 and suffered from sleep apnea. This isn’t evolution—it’s de-evolution due to environmental changes.
What to Feed Kids for Strong Jaws
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Give children unprocessed, resistant foods like raw carrots, apples, celery, sugar cane, and beef jerky.
Avoid boiling vegetables. Resistance builds bone and widens airways.
Chewing mastic gum and pushing it against the palate is also a great growth stimulus.
Mewing and Jaw Development
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Mewing encourages proper tongue posture and supports jaw growth.
It works best in childhood. In adults, it improves tongue tone but won’t regrow bone.
Still, it can offer cosmetic and functional benefits.
Clinical Case Example and Imaging Results
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
I shared a patient case where maxillary expansion relieved LPR symptoms.
She came in with tooth sensitivity from acid erosion. We ruled out dietary acids and suspected reflux.
Imaging showed severe airway restriction and sinus inflammation.
After six months of expansion, her airway improved, sinuses cleared, and symptoms resolved.
Objective Improvements and Sleep Test
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
Her airway increased from 111 to 195 square millimeters.
Sleep testing showed fewer apnea events.
No medications—just structure-based treatment. Her quality of life improved dramatically.
Virtual Consults and Accessing Treatment
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
I work with patients globally through virtual consults.
With digital scans and lab kits, I can design and ship appliances worldwide.
I’ve also trained practitioners to expand access to this diagnostic and treatment approach.
Final Thoughts and Hope
Dr. Ameet Trivedi
The medical system often overlooks root causes. When airway restriction is addressed, the results can be life-changing.
Physical, mental, and emotional health improve.
Even if airway treatment isn’t the full solution for everyone, it always helps.
People feel lighter, happier, and more energized. There is real hope, and real healing is possible.
