How to become a myofunctional therapist?

There’s always that point in a career where you start to second guess your trajectory. In dental hygiene, unfortunately, it comes sooner than most other careers. With the introduction of COVID-19 precautions and additional PPE requirements, many are lost navigating a world of workplace satisfaction and safety.

Then there’s the thought about how much you are really doing to help your patients. Not just with their periodontal disease, or preventing caries, but in their overall health. Yes there are the commonly discussed health connections between oral health and diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s; but what about the more common daily struggles with sleep, congestion, focus, and breathing?

There is significantly more a dental hygienist can do for their patients, even in just being able to identify the signs that present in the mouth prominently for those silently struggling with sleep deprivation and apnea. This is where myofunctional therapy comes in and becomes an excellent lateral career move! So today I’m going to answer the top frequently asked questions by registered dental hygienists about becoming a myofunctional therapist and give some tips to get started.

FAQ #1 How do you become a myofunctional therapist?

The short answer is that it takes two things: a desire to learn more about myofunctional therapy and a RDH license (That’s right, you do not need a special degree – an Associate’s is fine). The long answer is that you should be prepared to take at minimum an introductory course for myofunctional therapy and be motivated enough to start your practice and build a team. Airway focused dentists, dental orthopedic appliance providers, orthodontists, frenectomy providers, and sleep specialists are always looking for more knowledgeable professionals to add to their referral base. Some are looking to have them work within their offices to provide services conveniently for their patients. But none of them are going to advertise it on Indeed.com or any other job search engine. Your opportunities in myo will come as you seek them out.

Our Myo Pathway course not only provides 28 hours of AGD/PACE credits, it provides instant access to modules, 6 months of live Q&A calls, and 2 days of live mentorship to get you prepared to see patients and build a practice either within a dental office or independently. This is great for those who are highly motivated, self-starters, personable, and desire to enhance their clinical expertise!

FAQ #2 How much does a myofunctional therapist make?

This will vary based on your location, similarly to hygiene wages. Those in higher wage areas will be able to charge more and make a higher wage than those in rural areas. Running your own practice, you set your own fees and can charge between $75-300 per visit. Working within a dental office usually results in lower wages based on your role and responsibilities within the practice, averaging between hygiene wages and specialty rates ($35-70/hour). We discuss the intricacy involved in determining your wages and business costs in our business course (which if you didn’t read FAQ #1, is included at a steep discount with our intro course).

FAQ #3 Can I do both myofunctional therapy and clinical dental hygiene?

Absolutely, but never at the same time! As a RDH we are bound by our license to stay within our scope of practice and state regulations. In almost all 50 states myofunctional therapy and orofacial myofunctional disorders are NOT written into our scope of practice. So while you will need your RDH license to prove you have the educational background and experience in oral anatomy, function and health, YOU WILL NOT practice myo while you are a dental hygienist. This just means that you separate ALL payroll and systems so that no one can misinterpret you practicing myofunctional therapy while actively clocked in as a registered dental hygienist. For those looking to practice within a dental office, this just means you have a separate day, schedule, software, or space to practice.

FAQ #4 Where can I learn more and how can I start to implement this now?

By joining the Intentional Hygienist group on Facebook!  We have lecture videos in the “Units” tab of the group in Units 1-3 that go over Myo 101, Screening, Mindset and Avoidable Myo Mistakes! These are all absolutely FREE! There’s even bonus presentations on content posted with research and resources that you can find in the “Announcements” section.

FAQ #5 What is involved in your course?

Myo Pathway is for dental professionals looking to become a myofunctional therapist. Dentists and dental hygienists who take this course will be eligible to take our certification exam to become certified. This course can also prepare those who wish to have an alternative airway career (outside of clinical myofunctional therapy) with the skills and knowledge to be a valuable member of an airway or sleep practice in another role.

Myo Pathway is self-paced with 26 hours of education in foundational topics like history, evidence based science of myo, sleep science, myo exercises, and evaluation. However, it is amplified with topics you won’t find anywhere else like modalities that supplement myo, myo medical billing, appliance collaboration, dental sleep collaboration, individualized treatment planning, and mini-myo! Bonus feature, there is homework at the end of each lecture that helps you to implement the lesson concepts for that week and build either your initial practice or clinical skills.

Included in the course is 6 months of access to a weekly virtual Q&A meeting with the instructor. These meetings are approximately 1 hour in length are not required, but greatly expand the amount of time you are able to gain valuable feedback, insights, and comprehend the materials. Then there’s the 2 days of live on-site mentorship also included! That’s right, for no additional fee, the instructor will fly to you and spend up to 16 hours of 1-on-1 time with you in your office to help you troubleshoot or refine your myofunctional processes. There’s no better way to get comprehensive training for one price than Myo Pathway.

FAQ #6 Do I need to be certified? 

Certification is NOT required to practice myofunctional therapy. There are many more professionals practicing without certification than with. That being said, we do understand the value that many place on having certification and professional credentials. That is why with our Myo Pathway course we offer graduates the option to take our competency exam to prove your mastery of both clinical and didactic requirements for our certification!

The International Association of Airway Hygienists are working towards establishing an independent board for future certification with recognized professional credentials by the Department of Education (DOE). However, that is still several years away as it will require collaboration from many educators and time to fulfill requirements mandated by the government. While other organizations do currently offer a trademark with permission of use, this does not represent a nationally recognized designation and DOE accredited agency recognition. So while certification is nice to have, it will not impact your ability to practice successfully and safely.

Tips to get a great head start

Read the RDH to OMT Ultimate Guide.

Search professional association directories to see who the providers are in your area. It gives you a great idea as to who you may be able to network with for referrals. You can even start the process prior to taking a course because it takes time to get a constant source of referrals. So while you are in the process of learning, you are almost expediting your success by having a solid foundational network of providers who will be sending clients your way! Try searching the directories of the following organizations to find the dentists and doctors in your area that are airway friendly:

• Foundation for Airway Health
• American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry (AAPMD)
• International Association of Tongue Tie Professionals (IATP)
• LightScalpel
• The Breathe Institute Ambassadors

Alternatively, look up your local myofunctional therapists. As you learn more about orofacial myofunctional disorders you will see there is an abundance of need, so there is no shortage of clientele. Reach out and talk with your local therapist and ask about their learning process, who they connect with and how they got started. This will be a valuable relationship to have as you learn and grow in this field.

Overall, be open to learning and connections and you will be light years ahead of the game and fully prepared to step out of the op and into a fulfilling career in airway!