Why did I want to start doing myofunctional therapy?
Myofunctional therapy connects medicine and dentistry…
Our health starts with our mouths…
Everything that I continue to learn has a direct connection to someone that I love. I have even found many of the oral dysfunctions in myself. It has been an eye-opening experience and I want to share this knowledge with everyone I know! Awareness is everything. We do not know what we do not know.
My hope is to encourage and educate others to recognize these signs and symptoms in themselves and their loved ones! Preventing others from dealing with all the struggles I have encountered is my main goal.
May 25, 2020
I have loved being a dental hygienist for 20 years, unfortunately, it was taking a toll on my hands and body. I suffered from daily neck, shoulder, wrist, hip, and hand pain. For this reason, I finally listened to my body and retired from cleaning teeth. But I love helping people! For anyone that has ever been a dental hygiene patient of mine – I have always looked beyond the mouth to see the patient as an entire person. Looking at one’s alignment of their teeth, signs of oral habits, improper brushing, signs of oral cancer, airway concerns, inconsistent blood pressure readings, and how these things link to their overall health is super important to me.
Before retiring from dental hygiene, I was on the lookout for ways to help my own kids live a healthier life in a natural way. I was researching more about tongue ties and had numerous books on my list to read. In doing my own mom research, I became obsessed with how the fascia under the tongue is connected all the way to our feet. Which means restrictions in our tongue can cause stress and pain in so many areas of our body. I then came across orofacial myofunctional therapy and dove in.
As a hygienist, myofunctional therapy is in the scope of practice with the license I hold. Additionally, I took classes through IAOM (International Association of Orofacial Myology) which is the largest and oldest program in this field. I do not feel like I will ever stop learning and strive to take course after course and watch and read anything I can find online or in a book regarding myofunctional therapy and tongue tie. And everything that I continue to learn has a direct connection to someone that I love. I have even found many of the oral dysfunctions in myself. It has been an eye-opening experience and I want to share this knowledge with everyone I know! Awareness is everything. We do not know what we do not know. My hope is to encourage and educate others to recognize these signs and symptoms in themselves and their loved ones! Preventing others from dealing with all the struggles I have encountered is my main goal.
I honestly felt like I was a well-rounded dental hygienist and was in touch with many things going on with my patients. But I like many health care professionals, did not understand how myofunctional disorders were linked to so many other things. Often, people (including me) make compensations for improper functions we may have. I will admit I have never been and will never be an “expert” on anything, but the things I have recently learned are game changers for medicine and dentistry. Unfortunately, getting information and awareness out to doctors and parents takes time. In the meantime, I cannot feel guilt for what I did not know in the past. I can only look forward and help others not make the same mistakes or have the same issues as myself. Look for my future blog on everything I missed as a parent and health care provider.
I have always said the mouth is the gateway to our entire health. But until recently I did not value the full scope of this sentence. Now, I indisputably believe myofunctional therapy is the puzzle piece that connects dentistry to medicine. It connects our oral health to our overall health. And the earlier concerns are addressed the better.
Early intervention = prevention = less expensive.
I would love to have the opportunity to talk to you more along with answer any questions you have. Please contact me for a free assessment!