266: Not Tips, But Systems

Kiera is joined by Dr. Jasmine Elmore out of Wilson, North Carolina to talk a whole bunch of things: How to make your practice an A-team practice, active versus passive econsultancy, solving health problems at any age, and … tongues. This episode is stock full of information to make your practice the best it can be, and Dr. Elmore shares her own experience with the Dental A-Team, as well as how she continues to progress her team.

If you want to have your own practice’s fantastic improvement journey, visit www.TheDentalATeam.com and contact us to come visit!

Dr. Jasmine Elmore’s journey began back in 2015. After completing a certification in Pediatric Dental Medicine at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in inner city Philadelphia, she moved to rural North Carolina to help a local dentist tackle a six-month waitlist for operative dentistry.  She worked six days a week and treated thousands of state-insured children monthly until the end of 2016 when a shoulder discomfort progressed to a pain that could no longer be ignored.  Through the power of being in "the right place at the right time," someone recommended a DPT in the area who specialized in postural restoration. After first helping resolve ankle pain she had for well over a year (the negative effects of a fall in the shower), she asked this DPT for advice regarding the ailing shoulder.  His questions and examination that followed really surprised her — it all seemed to have nothing to do with the shoulder! He asked about shallow breathing, spine and pelvic posture, and tooth occlusion. Shocked and confused, she listened. 95% of the explanation went over her head. “I thought he was insane,” she said, “but I trusted him because he fixed my ankle and healed my shoulder.”   

A few months later, a course on laser frenectomies taught in Clifton, NJ led to an introduction to Dr. Barry Raphael. He mentioned that he had patients in his practice who travel from NC to NJ to his office for care. A relentless curiosity started a conversation about Myobrace, myofunctional therapy and integrative orthodontics. Dr. Barry, her guardian angel as he is now called, introduced her to “a whole new world.” In the years to follow, she traveled to Australia to understand Myobrace appliances and even treated patients at their facility in the Gold Coast.  She completed a program with Sandra Coulson to become a Certified Specialist in Orofacial Myology with the goal of understanding myofunctional therapy on a more intimate level. She is finishing a Professional Degree in Applied Breathing with the Graduate School for Behavioral Health Science. She is a superfan of The Breathe Institute led by Dr Zaghi and is a graduate of the Airway Mini Residency offered by Drs. Barry Raphael and Mark Cruz. Dr Elmore has dedicated her life to upgrading her knowledge in various areas and has taken more than 200 hours of continuing education every year since graduating from post-doctoral training.  She has received additional training and certifications and attributes these experiences to inspiring her to become an advocate for all things airway! 

Jasmine Elmore graduated from VCU School of Dentistry with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree in 2013 at only 25 years old. After completing a Certification in Pediatric Dental Medicine at St Christopher’s Hospital for Children in inner city Philadelphia, she moved to rural North Carolina to treat the underserved children of her mentor’s practice. Attempting to tackle a six-month waitlist for operative dentistry, she worked six days a week and treated over a thousand children monthly. As a proud board-certified pediatric dentist, her commitment to providing only quality care and creating an environment of fun for everyone quickly gave the practice an amazing reputation in the community, but just as quickly took a devastating toll on her body. At just 27 years old, Dr Elmore was simultaneously seeing a chiropractor three times a week, a physical therapist twice a week, and battling the uncontrolled symptoms of ulcerative colitis. The athlete in her ignored a left shoulder discomfort until she was forced to reduce hours at the office she loved. After visiting multiple physical therapists, a chance interaction with a DPT specializing in postural restoration changed her life and made her take a radical about-face to her previous opinions on whole body care. 

In 2017, she purchased Wilson Pediatric Dentistry and six-months later began a journey all over the world in search of how to provide an alternative to traditional pediatric dental medicine.  She dedicated time to upgrade her knowledge in various areas of dentistry, medicine, physical therapy, nutrition, craniosacral therapy, behavioral science, and psychology --- taking more than 200 hours of continuing education every year for the past three years.  She has received advanced training and certification from reputed institutes. She is certified in Orofacial Myology after training with Sandra Coulson. She completed the mini-residency and advanced training course offered by Drs Barry Raphael and Mark Cruz. In 2019, she was an apprentice with Dr Raphael in Clifton, NJ her mentor in dentistry.  In addition to being a  professional student in Applied Breathing Sciences with the Graduate School of Behavioral Health Sciences, she’s learned from Dr German Ramirez in Toronto, studied at the Myobrace training facility in Gold Coast Australia, Dr Marty Kaplan in Boston, Dr Sorough Zaghi in California, and so many other amazing trailblazers.  

About Face Collaborative is an airway-focused practice that offers comprehensive airway examinations for everyone in the community over three years old and total care to infants and adults alike.