Get to know Dr. Britney Green, the visionary behind Strong Ties Oral Health providing orthodontic and other oral health services that are airway focused for infants, children and adults in the Twin Cities.
Tell us about your business, Strong Ties Oral Health. What do you do?
We provide orthodontic and other oral health services that are airway focused for infants, children and adults.
We help families with breastfeeding issues, picky eating, sleep disturbances, snoring, sleep apnea, headaches, clenching and grinding and TMJ pain.
Our services include different therapies and procedures that aid in proper sleep, breathing, eating and development.
Procedures include tongue & lip tie releases (infant to adult), early intervention orthodontics (starting before age 6), and airway focused orthodontics (age 7 to adults).
Therapy modalities include myofunctional therapy, laser therapy, MNRI therapy and cranial manipulation techniques.
How do you approach your area of expertise (what makes you different?)
Not only do we focus on structure of the oral cavity, we help change the function.
In other words, we treat the reason/root causes rather than the symptoms.
We also treat early. Rather than taking the “wait and see” approach or telling families “your child will grow out of it.” we correct and build solid foundations early on.
I’ll use an example to highlight…
It’s like trying to bolt down furniture on a sinking ship.
The ship is still sinking even if you’ve secured the chair.
At Strong Ties, we make sure that ships are well built and well maintained. We patch up holes quickly so that it’s better able to survive the storm. And there’s always a storm.
It’s just that some ships are better equipped to deal with them.
What drew you to this work?
This developed overtime. I was exposed to healthcare at a very early age, and saw growth and development in a unique way.
My younger sister has cerebral palsy, is legally blind and non ambulatory. Because she didn’t develop typically, I had more opportunities that made me naturally aware and more observant to what is normal and functional versus what isn’t.
I also saw that sometimes the doctors said things that weren’t consistent to what we saw at home. I understood early on that a diagnosis could change or be incorrect. . One of my sister’s surgeons was very patient with me. He told my mom “she’s very observant, she would do well in this field.”
I didn’t follow the surgeon’s path completely, but the skills I developed early on stayed with me in all of my formal training.
“Not only do we focus on structure of the oral cavity, we help change the function.
Dr. Britney Green
In other words, we treat the reason/root causes rather than the symptoms.
We also treat early. Rather than taking the “wait and see” approach or telling families “your child will grow out of it.” we correct and build solid foundations early on.”
What do you love about your job?
Continuously learning. I love hearing from patients and families about their experience. The more they learn about themselves or their family, the more we’re better able to support them.
Describe the person that is best fit for you and your services.
Someone who is self motivated and enjoys taking part in their health or their families health. They want to learn and feel empowered to make informed decisions. They are more active rather than passive.
Also, someone who wants to treat the root causes of their symptoms and understands that slow progress oftentimes leads to longer lasting results than a quick band aid.
Usually by the time a patient sees me, they’ve done their own reading, have detailed questions and can point out some of the signs and symptoms they’ve noticed on their own.
What results can people see when they work with you? What’s possible?
Improved sleep, behavior, better moods, better eating, decreased pain. If we improve the foundation, it will be easier to have your child eat healthier foods, they can learn more easily in school, you can become a more patient spouse, parent or coworker after improved quality of sleep and/or decreased pain.
Daily life becomes easier when you or your little one isn’t requiring so much energy to survive.
What do you wish more people understood about what you do?
We offer truly individualized care to meet families where they’re at. We have many interventions that are helpful, but we want to focus on what works best for each family at the time that they’re seeking care.
They have options. Options within the practice, not only by seeking out other providers. If for some reason they feel the suggested treatment plan isn’t going to work because of their schedule, we can go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan that works for them now.
We thrive on empowering our patients; they are in the driver’s seat and we’re here to help support. Although, we do understand that there are various levels of how involved individuals and families want to be in their own care. This is something we like to know from the beginning. If families are looking to be told what to do, worked on, or take a more passive approach to their health, we may not be the best fit.
What’s fascinating you right now?
Videography. I’m really excited to start capturing and telling stories in a creative way. I think it’s also very practical to share information and provide visual demonstrations.
We’ve been bringing videography and film more into our practice!
In what ways do you find yourself working alongside other health + wellness professionals?
Heard of the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none?” Unfortunately, it’s has a negative connotation. But let’s say the phrase in its entirety.
“Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one.”
In healthcare, most providers have been siloed into a specialized field. For example, a doctor may be strong in doing a particular type of heart surgery, but will not think or understand that someone who has had sleep apnea symptoms for 10 years is the reason they’re needing the operation.
Specialization is easy for our brains to grasp, but it’s not how our bodies work. Everything is connected. If a patient is hearing different advice from their midwife, chiropractor, dentist and pediatrician, who will they listen to? More often than not, it will be the pediatrician. But it doesn’t mean the pediatrician is the best person to answer a particular question.
We love connecting with health providers that understand this concept and openly admit to families that another provider may be better suited to assist them. We do the same at Strong Ties. To understand what services are out there, we take continuing education outside of our field, (whenever we’re let in!).
We’re not receiving credit or recognition by the board for doing this. We take our own time and money so that we better understand the different lenses of providers so that we can better help our patients.
What does self care look like to you right now?
Resting. Slowing down.
Starting a new practice while “doing life,” requires a lot of time and energy. I would describe my self as an introvert, needing to recharge by taking time away from others.
Reading, listening to podcasts, doing creative projects and learning are all things I enjoy.
My mother and father were similar. Even with raising two kids, they both made it a priority to take care of themselves and do what they needed to recharge.
What do you love about living and working in the Twin Cities?
Familiarity! I was born and raised in Apple Valley and went to the University of Minnesota. I know the climate, the culture, the people. I’ve lived other places and traveled a lot, but always come back to MN. The Twin Cities provides a great environment for an overall good quality of life but enough variety not to become too stagnant 🙂
The airport is also large enough to make a quick getaway when some warm weather and sun is needed!
Favorite local restaurants?
I would have to say that I prefer a homecooked meal– my husband makes some great Cajun food (he’s from Louisiana).
Other favorite local businesses in the Twin Cities?
Can’t wait to try Owamni! I also order food from local farmers, participate in farm shares, The Good Acre, and connect with other independent health care providers.
What’s your favorite social media platform, and where can people connect with you on social media?
Our email list and website would be the best! You can find them here.
As we make headway into social media, we’ll pass on updates, Linkedin and YouTube.
How can people work with you?
Those interested can sign up for our email list. We’ll be starting more workshops, classes and events online this year.
Or, if they want to schedule an evaluation for individualized care, they can visit our website.
https://ourstrongties.com/
We will be undergoing many changes to our online platform this year, so checking the website periodically for updates is also a way to stay connected.