Tacoma MyoTherapy

Even if you or your child have been evaluated for a tongue-tie in the past, we recommend you have a re-evaluation with our team. We are seeing many under-diagnosed or undiagnosed oral tethered tissues. Typically also seen with symptoms such as acid reflux, snoring, headaches, TMJ/TMD, digestion issues, ear infections, dental decay, anxiety, fatigue, sleep apnea, muscle tension, allergies, or even a chronic mouth breathing habit. If you notice any of these symptoms in your life, let us know so we can get a program in place for you or your child. ​​​​​​​​
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Our goal at Tacoma MyoTherapy is to make sure you are functioning correctly without compensations because healthy breathing leads to a healthy life

Here is Destini in action! She is working with a patient about putting their tongue up on the roof of their mouth- or The Spot as we call it in therapy! ​​​​​​​​
We are so lucky to have a smart, dedicated provider giving our patients the BEST care!

Chronic headaches are not normal and should not be something one lives with forever. If you feel like you have had headaches, tension, migraines, or even fatigue, give our office a call to get evaluated for a tongue-tie. ​​​​​​​​
If you have tried what seems like everything and are getting little to no relief, let us take a closer look at things. If one suffers from any form of tethered oral tissues, studies show they can be a cause for the pain you are going through day to day.​​​​​​​​
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Let’s take a closer look at your next visit to determine what really could be causing you so much discomfort and we will work on getting you the support you deserve and need.

Have you had braces in the past and wondered why your teeth seem to be relapsing? It is possible that you have a tongue-tie present, which can be causing the lower front teeth to shift and move after getting orthodontia removed. ​​​​​​​​
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We see this because the restricted tissue attachment under the tongue pulls on the teeth whenever you use your tongue, such as when talking or eating. ​​​​​​​​
The only way to prevent your teeth from relapsing after braces is to check for a tongue-tie and maintain use of retainers/ guards. ​​​​​​​​
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Schedule an evaluation with our team if you have noticed a change in your smile after ortho.

How do I know if I would benefit from treatment? ​​​​​​​​
Do you have any of these symptoms? ​​​​​​​​
These are the common symptoms reported by patients that benefit from therapy!​​​​​​​​
Take a look- if you have more than a few, time to email Destini!

These books have helped to change our thinking and re-focus how we treat patients! Knowledge is power! ​​​​​​​​
So many times, we hear our patients say- I wish this was available when I was a kid! It's very true! ​​​​​​​​
We are thankful this generation will be able to benefit from the science and research coming out about - breathing through your nose! Something so simple!

Email is one of the best ways to get ahold of Destini to schedule an appointment! She is a busy gal working with patients during the day- but is great about answering emails throughout the day! ​​​​​​​​
[email protected]

How do you know if Myofunctional Therapy is right for you? We recommend you start by timing yourself for 3 full minutes, only breathing through your nose. If you can comfortably do this without a gasp of air through your mouth, we can start you with therapy. ​​​​​​​​
If you do not pass the test, we recommend looking at things with other providers such as an ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist) to make sure you can safely use your nose and that there are no other obstructions in the way. ​​​​​​​​
Our therapy program can benefit you if you have developed a mouth breathing habit or if you have the physical problem, a tongue-tie present. We re-teach your facial muscles and prevent compensations to better your overall life. We also will prepare you for a release if needed. Our goals with therapy are to achieve nasal breathing, maintaining a lip seal, correct tongue posture, as well as a correct swallowing pattern all day and all night. Studies show that if you naturally perform all 4 goals throughout your life, you can prevent chronic pain and sleep apnea risks. ​​​​​​​​
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Our program is roughly 12 sessions for an average adult, usually less for children, and takes less than half a year to complete. ​​​​​​​​
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Schedule your first session with us in person and the rest we can plan through Zoom for your convenience!

Do you have questions about myofunctional therapy? ​​​​​​​​
We would be happy to answer them! Drop a question below!

During a busy work day, research shows by taking a 5 minute "brain break" to rest and reset, you can be more productive.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We suggest that you also take a "breathe break"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Take that 5 minutes to breathe in and out through your nose, this will help to re-focus you and recharge your body.

It all starts with nasal breathing! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The nose has filters (that the mouth doesn't!) to help ensure the air we breathe is as fresh as possible and can filter out particles- like viruses!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It releases Nitric Oxide which is a powerful anti-inflammatory throughout the body, lowering inflammation and neutralizing pH.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
All creating a better air quality and positive effects throughout the body!

Did you know it is important to treat a tongue-tie rather than just leave it alone? We hear so many patients say that they were told to just monitor it as a child or that it is not severe enough to be treated. But there are many complications linked to not addressing the physical problem. Complications can show up as speech difficulties, sleep apnea, eating/ drinking issues from an improper swallowing pattern, issues with breathing, or even chronic pain in the head/neck and shoulder regions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We recommend getting you or your child looked at sooner than later to prevent these complications from becoming a life long problem.

Happy New Year! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Merry Christmas! We hope you enjoy the day with family and friends!

Your first Myofunctional Therapy session includes a comprehensive exam which is completely free of charge! We will get all of your questions answered and go over the program as a whole. Our therapy provided is very reasonable. Usually patients should expect to finish treatment in 6 months or less. By your first session, you can pay upfront, but we have also created a Super Bill, which will allow you to send into insurance for reimbursement. We have payment plans set up as well so that we can accommodate your needs through this process, making it easy as possible!

When doing your exercises, be sure to relax your chin AND your shoulders! These are common muscles that will work harder than they need to, contributing to MUCH of our pain and soreness! Destini can help notice if you are using muscles that you shouldn't be- so you can start to release that tension!!

When starting Myofunctional Therapy it is important that you focus on goals and technique. It is important that technique is there first then once that is achieved you can focus on repetition. Quality is important as well. You will be given a few exercises at a time to work on and at each session you can go over any compensations or concerns. Our mature program is usually 12 sessions, but can change on a case-by-case basis. We will meet in person or via Zoom about every 2 weeks so you have appropriate time to practice the exercises. They don’t take any longer than 5 minutes total and usually it is recommended they be practiced 1-2x a day. It requires dedication, but the results will be well worth it!

Here is Destini working with one of our younger patients (DrB's son). She is showing him where he should rest his tongue, and helping him with the "L" sound. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Many kids with a tongue tie or low tongue tone, will have problems with the S/L/R sounds as these utilize the tongue! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Destini has already helped Carter with his nasal breathing and now his speech!

If your parents have it, you may have it too. This means if your parent is tongue-tied, you may be too. If your parent has sleep apnea and uses a CPAP, you are also at risk of developing sleep apnea. Although some of these things are in fact hereditary, we can do our best to prevent them as well. The earlier you take care of your health, the better your life will be! If you think you may be at risk of sleep apnea, give us a call and we can set up a consultation. Myofunctional Therapy teaches breathing techniques and provides exercises/ stretches that get our facial muscles to function properly. Increased nasal breathing decreases snoring and improves oxygen saturation during sleep apnea. Check out the research on our website or give us a call to schedule a consultation!

Some signs of a tongue-tie in kids include speech problems, attention/ behavioral issues, bed wetting, oral aversions, fatigue, snoring, clenching/ grinding, and anxiety. If your child suffers from any of this, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We work with all ages, creating a treatment plan based on each patient’s needs. Your health matters to us and your children deserve the highest standards of care.

Allergies are not an excuse to mouth breathe. We are designed to be nasal breathers both day and night and there are many out there that do not think they can do this due to severe allergies or sinus trouble. Did you know that the more you practice nasal breathing, the easier it will get? Our nose is our filter system and if we are not using it by only using our mouth for air, this is a total dysfunction. There are many aids out there to help ease into nasal breathing if you don’t normally do so. Ask us for some suggestions and we will be happy to create a treatment plan so you can breathe better and live better.

Happy Thanksgiving! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Love, Peace and FOOD! We hope you enjoy the day with your family

Tongue thrust develops when one is tongue-tied. It is an incorrect swallowing pattern that can then in turn affect the oral and dental development at a very young age. If not caught soon, one’s bite will become an open bite and later on one can develop acid reflux issues or GI problems. Usually those that are tongue-tied swallow in this improper pattern and it makes them swallow a lot of air. This then will cause bloating and a lot of discomfort. If you suffer from some of these things, make sure you reach out and contact us because Myofunctional Therapy may be the answer you have been looking for all along!

Did you know we offer Teletherapy? This allows for Destini to be flexible with scheduling for her patients! It also allows us an extra layer of safety so Destini can be mask free during your appointment and SHOW you some of the exercises! Win Win!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You can contact Destini at: [email protected] with any questions!

Happy Fall Y'all ! We hope you are enjoying the crisp fall weather and getting ready for Thanksgiving! It is just around the corner!

Friendly reminder! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Breathing through your nose creates many benefits for your body! It helps to lower heart rate, balance pH in your body, and filter air particles that we don't want entering our lungs!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So go ahead- deep breath in through your nose!!!

Do you have a limited opening of your jaw? We can help! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We use this handy ruler to measure your opening before and during myofunctional treatment to make sure we can get an accurate reading. This helps us understand where your limitations are and how we can help!

Happy Halloween!

One step at a time, you'll get there!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Destini is amazing at focusing on a few exercises at a time so you don't get overwhelmed! We want you to be successful with your therapy.