How Myo Purpose started
I grew up surrounded by the dental world. My aunt was a dental hygienist and married into a dental family, and I have very early memories running around my uncle’s dental practice. His brothers—who helped build the office—were endlessly patient with a small kid exploring a place that, honestly, wasn’t meant for kids. Dental offices have areas that are really, really dirty, and young minds don’t understand germ theory yet. Somehow, I survived.
As a kid, I had this wild dream of being both a teacher and a dentist. I imagined teaching a lesson while sitting in the corner in a dental chair, cleaning and examining each student’s teeth every day. Obviously, that career doesn’t exist—but my fascination with education and the dental world stuck with me.
By high school, I’d completely switched gears: I was going to be a physical therapist. That didn’t last long though. When I started applying to universities, I toyed with dental hygiene or nursing. My mom, the wise woman and nurse herself, said: “One of those careers has no nights, holidays, or weekends.” Sold. Dental hygiene it was.
I loved helping people in a tangible way—but quickly realized there was a huge gap between what hygienists actually do and what people think we do. Everyone thinks we just “clean teeth.” Ha! If only. I knew there was so much more to oral health and its connection to overall health, and I wanted to help people understand that.
I graduated from Loma Linda University in 2015 full of excitement. Then, reality hit. I struggled to find an office that actually supported my passion for treating the disease most people don’t even know they have. Insurance rules dictated care, patients only wanted “what insurance covers,” and sometimes I felt like I was being asked to withhold information from people I was trying to help. Brutal. I worked in four different offices before finding my “forever office.” Each one taught me something—about my skills, my communication, my professionalism, and my ability to say no. (Yes, I also learned how to write a resignation letter and deliver it without passing out from nerves…shaky voice and sweaty armpits included.)
In my dream office, I finally thrived. I worked alongside my sister, my best friend, and I became the best hygienist I could be. I learned how to deliver bad news to patients without sugarcoating it, how to be compassionately direct, and that it’s okay if I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. I was invested in by my employer, I loved what I did, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was making a difference.
But even with every tool at my disposal—root debridement therapy, lasers, antibiotics, probiotics, shortened recare appointments, specialists, nutritionists, lifestyle changes—I still watched patients struggle. Their oral health wasn’t improving as much as I was told it should, and it was frustrating.
Then in 2018, airway dentistry caught my attention, and I fell in love. We started asking patients about airway and sleep health and I immediately saw a massive connection between oral health and airway health. But, I quickly learned that all we could do was refer patients to their doctor for a sleep study and a C-PAP. Let me tell you…if you’ve ever worn a C-PAP, you know it feels like someone is blowing you up like a balloon while you sleep. Sure, it helps—but there has to be a better way.
Enter my mom, the wise nurse and lactation consultant. She had been telling me about tongue tie releases for years. She had seen the wonders a release could do for the babies and mommas she saw. She asked me, “What do adults with tongue ties look like?” And honestly, I had no idea. I started paying attention, watching patients, and noticing restricted tongue and lip ties. I even encouraged patients to get releases—but at the time, few people were taking the leap.
Then in 2019, my mom read Tongue Tied by Dr. Richard Baxter and discovered myofunctional therapy. She started therapy, had her tongue tie released, and in just a few months, her acid reflux disappeared, her sleep apnea improved, and she was sleeping better than ever. Seeing her transformation was a total “aha” moment for me.
In January 2020, my sister and I signed up for a myofunctional therapy class in Pennsylvania…then the pandemic hit. Class canceled. Flights canceled. Dream on pause. I was bummed, but obviously, I understood.
Fast forward a few years—I met Renata Nehme at a dental conference. She told me about Airway Circle and her Foundations course in myofunctional therapy. I signed up that night, no hesitation.
Since then, myofunctional therapy has become a meaningful and consistent part of my clinical work. Trained in myofunctional therapy and currently working toward IAOM certification, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful this approach can be—not only with my patients, but within my own family as well. Both of my parents and several relatives have experienced significant improvements. Today, I’m excited to continue growing my practice, offering thoughtful, evidence-based therapy that helps people breathe, sleep, and function better every day.
