Mid-Michigan Orofacial Myofunctional Care

Hello and welcome! I am a small-town girl in the middle of Michigan. I have been married for over 30 years, have 2 grown boys, 2 cats, and 1 chocolate labrador retriever. I am a licensed Registered Dental Hygienist through Delta College and a Certified Myofunctional Therapist through the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. I became interested in myofunctional therapy in college. After 30 years in dentistry, I decided that it was time to turn that interest into a reality. Having the opportunity to find the root cause of a patient's symptom is my passion. By taking the time and discovering the root cause of those symptoms, there is then the possibility of preventing some of their impairments from becoming a painful or life threatening health issue. The opportunity to watch my patients improve their daily functions and feel amazing through this noninvasive therapy is such a rewarding experience. The positive impact on their overall well being is so gratifying for myself and for the patient. Just imagine the possibility of what your life would be like without your unique symptoms and what a positive impact that could have on your daily life! My mission has always been to help people feel better, live their lives better, and to make it a fun experience for them in the process. Everyone deserves the best care and guidance in their unique situation. Explanation of Myofunctional Therapy Myofunctional therapy is a site specific form of exercises that focuses on the muscles of the tongue, face, and throat. These exercises strengthen these muscles to improve daily functions that we take for granted such as breathing, swallowing, chewing, and speaking. By strengthening these muscles, implementing correct posture, improving muscle function, and establishing a correct oral rest posture, we can resolve the root cause of many orofacial myofunctional disorders that we have grown to compensate with through our daily functions. The therapy is reprogramming the muscles that were not trained properly or long enough by breastfeeding. We repattern the connective tissues through repetition over time creating a new neuroplastic muscle to brain habit. The repattern process is completed by the patient completing noninvasive repetitive exercises of the tongue, throat and facial muscles on a daily routine. Each patient’s exercises are planned for each individual's unique needs. Each week the exercises change depending on how the patient is advancing and how consistent they are with completing the exercises. The muscles of the mouth and face are unique and incredibly important. They are essential to life-sustaining tasks such as eating and breathing, and they allow us to communicate and express emotion. These muscles also play a role in the growth and development of our dental and airway health. In fact, the position of these muscles when functioning and at rest determines our facial structure and have a impact on whether or not we have straight, healthy teeth, and large healthy sinuses. When the oral rest posture is correct, there is a harmony and equilibrium between our muscles and our bones. A good oral rest posture and good muscle function will be more likely to develop larger jaws that are able to accommodate the adult teeth without crowding. When the jaws develop properly, the sinus cavity grows to an appropriate size, leading to healthier breathing through the nose. When the tongue, lips, and jaws are positioned correctly, it leads the way to better, clearer speech and prevents relapse of orthodontic treatment. Myofunctional therapy care is a form of therapy that is a collaboration among other health care providers working together to discover the root cause of the Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder and then working together to treat the cause and together alleviate the symptoms. A thorough evaluation is completed at the initial intake exam. The information gathered from the evaluation is reviewed with the patient and a pathway to wellness is planned out for the patient. This pathway may include being referred to other specialists if the myofunctional therapist believes a referral would benefit the patient. Other specialists may include an Allergist, Orthodontist, TMJ or Sleep Dentist, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, Massage Therapist, Cranio Sacral Fascia Release Therapist, Ear Nose and Throat Specialist, Speech Therapist, Osteopathic Physician, or a Sleep Study Specialist. We all work together to make a healthier functioning system. How to Get Started The first appointment is a comprehensive exam. This is a very thorough1 hour and 30 minute exam consisting of many questions about the patient beginning from birth to the present time. Measurements are taken of the mouth and face, photos and videos are taken, and an overview of the findings are presented at this time. Therapy Appointments Appointments are 30 minutes long and are scheduled either in person or via telehealth depending on the patient's needs. Therapy appointments are scheduled roughly 1 time a week for 8 weeks, then every 2 weeks, then every 3 weeks, then monthly. Therapy is usually a 9 months to 1 year commitment. This will depend on the findings at the comprehensive exam and the compliance of the patient to completing the exercises as recommended. (The frequency of therapy sessions can be altered to fit your budget, but this will make therapy a longer journey to reach our goals). Cost of Therapy The cost of therapy will be determined at the comprehensive exam depending on the needs of the patient. Payment is due at the time of service and will be disclosed to the patient prior to the appointment time. Payment can be in the form of cash, check, or credit cards. HSA and FSA cards are accepted as well. Insurance Coverage Orofacial myofunctional therapists are not in network with any insurance company, and so, orofacial myofunctional therapy is not covered well by insurance largely because it is an emerging field and most insurance companies are not aware of it. I recommend you speak with your insurer to get clarity on what they will cover. Please note that myofunctional therapy is billed UNDER MEDICAL, NOT DENTAL insurance. However, I can provide you with a Superbill which may help you get reimbursed, but I will not be able to generate the Superbill until you are actively undergoing therapy as my patient. You can send the Superbill to your insurance company. I cannot supply Superbills after each session or after the initial evaluation because you must show your insurer that you have already undergone treatment for a time period for which you are requesting reimbursement. Important: If you are seeing your doctor (or oral surgeon) for conditions associated with a potential or already identified orofacial myofunctional disorder(s), request from them a “letter of necessity” for orofacial myofunctional therapy to increase your chances of reimbursement which then you can attach to your Superbill. Receiving an official medical diagnosis from your doctor for any condition that relates to the orofacial or pharyngeal muscles (sleep apnea, oral respiration, dysphagia, aspiration, tongue tie, asthma, TMJ discomfort, tonsillitis, rhinitis, Bell’s Palsy) may prove a medical need for orofacial myofunctional therapy, breathing reeducation, reflex pattern integration and non nutritive oral habit elimination. Explanation of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD) is a pathological condition created by disruption in the functions of the stomatognathic system, primarily functions related to chewing, breathing, and swallowing. Examples of OMDs include mouth breathing, tongue ties, tongue thrust, open mouth posture, speech impediments, clenching and grinding teeth, oral habits, TMJ pain, sleep disorders, cavities, gum disease, misaligned teeth and many more. OMDs will affect the muscle function of the mouth and face, having a huge effect on their overall development. The muscles will form the facial structures. If the muscles are not functioning properly this can cause skeletal facial lengthening, teeth crowding, and nasal airway narrowing. Tongue Ties Every tongue is connected to the floor of the mouth by a band of connective tissue known as the lingual frenum. When this band of tissue is short, tight, or deeply embedded into the surrounding tissue, it is known as a tongue tie, or ankyloglossia. Tongue ties are usually only addressed if they are causing nursing or speech issues at a young age. However, an undiagnosed tongue tie will prevent proper oral rest posture leading to multiple compensations of our daily functions that we take for granted. Tongue ties can cause feeding issues, speech issues, poor palate expansion during growth, poor oral rest posture, poor chewing patterns, dysfunctional swallowing patterns, poor head and body posture, orthodontic relapse, headaches, TMJ discomfort, neck and shoulder pain, acid reflux, digestive difficulties, nasal congestion, ADHD, and breathing issues such as sleep apnea. Tongue ties are treated first with myofunctional therapy to begin to strengthen the muscles of the face and tongue. By strengthening these muscles, we will establish a good lip seal, breathing through the nose, and retraining the front portion of the tongue proper oral rest posture on the palate. A tongue tie release is then performed by a specialist releasing the frenum so the posterior portion of the tongue can rest properly on the palate shaping the palate in children and maintaining an open airway. Myofunctional therapy continues after the release to continue the muscle retraining process. Tongue Thrust During a proper swallow the tongue will push upwards and backwards like a wave against the roof of the mouth while swallowing. A tongue thrust is an improper swallow forcing the tongue to push toward the teeth forward or laterally while swallowing. This is either a learned behavior from a low resting tongue posture or due to a tongue tie. A tongue thrust will put force on the teeth causing an open bite between the teeth where the teeth will not come together for biting off food or chewing food properly. This thrust of force makes it difficult to swallow correctly causing a learned compensation swallow pattern. Leading to a picky messy eater, acid reflux, digestive issues, speech issues, TMJ issue, congestion, and sleep disordered breathing. Myofunctional therapy helps to strengthen and retrain the facial and tongue muscles for proper swallowing patterns, proper palatal oral rest posture, and nasal breathing. Oral Habits Oral habits can include anything (besides food or drink) that is constantly being held in the mouth or chewed on in the mouth. This may include thumb sucking, blanket chewing, chewing on clothing, chewing on objects, pacifiers, nail biting, cheek chewing, lip biting, or tongue sucking. Holding an object in the mouth constantly will change the form of skeletal development over time and lead to other poor habits such as low tongue rest posture and mouth breathing. Effects can cause a high narrow palate, narrow nasal passages, protruding and overlapping front teeth, crossbite, or TMJ disorders/pain. Myofunctional therapy will help the patient apply self awareness and behavior modification techniques to eliminate the habit and optimize oral functions. The therapist uses prizes and rewards and will follow the success in the patient for at least 30 days or when the oral habit is completely eliminated. The family is also coached on how to achieve long term success and support the patient. Mouth Breathing When the lips are constantly apart and have an improper lip seal they are often called a “mouth breather”. Mouth breathing from an early age can have a significant effect on the overall development of the facial features and their functions. This can be possibly caused from reasons such as environmental allergies, enlarged adenoids, enlarged tonsils, a deviated septum or a tongue tie. Mouth breathing can lead to elongated facial structure, narrow palate, retracted jaw, gummy smile, acid reflux, clenching and grinding teeth, headaches, sleep walking, bed wetting, chronic fatigue, increase in cavities, gum disease, and sleep apnea. Myofunctional therapy works to strengthen the facial and tongue muscles. Thus retraining them for a proper lip seal, nasal breathing, and proper tongue position to eliminate mouth breathing. Sleep Disordered Breathing Sleep disordered Breathing is a term used to describe any upper airway obstruction during sleeping. This may include an obstruction through the mouth or nasal passages. When our sleep is being disrupted, we are not able to complete a proper sleep cycle, therefore we cannot reach the amount of restorative sleep that our bodies need. The result of not having quality sleeping can have an adverse effect with proper growth and development, cognitive function and behavioral issues such as ADHD. The first sign of sleep disordered breathing can be mouth breathing or snoring. These symptoms could be a sign of other serious conditions. Snoring - The back of the tongue is falling into the airway hitting the uvula and soft palate caused by a weak genioglossus muscle. Resulting in blockage of the airway. Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome- Gasping for breath, the throat relaxes and makes you wake up every hour or 2. ( common in women) Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Stop breathing due to the airway being completely closed off for 10 seconds. Central Sleep Apnea - The body gives up on breathing because it has had so many episodes of obstructive sleep apnea. Must wear a CPAP at night to maintain an open airway. Myofunctional Therapy may help eliminate some sleep disordered breathing issues by strengthening the muscles and establishing a proper tongue posture on the palate. Resulting in opening the airway. TMJ Pain and Headaches Temporomandibular joint issues and headaches could be an underlying symptom of OMDs. Without proper lip seal, a good palatal tongue resting position, and good nasal breathing the body will respond in compensations to survive as well as it possibly can. For example during episodes of sleep apnea the bodies servosystem will get air breathed in by sending the brain a signal to clench the teeth together and grind the teeth together causing discomfort. The body reacts by opening the mouth and a breath is taken in. This constant clenching and grinding all night may cause damage to the temporomandibular joint over time and/or muscle soreness making it difficult to fully open the mouth for drinking, chewing, and talking. Mouth breathing can also cause TMJ pain since the mouth is in a constant open position. The muscles are being stretched and are tense causing discomfort since they are never at a resting position. Sometimes how we chew food is the underlying cause of TMJ pain. There are so many underlying possibilities that could be the root cause of TMJ pain. Myofunctional Therapy may help eliminate TMJ pain and headaches by strengthening the muscles, establishing a proper tongue posture on the palate and proper sleeping position. Bell's Palsy or Stroke If you have suffered from a stroke or bell’s palsy, myofunctional therapy may be able to help restore the muscle function and muscle control back to the side of your face and tongue that has been affected. Therapy should begin within 6 months of the occurrence for the best results. Who needs Myofunctional Therapy??? Are you a mouth breather? Do you or may you have sleep apnea? Do you snore? Do you grind your teeth or wear a night guard? Do you or may you have a tongue tie? Do you experience nasal congestion or allergies? Do you experience acid reflux or digestive issues? Have your teeth shifted after orthodontics? Do you or may you have a tongue thrust? Does your child have a sucking or chewing habit? Do you have speech impairments or challenges? Do you experience chronic neck tension or headaches? Do you have temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ)? With little time but dedicated effort, chronic symptoms can be resolved through myofunctional therapy. It is a natural and noninvasive therapy that has the possibility to make such a life changing impact on your health and quality of life.