The Alfi Podcast

Our team can help you get to the root cause through jaw alignment and airway evaluation. Call 713-489-6984 Email info@alporalsurgery.com Reference The Alfi Podcast when you reach out. ABOUT THE ALFI PODCAST Every week Dr. David Alfi sits down with elite performers, athletes, entrepreneurs, creators, and thought leaders to explore how breathing, sleep, jaw alignment, and mindset unlock higher human...

In this episode of the Alfi Podcast, Dr. David Alfi sits down with Brian Cain, elite mental performance coach and author of 45 books who’s helped develop UFC champions, MLB athletes, and high-performing leaders. Brian shares the turning point that changed his life (a July 4th bookstore moment) and the mentorship that taught him a core truth: mental performance isn’t a hype talk, it’s a system. Tog...

Join us June 5-7 in Miami for the AOS Coast Conference.  Airway. Biohacking. Longevity. Secure your ticket here: https://tickets.aoscenter.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

In this episode of the  Alfi Podcast , Dr. David Alfi sits down with  Brian C a i n , elite mental performance coach and author of  45 books  who’s helped develop  UFC champions , MLB athletes, and high-performing leaders. Brian shares the turning point that changed his life (a July 4th bookstore moment) and the mentorship that taught him a core truth:  mental performance isn’t a hype talk, it’s a...

Vero is back and this time, the conversation goes deeper than symptoms and scans. Dr. Alfi sits down with Vero and her daughter Tammy to unpack the  family impact  of chronic pain, poor sleep, and years of confusing diagnoses. Tammy shares what it was like growing up “treading on ice,” carefully managing what she asked for because she never knew how much her mom could handle. She also admits she w...

What if the “only option” you’ve been told for sleep apnea… isn’t the only option? In this powerful patient follow-up, Brandon joins Dr. Alfi six months after jaw surgery and shares what life looks like after seven years on CPAP. He opens up about the dependency, travel stress, power outages, “Santa Claus belly” from swallowed air, strap marks, and still waking up feeling like sleep never truly re...

In Episode 61 of The Alfi Podcast , Dr. David Alfi sits down with Dr. Claudia Pinter (Vienna, Austria) known by many as the “Airway Queen of Europe” for a deep conversation on airway-focused orthodontics , MARPE expansion , and how Europe approaches treatment differently than the United States. We break down the real-world impact of jaw development on breathing , why extractions and retraction can...

In Episode 60 of The Alfi Podcast, Dr. David Alfi sits down with Dr. Mark Cruz, a true pioneer in airway-focused dentistry for a deep, wide-ranging conversation that challenges “orthodox thinking” in healthcare. Dr. Cruz breaks down what airway actually means (it’s not just expanders or devices), framing it as the intersection of structure, function, and behavior and why the airway acts as the key...

In this episode of The Alfi Podcast, we’re joined in-studio by Drs. Celcines and Halepas from AOS Miami for a practical, no-fluff roadmap to modern jaw surgery built from thousands of cases and the questions patients (and providers) ask every day. You’ll learn exactly what happens at the first consult (CBCT + airway analysis, team coordination, and when a sleep study matters), plus how surgeons “q...

In this episode of The Alfi Podcast, Dr. David Alfi sits down with Maria, a registered nurse, biohacker, and one of the most remarkable jaw surgery recovery cases he’s ever treated. Just one week post-op, Maria showed virtually no swelling, prompting one big question: what did she do differently? In this conversation, Maria breaks down the exact principles behind her recovery, starting with what s...

TMJ pain is one of the most misdiagnosed and misunderstood conditions in modern medicine. In this episode of The Alfi Podcast, Dr. David Alfi breaks down why most TMJ treatments fail and what actually works when you address the root cause. Many patients are told TMJ is “just a jaw issue” and are prescribed splints, night guards, Botox, injections, or even total joint replacement. But these approac...

Episode 56 of The Alfi Podcast features Melissa “The Mouth” Mugno—Faceology founder, myofunctional therapist, consultant, and unapologetic entrepreneur—sharing the real story behind her rise in the airway space. Melissa walks through her early dental/ortho roots, the startup mindset that never left her, and the pivotal “aha” moment that turned airway and breathing into an obsession—not just a clin...

Episode 56 of The Alfi Podcast features Melissa Mugno—a.k.a. “Melissa the Mouth”, entrepreneur, coach, and myofunctional therapist behind Faceology. Melissa shares her unconventional journey from dental hygiene into building systems that bridge orthodontics, airway-centered care, and patient transformation. You’ll hear how early “aha” moments in airway education shifted everything—from selling app...

This episode of  The Alfie Podcast  is not about telling you  what  to think, it’s about giving you the tools to  think for yourself . In Episode 55, host David sits down with  Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai , an MIT-trained systems scientist, inventor of email, and outspoken critic of institutional power structures in medicine, academia, and politics. What unfolds is a wide-ranging, provocative conversation...

Dr. Ryan Neal joins The Alfi Podcast for a profound conversation on what truly fuels healing — exploring the intersection of spirituality, mindset, medicine, and the inner world that shapes our physical health. Together, he and Dr. Alfi break down why the most powerful treatments often begin long before any procedure, and how belief, emotional grounding, and spiritual alignment influence outcomes...

JJ joins The Alfi Podcast to break down what REALLY creates a patient-centric practice — from culture and systems to environment, communication, and how to make every patient feel deeply cared for from the moment they walk in. In this episode we dive into: • How JJ became the go-to expert for patient-centric dental and oral surgery offices • The core principles that make patients feel safe, suppor...

Miami’s newest surgical power trio — Dr. AJ Salcines and Dr. Steve Halepas — join Dr. David Alfi on The Alfi Podcast for a deep, no-BS breakdown of what’s happening right now in facial aesthetics, plastic surgery, and the future of jaw surgery. In this episode, we dive into:• Their journeys into surgery + what drew them to Miami• How plastic surgery and oral & maxillofacial surgery overlap mor...

Dr. David Alfi sits down with former Major League Baseball player José Cruz for a deep dive into the future of athletic performance. Together, they explore how biohacking, precision health, and longevity science are transforming the way athletes train, recover, and extend their careers. From optimizing biomechanics to leveraging data-driven recovery strategies, this conversation reveals what it tr...

This week on The Alfi Podcast, Dr. Alfi sits down with pastor and speaker Yahya Bakkar for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had yet. Together, they explore the deep connection between faith and health, how your spiritual beliefs shape your emotional and physical wellbeing, and the ways God’s hand quietly guides every chapter of your life—even the ones that feel the most uncertain. Yahy...

Julio is the definition of a modern renaissance man — a CPA, entrepreneur, and passionate biohacker dedicated to optimizing both business and biology. In this episode, we dive deep into the world of peptides , functional medicine , and the science of staying young, sharp, and strong . We explore how Julio bridges the gap between high performance in work and longevity in life, the latest tools and...

For years, Jordyn Peters battled a relentless list of symptoms—autoimmune flares, POTS, insomnia, sleep apnea, acne, acid reflux, and chronic exhaustion that left her unable to exercise or live fully. Every test and treatment offered only fragments of relief. That all changed when Jordyn discovered the connection between her airway, jaw structure, and systemic inflammation. In this episode, Jordyn...

We’re thrilled to welcome back our very first podcast guest — Alex Neist, CEO and founder of Hostage Tape — for episode 47 of The Alfi Podcast. Alex joins us to go deeper than ever before into the world of mouth taping, nasal breathing, and airway health. We explore the growing controversy around airway restriction and performance, how jaw health and sleep quality are intertwined, and why breathin...

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Zana, a former jaw surgery patient who once struggled with severe sleep paralysis, sleep apnea, and other life-altering challenges. She opens up about her transformative journey—how jaw surgery not only restored her health but completely cured her symptoms. Today, Zana lives free from the conditions that once held her back, and her story is a powerful re...

In this episode, Michelle Alfi and Dr. Alfi walk you through the entire patient journey at AOS. From your very first consultation to preparing for surgery, navigating the pre-op process, the day of surgery itself, and all the way through post-op care and follow-up appointments—this conversation lays out the timeline of what you can expect at each step. Whether you’re preparing for surgery yourself...

PART 2In this special episode of The Alfi Podcast, Dr. Alfi is joined by Dr. Trivedi and Dr. Ruan for a powerful conversation on the intersection of medicine, innovation, and patient care. Together, they share insights from their clinical expertise, discuss the evolving role of physicians in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape, and explore how collaboration and new technologies can transform o...