"We can’t build lifelong health on a foundation of poor breathing. Every child deserves the chance to breathe, sleep, and thrive — and every clinician should be empowered to connect the dots and help unlock airway health at every age."

— Dr. Shereen Lim

About Dr. Shereen Lim

I’m a Perth based dentist, author of Breathe, Sleep, Thrive, and an advocate for shifting healthcare from managing symptoms to addressing root causes — starting with airway health.

For more than a decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of dental sleep medicine and dentistry. This combination gave me a new lens—helping me see how many airway problems begin in early childhood, and how supporting nasal breathing, good jaw growth, and optimal airway development can address root causes long before symptoms appear.

Today, I’m passionate about bridging the gap between clinical research and practical care—giving both parents and professionals the tools to ask better questions, act earlier, and change lives.

My Journey

I began in dental sleep medicine over a decade ago, helping adults manage snoring and sleep apnea — more than just noise in the bedroom, these are health issues that profoundly affect quality of life. Over time, it became clear that many of these problems trace back to infancy — to how the mouth works, how the jaws grow, and how the airway develops and functions.

As I looked deeper, I kept seeing the same patterns:

Mouth breathing dismissed as “normal”
Crooked teeth treated as a cosmetic issue, not a developmental one
Sleep and behaviour challenges medicated without addressing the underlying cause
Families told to “wait and see” — missing critical windows for change

I realized we needed a new approach—one that integrates structure, function, and behavior to help unlock airway health from infancy onward.

Breathe, Sleep, Thrive was born out of this mission—to help both families and professionals connect the dots and act earlier.

Professional Background

Dentist (completed dental school in Perth in 1999)
One of Australia’s first to qualify with a Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Sleep Medicine (University of Western Australia)
Over a decade of experience in airway – focused care and early interceptive intervention
Clinical focus includes:
- Infant to adult tongue – tie management
- Early interceptive orthodontics
- Myofunctional therapy
- Collaborative care for airway and sleep health across the lifespan

What Drives My Work

I believe:

Airway health is the cornerstone of thriving health and vitality — and it starts from birth.
The earlier we act, the more we can change.
We need to move beyond specialising in one piece of the puzzle — and start connecting the dots across disciplines, across systems, and across developmental stages.
Parents should be empowered partners — trusted for their insights and instincts.
Clinicians should adopt a whole – child, whole – system lens — understanding how structure, function, and behaviour interconnect — and how airway health underpins them all.

My goal is simple:

To help as many families and professionals as possible understand this message — and start transforming children’s futures today.

Featured In

Facilitator of multidisciplinary conferences promoting integrative care
Invited keynote speaker at airway health and cross-disciplinary conferences
Published author → Breathe, Sleep, Thrive read worldwide in 40+ countries
40+ podcast interviews across leading health, parenting, and professional platforms

A Personal Note

"When we know what to look for early, we can change a child’s future."

I created Breathe, Sleep, Thrive to bridge a critical gap in healthcare — and to support professionals and parents who know there’s more we can do.

Thank you for being part of this movement — whether you’re a parent, a clinician, or someone just starting this journey. Together, we can help every child breathe, sleep, and thrive.

— Dr. Shereen Lim

Interested in inviting Dr. Lim to speak or appear on your podcast?