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SERVICES

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Treatment

Therapy starts with a thorough assessment of the structure and function of the orofacial muscles.  Therapy is personalized to each individual's needs, based on the evaluation.  It generally consists of half hour online sessions with exercises to be performed at home on a daily basis. Sessions are 30 minutes every 2-3 weeks and can be done in person or online.

Often we will collaborate with medical and dental professionals in order to get the most benefit from therapy.  Since mouth breathing is a known trigger for myofunctional disorders, an ENT or Allergist may need to be consulted prior to therapy.  An orthodontist may be involved, as well.  Besides straightening the teeth, an orthodontist can help to expand the palate to make room for the tongue and teeth.  If a tongue or lip tie is present, we will also work with a dentist or oral surgeon to release the frenums. I highly recommend chiropractic care, craniosacral therapy, or massage, as body posture plays a large roll in the success of therapy.  

Habit Elimination

Thumb and finger sucking, extended pacifier use, nail biting, lip licking, and tongue sucking are just some of the parafunctional habits that can be detrimental to oral health.  Sucking habits can lead to a high, narrow palate, flared front teeth, and open bite. Open bite makes it difficult to bite into foods with the front teeth, as the teeth do not touch.  Positive reinforcement techniques are important to promote elimination of these habits, however, the child must be ready and willing to quit.

Mouth Breathing

Many people with myofunctional disorders have a habit of breathing through their mouth in the day or night.  Myofunctional therapy includes exercises to improve lip tone, lip closure, and nasal breathing.  Nasal breathing is essential to maintain total body health as the body cannot absorb oxygen as well when air is breathed in and out through the mouth.  Breathing through the mouth can also contribute to snoring, sleep disordered breathing, or sleep apnea.  Myofunctional therapy has been show to decrease apnea hypopnea index (AHI) by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children.  

Pre and Post Frenectomy 

If one is found to have a tight or short lingual frenum (tongue tie), therapy will be performed before and after the release.  The lingual frenum or frenulum is the band of attachment under the tongue that may prevent the tongue from properly resting in the palate.  Doing therapy prior to and after the release will improve the outcome of the tongue tie release and help to prevent reattachment as the tongue heals.

Fees

I've experienced the great benefits of myofunctional therapy myself and want it to be affordable to reach more people.  Please contact me for specific pricing. Payments methods include cash, check, or credit card.

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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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.


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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