Functional First:
Origin Story

How We Got Here

During her time as a registered dental hygienist (RDH), Braelyn began to notice a troubling pattern: many of her patients, despite maintaining good oral hygiene practices, still exhibited signs of underlying issues that were often under acknowledged and believed to be unrelated.  These issues included bruxism, sleep-disordered breathing, orthodontic relapse, a high risk for dental decay, puffy gums that were easy to bleed, trouble swallowing, strong gag reflexes, and toxic oral habits, among others.

Many of these patients were being prescribed “band-aid” solutions for their symptoms—nightguards for bruxism, multiple rounds of orthodontics to fix significant relapse, prescription products, etc…  without an emphasis on identifying and addressing the “why?”.  Braelyn soon realized that without addressing these underlying issues, these temporary “fixes” were just that: temporary.  In her search for long-term solutions, she enrolled in an orofacial myofunctional therapy continuing education (CE) course.

The insights she gained from this course, combined with her growing interest in these issues, led Braelyn to pursue a career shift into orofacial myofunctional therapy.  This new direction allows her to identify and address the connections between many common oral health issues and the rest of the body.  Using this approach she is able to offer personalized therapy to correct muscular imbalances and other dysfunctions that affect overall health and quality of life.  By focusing on a more holistic, whole-body approach and collaborating with other healthcare providers to form targeted interventions, she is now able to offer lasting solutions that empower her patients to improve their well-being. This shift not only enables  Braelyn to make a meaningful impact on her patients’ lives, but also satisfies her own desire for professional growth and fulfillment.