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ABOUT 

Stacy Lashenik​

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I was first introduced to orofacial myology after being told by an orthodontist that my own malocclusion was being caused by my "tongue thrust".  I had already had braces as a child and had permanent retainers on my teeth, but my teeth were still not aligned properly.  I never realized that it could be my tongue that was causing my open bite, cross bite, jaw and neck tension, headaches, and poor sleep. 

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​In 2016, I started my journey into orofacial myology by completing the IAOM level I and II courses with Kim Benkert, RDH, BSDH, MPH, COM.  I was fortunate to be trained by one of the leaders in the field, and I'm excited to bring this therapy to Northwest Indiana.  

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Although I do see a limited number of older children, my passion is for helping adults like me, who have been suffering for years and trying different treatments without lasting results. We can improve quality of life at any age! 

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TESTIMONIALS

Stacy was truly amazing with my then 10 year old son. I had never heard myofunctional therapy until my son's orthodontist highly recommended Stacy. Stacy was always professional and prompt. She was able to identify my son's issues right away and provided him with very practical exercises that he was able to quickly learn and practice at home from week to week. My son came to Stacy due to not holding his tongue in his mouth correctly which caused spacing in his upper teeth and difficulty with sleep which caused occasional bedwetting. Upon successful completion of therapy my son was able to learn how to hold his tongue correctly, started sleeping better and no more bedwetting. I would highly recommend Stacy to anyone who is in need of myofunctional therapy. - Chiralaine N.

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I experienced chronic debilitating jaw spasms and knots with facial pain, mouth tightness, severe headaches, poor breathing and sleep, fatigue, and an overall decreased mood because of the exhausting nature of this problem. I did not know what was causing my issue - I simply thought it was something that would either go away at some point or I would just have to deal with it. This problem put a serious strain on my interpersonal relationships as well as my ability to fully focus at work because I was constantly exhausted and suffering through the pain. My quality of life was significantly impacted. I would use all my energy as the day progressed fighting through nagging facial discomfort and radiating jaw pain with pounding headaches. I had jaw knots that would require me to massage and manually release the spasming, which would be exquisitely painful. I would rush home to lay in bed and take over the counter pain relievers to manage the pain and tightness so that I could get some sleep, just to wake up and do it all over again. After Stacy properly and extensively educated me on the reason it was happening, what needed to be done to fix it, and outlined the process of treatment – I participated in orofacial myofunctional therapy with Stacy as well as on my own to improve strength and proper positioning. I then underwent a simple tongue tie release procedure. Then, we worked on further therapy after the procedure. During this process, my pain steadily improved and has now fully resolved! I no longer have jaw knots or spasms that require manual release. My quality of sleep is so much better. I breathe better and I wake up feeling refreshed. I can now focus on things other than just trying to make it through the day. This process has truly provided me with a breath of fresh air in my life. My mood is now where it should be, my energy levels are high, and I have a renewed vigor for life, because of all that Stacy recommended and taught me along the way! She truly is a blessing, as is finding the solution to this problem that causes such a significant impact on people’s lives who suffer from it! I highly recommend her and I would suggest seeking the proper treatment to anyone suffering with the same or similar problem that I had, sooner than later! She is as thorough, knowledgeable, caring, and thoughtful as they get! - Daniel B.

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I had suffered Bruxism (teeth grinding at night) all my life and had been diagnosed with mild sleep Apnea. My Dentist had put in some Crowns on some of my worn teeth, but the last one kept coming loose. He referred me to a Prosthodontist to address the issue. During her treatment she noted that I had a "low tongue" and referred me to Stacy to be evaluated. The Oral Surgeon performed the tongue tie procedure and lip tie procedure that was causing my gums to recede on my lower front teeth. Stacy guided me through myofunctional therapy before and after the procedures. I now have no sleep Apnea and the Crown work by the Prosthodontist is holding solid. I would highly recommend Stacy for any myofunctional therapy needs; she knows her 'stuff' and is very good to work with! - Tom M.

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My sleep means everything to me. I’m waking up feeling rested and ready to start my day. I’m fully aware that lack of sleep can be the culprit of many diseases so I am confident I’m on my way to better health. - Adrea D. 

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Without myofunctional therapy, I don’t think my release would have been nearly as successful and life-changing! I would recommend both the therapy and procedure to anybody that has tongue-tie issues. So much relief! Thank you, Stacy!! - Alexis M. 

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My tongue tie release was a great success!

I do believe it’s of utmost importance to do all of the functional therapy before and after the release.   Even before my procedure, I was noticing some initial relief by doing the functional therapy exercises alone. Prior to my therapy and the procedure, my main complaints were relentless tension in my upper back, chest, and neck areas.  The procedure itself was simple, quick, relatively painless and low cost. After the surgery and therapy, my tension was relieved significantly.  I no longer feel like I am carrying unnecessary musculoskeletal stress.  The release and therapy has also provided me with vastly improved breath.  I no longer wheeze or feel restriction in my breathing when exercising.  My shoulders have dropped, and I now have better posture, along with feeling much more balanced.  My walk and running gait have also changed for the better; I’ve become more symmetrical, allowing me to run comfortably for miles.  The tension in my IT bands have also relieved significantly.  I can sit in a crossed legged position much more comfortably and for longer than ever prior to surgery.  Overall, my quality of life has improved vastly.  I can do many day to day movements that were simply uncomfortable prior to the tongue tie release.  I had unnecessarily suffered for many years. I am so thankful that a dentist discovered I had a tongue tie at 40 years old, so I can now experience a better quality of life.  I love to be physically active and  look forward to all of the new things I can experience with my new found mobility. I wholly recommend this therapy, as well as the procedure, to anyone with any degree of a tongue tie! - Udo S.

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Working with Stacy was such a wonderful experience. She was patient and clear in communicating with my son. She was flexible and easy to work with for me as a mom. My son was very prepared for his tongue tie release. His post-op recovery, strength building and tongue movement was was successful (and fairly quick). I’m so glad our surgeon advised therapy and that we found Stacy. - Ariane D.

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Before working with Stacy, I had no idea that I could benefit from a tongue tie release. In fact, I didn’t even know that I needed one. She helped me prepare for a very successful release performed by a local oral surgeon, then guided me through the recovery period. As a result of my work with Stacy, I now sleep, chew, and breathe more efficiently. I also have less tension on one side of my neck and shoulders since the muscles are now more relaxed. This entire process takes patience, commitment, and time, yet it is very much worth the effort. I’m very grateful for Stacy’s work in this area and highly recommend her. - Carol S. 

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