Services
Patients are bio-individuals, therefore are not the same. Therapy needs are slightly different for everyone. Listed below are some programs in place to help best serve my clients. When choosing what program to suggest for a client, I am considering things like age, compliance level, advanced needs, goals for therapy, and budget.
Free Assessment
The first step to getting started with therapy is to do either a free 30-minute assessment or jump right to a comprehensive exam.
The free 30-minute assessment does not get into the examination stuff, but it is meant to answer your questions, allow you to meet me online, and it allows us to determine if it makes sense for you to move to the next step, which is a paid comprehensive exam. During the 30 minute assessment we will discuss the oral and facial issues you are experiencing.
Comprehensive Evaluation
The comprehensive exam is a mandatory part of the process and is required for anyone wishing to do treatment with me. A myofunctional therapy evaluation is a collaboration of gathering clinical data, providing patient education and creating a comprehensive treatment plan. During the evaluation a patient will gain awareness of their own myofunctional dysfunctions, understand their symptoms and be presented with options on how to treat the dysfunctions. This time helps me to determine the cost of your recommended therapy. This exam takes 90 minutes.
Once the exam is completed, we will talk about your best options for therapy and a few different treatment plans will be presented. Once you select your plan, you will make payment and sign paperwork and then we will get to work.
Mini Myo program
This program is designed for ages 4-8. It is usually a one-year program and consists of 12 sessions (usually 1 x each month).
The Mini-Myo program is never the same for two children because each child will participate differently. Parents are an integral part of this therapy as they are the ones who will actively be working with the child. This program can be combined with the habit elimination program
Habit Elimination
Ideally, before initiating a standard myofunctional therapy program with children, we want to address negative oral habits and eliminate them.
The primary targeted habits are:
- Thumb or finger sucking
- Compulsive licking of the lips
- Nail biting
My habit elimination program uses proven methods that are presented in a positive, upbeat environment. This program usually runs about four weeks and is appropriate for children aged 4 and older.
Comprehensive Program
Myofunctional therapy covers a fairly wide range of exercises that address negative habits or developmental issues surrounding the face and mouth, as well as breathing. The exercises are customized to your specific needs and are designed to improve the strength and tone of targeted muscles.
Facial treatment programs can be aimed at:
- Airway problems
- Chronic Mouth Breathing
- Tongue Thrust habit
- Tongue postural issues (including before and after tongue-tie repair)
- TMJ/jaw pain
- Speech problems
- Most other conditions that involve the muscles of the mouth and face
Facial treatment programs can last from a few weeks to a year. There are phases of treatment. After the evaluation the patients phase and packages options will be presented. The length of treatment time depends on the severity of the condition, or the negative habits being addressed. Consistently doing the prescribed exercises will determine how successful the treatment is. The majority of myofunctional therapy programs are appropriate for people as young as 4 or 5 years of age.
Pre and post frenectomy exercises
Patients with a tongue-tie condition usually need a simple surgical procedure to remove the membrane that locks the underside of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. Known as a frenectomy, this intervention won’t address the negative habits that have developed from a tongue-tie condition. That’s where pre- and post-frenectomy therapy comes in.
I consult with patients before and after the repair procedure. Therapy prior to surgery involves teaching stretching exercises, which will help tissues to heal correctly and not return to their previous state. Stretching will continue for about four weeks after surgery. At that time, an assessment will tell me if the patient would benefit from a myofunctional therapy program designed to treat any remaining habits.
Fidalab periodontal pathogen testing
Having a background in Dental Hygiene I know how important it is to keep your gums healthy. This is why I believe testing for periodontal pathogens is vital and helpful for patients that deal with “gum disease”. In my dental hygiene clinical setting I also use this test to treat my periodontal disease patients. The lab I use is Seattle based Fidalab.
Test
- The test offers a quantitative test to detect 29 bacterial species associated with periodontal disease.
- The test predicts progression risk of gingivitis, monitors the treatment efficacy for periodontitis, and predicts the risk of peri-implant diseases.
- The test is a simple, 30 second, noninvasive oral rinse sample.
- This test can be combined with our oral HPV testing.
- 5-10 days for results.
Symptoms Of Periodontal Disease
- Bad breath
- Swollen, tender, and red gums
- Gums that bleed easily when brushing or flossing
- Loose teeth
Who Should Be Screened?
- Patients who have poor oral hygiene.
- Patients who experience any of the symptoms listed above.
- Patients with dental implants.
Fidalab HPV/throat cancer testing
Over 80% of adults will be exposed to HPV in their lifetime. The majority of HPV infection is asymptomatic and can be cleared within 6-24 months by the body’s immune system. However, some individuals cannot get rid of the infection. This leads to persistent HPV infection, which significantly increases an individual’s risk of developing cancer.
Most recent studies show that up to 90% of throat cancer is associated with oral HPV infection and the presence of oral HPV infection increases oral cancer risk by 22- fold.
This test is an excellent precautionary measure for your health and is easy, accurate, and quick!
Easy
We only need a 30 second, noninvasive oral rinse sample to detect oral HPV infection.
Accurate
Sensitive: Detects 10 copies of HPV per reaction.
Specific: Detects HPV 16 and HPV 18, the main HPV types associated with oral cancer; no cross reactivity against other HPV types.
Quantitative: Measures HPV viral load, facilitates follow up.
Quick
I use FidaLab based out of Seattle. The turnaround time is 5-10 business days.
