Frequently Asked Questions

  • Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy helps retrain orofacial muscles to perform correctly. I focus on improving nasal breathing, chewing and swallowing, and optimizing the rest posture of the lips and tongue.

  • If you’ve experienced any of the following conditions noted below, the muscle of your mouth and face may not be working properly. Myofunctional therapy can help.

    • Teeth crowding or relapse after having orthodontics

    • Teeth grinding

    • Clenching

    • Head and neck tension

    • Tongue feels too large

    • Tongue thrust

    • Fidgeting

    • Not following directions

    • Easily distracted

    • Open mouth

    • Heavy or loud breathing

    • Snoring

    • Restless sleep

    • Nightmares

    • Bedwetting

    • Emotional outbursts

    • Getting in trouble at school

    • Daytime sleepiness

    • Anxiety

    • Hyperactivity

    • Difficulty falling asleep

    • Waking in a tangle of sheets

    • Hard to wake up

    • Wakes up in a bad mood

    • Excessive sweating

    • Congestion or allergies

    • Nail biting

  • When the goals of myofunctional therapy are achieved, a variety of improvements should be seen. It depends on what the patients’ symptoms are and if they are related to myofunctional disorders. Every person is going to present with a different scope of issues. The most common improvements my patients have reported are:

    • More restful sleep

    • More energy and focus

    • Habit elimination: Pacifiers, thumb/finger sucking, lip licking, and nail biting can increase mouth breathing, tooth misalignment, and long facial growth.

    • Less pain

    • Improvement with allergies

    • Less dark circles under the eyes

    • Chewing improvement

  • I usually start seeing patients around age 3 and into adulthood. No one is ever too old for this therapy.

    If you have a younger child, I may have you reach out to a speech pathologist or occupational therapist who specializes in feeding or schedule a parenting coaching session. I have a working relationship with Elizabeth Shabala.

  • Consultation: $75, 60 min. This appointment is done virtually.

    Due to the therapy being customized to each person, a specific fee can not be listed. It will be determined and discussed at the consultation.

    Prices are subject to change.

  • Yes.

  • Treatment can range from 6-12 months for children and adults. But this is not a rule, it depends on the chief area of concern, motivation of the patient, and if any other therapy/treatment modalities are involved.

  • Yes. I will be happy to pause or stop therapy. If for any reason you do not want to continue therapy, send me an email and I will be happy to stop therapy. No refunds offered to therapy sessions already given, administrative time or kit supplies already dispensed.

  • All major credit cards and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) which can be done online through the patient portal. I also accept PayPal, Venmo, CashApp. Check or cash are always welcome too.

  • Filing insurance would take way too much time away from patient care and usually is not a covered benefit. I am a fee for service practice so focusing my time providing the best care to my patients is the goal.

  • Calling is most efficient, but you can also click any of the buttons that say “schedule appointment.”

  • I will start with a 30 minute initial consultation. I will send you forms from my EHR software (SimplePractice) asking you to fill out paperwork. Remember to check your spam folder if you do not receive it. At the consult we will review chief complaints, medical history and evaluate the next steps.

    After the consultation, we will schedule a full functional evaluation which is approximately an hour. If you are local, you will be seen in your home. If online, I send an additional document through the EHR portal (SimplePractice) with all of the photos that need to be taken prior to the appointment and uploaded into the portal. Please read the instructions so we get great starting photos. After the full functional evaluation, if you choose to move forward with therapy, you will get a bag of tools that will be used for therapy. Keep them in a safe place. Items can be replaced with an extra cost.

    Therapy appointments are usually weekly or every 2 weeks and last about 30 min.

  • Yes. Having a child with Special Needs, I understand their highs and lows. I can work with all individuals and I have a kinship with the Down Syndrome community.