What is Dr. B.I.B., M.D.?

What is Dr. B.I.B., M.D.?

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In today’s episode of More Than Teeth Podcast, Dr. Michael Bennett delves into an often-overlooked topic: the profound connection between sleep quality and chronic conditions like erectile dysfunction, fatigue, digestive disorders, and autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease. What do they all have in common? According to Dr. Bennett, the answer lies in the body’s ability—or inability—to breathe properly and access restorative sleep.

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The Overlooked Link Between Sleep and Chronic Conditions

As Dr. Bennett drives through Utah, he’s struck by the sheer volume of radio advertisements for erectile dysfunction (ED). It's everywhere—billboards, sports broadcasts, commercials—prompting the question: Why is this so prevalent, and what’s the root cause?

The conventional approach often involves treating the symptoms: medications like Viagra or invasive surgeries. But Dr. Bennett offers a different perspective. What if the real solution isn’t found in pills, but in the quality of your breathing and sleep?

Renowned neuroscientist Matthew Walker—known for his groundbreaking work on sleep—posed a provocative question in one of his talks: Would you like to prevent premature aging, maintain testosterone levels, and preserve testicular function? His answer, echoed by Dr. Bennett: get better sleep.

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Sympathetic Activation and the Stress Response

If you snore loudly, wake up gasping, or suffer from undiagnosed sleep apnea, your body may be in a near-constant state of emergency. Dr. Bennett describes this as sympathetic activation, the same "fight or flight" response that would occur if a tiger were chasing you.

In that moment, blood is redirected to your brain, heart, and muscles—everything needed to escape danger. But what gets left behind? Your digestive and reproductive systems. These systems shut down in survival mode. No digestion. No healing. No reproduction.

When this stress response is activated night after night due to fragmented or insufficient sleep, the body suffers. Blood flow becomes restricted to critical organs like the intestines, reproductive tissues, and other internal systems—leading to dysfunction over time.

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How Digestive Disorders Like Crohn’s Develop

The gastrointestinal tract is a 22-foot-long tube responsible for breaking down food and absorbing nutrients. It relies on motility, the rhythmic wave-like motion of peristalsis. But under chronic stress and poor sleep, peristalsis stalls. Food sits in the intestines and begins to rot, causing inflammation and leaky gut syndrome. Over time, this can evolve into serious conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s disease.

This connection between sleep and gut health is not speculative—Dr. Bennett has seen it firsthand in his patients, and he illustrates it with a powerful case study.

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A Case Study: Brett’s 50-Year Battle with Crohn’s Disease

At just 10 years old, Brett was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. He was fatigued, weak, and often unable to keep up with the other boys. From childhood through adulthood, he underwent colonoscopies—sometimes twice a year—and endured multiple close calls with death. Doctors warned him that unless part of his colon was removed, he was at risk of cancer. They even tattooed the area internally to mark the surgical site.

Despite adopting excellent nutrition and hydration, Brett continued to suffer. When Dr. Bennett met him, he immediately recognized signs of airway-related breathing dysfunction:

• Crowded teeth
  
  
• No visible uvula
  
  
• Tooth imprints on the tongue
  
  
• A forward-leaning head posture (CPR position)
  
  
• Submandibular fullness (double chin)
  
  

These clues pointed to a narrow airway and likely obstructive sleep apnea—a condition where the airway collapses repeatedly during sleep, depriving the body of oxygen and triggering fight-or-flight responses dozens of times per hour.

A sleep test confirmed Dr. Bennett’s suspicion: Brett was stopping his breathing more than 24 times an hour.

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Introducing the B.I.B. MD Healthcare Model

To better understand the holistic picture, Dr. Bennett introduces his healthcare framework: Dr. BIBB MD.

• B = Breathing: Must be nasal. Mouth breathing reduces oxygen by 18% and bypasses critical filtration and nitric oxide production.
  
  
• I = Inflammation: Must be reduced by addressing diet, pollution, and internal imbalances from injury or posture.
  
  
• B = Balance: Structural balance matters. Misaligned teeth and jaws disrupt the body’s equilibrium and nerve function.
  
  
• D = Decompression: Joints should not be compressed or misaligned. Clicking jaws or dropped shoulders are warning signs.
  
  
• MD = Movement Disorder: Disrupted sleep from airway issues leads to restless movement—causing muscular and joint inflammation over time.
  
  

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A New Approach: Growth-Oriented Treatment

Instead of using a lifelong CPAP machine or a simple mandibular advancement device (MAD), Dr. Bennett provided Brett with a biomimetic appliance—a retainer-like oral device that gently stimulates bone growth.

These appliances signal the body’s own stem cells to activate and create more space in the jaw, opening the airway and correcting the root issue. Over nine months, Brett wore the device 12–16 hours a day.

At his 9-month follow-up, Brett shared astonishing news: his gastroenterologist removed him from regular scopes and put him on a three-year recall. It was the first time in decades that he had such a prognosis.

All other health behaviors—nutrition, hydration, supplementation—had remained the same. The only variable that changed? Treating his sleep apnea.

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A Personal Testimony of Healing

In a recorded testimonial, Brett describes the dramatic turnaround in his health and energy. For the first time since childhood, he feels strong and alive—finally free from the debilitating fatigue of Crohn’s disease. His marriage has improved. His life, he says, has changed.

“I feel like I’m finally sleeping. I have more energy and strength than I ever had—even more than I did as a teenager.”

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Final Thoughts: The Body Knows How to Heal—If You Let It

Dr. Bennett concludes with a profound message: the body is designed to heal. But it must have the tools—clear airways, proper sleep, reduced inflammation, balance, and decompression—to do so.

If you suffer from chronic illness, pain, fatigue, or unexplained health issues, the first place to look may be your airway. Don’t ignore the signs: snoring, gasping, crowded teeth, TMJ pain, forward head posture, or fatigue. These are not just dental or sleep issues—they are whole-body red flags.

Brett’s story is just one of many. The good news is, there is hope. And with the right approach, healing is not only possible—it’s waiting.

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