Want to understand how your mouth is connected to your brain, your sleep, and your long-term health? This conversation is a good place to start.

Register for Dr. Katie's free patient webinar: drkatieto.center/register

What This Episode Is About

Dr. Beena John started asking hard questions about Alzheimer's because her mother had it. What she found kept leading her back to the mouth, to mercury fillings, to oral bacteria, to chronic inflammation, to the kind of systemic load that builds quietly over years until it isn't quiet anymore. That search changed the way she practiced, the facility she built, and the patients she was able to help.

Dr. Troy Rodriguez had been practicing dentistry for 33 years when he started paying closer attention to sleep. He thought breathing through his mouth was normal. He didn't know he had a deviated septum. He had no idea that the Advil PM and Tylenol PM a lot of his patients were taking to get through the night were depositing crystals on the brain and contributing to early-onset dementia. Once he understood the connection, he couldn't unsee it.

Together, Dr. Beena and Dr. Troy built Eagle Dental Wellness Center of Texas in Sugarland, and this episode is the story of how they got there, what they had to learn, what they had to unlearn, and why they wouldn't go back.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• How oral bacteria, mercury toxicity, and chronic inflammation are connected to Alzheimer's and cognitive decline
• Why sleep apnea is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions a dentist can screen for, and what an airway-focused dentist actually looks for
• What SMART-certified mercury removal means and why the protocol matters for patient safety
• How Dr. Beena and Dr. Troy built a thriving wellness practice together, including a brand new 2,800 square foot facility, through open communication, shared vision, and a willingness to invest in what they believed in
• The daily wellness non-negotiables both doctors practice personally, from sleep hygiene and magnesium to daily reading and morning meditation

Key Moments in This Episode

The conversation opens with how Dr. Beena and Dr. Troy met at an implant course in Puebla, Mexico in 2014 and eventually decided to partner in 2018. What started as a friendship built around study clubs and shared curiosity grew into one of the most compelling wellness practices in the Houston area.

Dr. Beena shares the moment her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis cracked her open to a different way of thinking about dentistry. She talks about mold found beneath mercury fillings, heavy metal toxicity, and the way chronic oral infection can silently affect the brain over years. That personal grief became clinical purpose.

Dr. Troy walks through his own sleep journey, from discovering his deviated septum to learning about CPAP and oral appliances to now being one of the most committed airway dentists in his region. He screens every patient. He has the ENT, the oral surgeon, and the myofunctional therapist on his referral team. And he recently added a Fotona laser to his practice for NightLase, an FDA-approved treatment for snoring.

Both doctors share their three daily wellness non-negotiables, which turn out to be some of the most grounded and specific advice in the episode.

Dr. Katie's Perspective

What I love about Beena and Troy is that neither of them came to wellness dentistry from a marketing angle. Beena came from grief. Troy came from skepticism. And they both arrived at the same place, which is that the mouth is not separate from the rest of the body, and once you understand that, you cannot practice as if it is.

Their partnership is also something I find myself pointing people to often. The open communication, the willingness to say "I'm nervous about this investment" and have the other person hold the vision while you find your footing, that is what sustainable practice transformation looks like. You do not have to do this alone.

Connect with Dr. Beena John and Dr. Troy Rodriguez 

Instagram: @dr.beena 

Instagram: @eagledentaltexas 

Practice: Eagle Dental Wellness Center of Texas, Sugarland, TX

Connect with Dr. Katie: 

Free patient webinar: drkatieto.center/register 

Website: thewellnessdentist.com 

Instagram: @drkatieto

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only.  Information discussed is not intended for diagnosis, curing, or prevention of any disease and is not intended to replace advice given by a licensed healthcare practitioner.  Before using any products mentioned or attempting methods discussed, please speak with a licensed healthcare provider.  This podcast disclaims responsibility from any possible adverse reactions associated with products or methods discussed.    Opinions from guests are their own, and this podcast does not condone or endorse opinions made by guests.  We do not provide guarantees about the guests' qualifications or credibility. This podcast and its guests may have direct or indirect financial interests associated with products mentioned.