I post a lot of videos about myofunctional therapy and related topics on this channel, but I've never really spoken much about my own personal myofunctional therapy story.
In this video, I'll explain how and why I became a myofunctional therapist, how I worked on my own oral myofunctional disorders, and what the next steps are in this process (I'm getting an orthotropic appliance).
I hope you enjoy it!
My website is www.myfaceology.com
Dr Stepanka Chae’s website is www.aligneforlife.com/
Disclaimer - The information in this video and on this KZfaq channel is not medical advice. Please discuss this information with your doctor or health professional before undertaking anything suggested on this channel.
Here's the full transcript of this video:
Hey, everyone. I’m Sarah Hornsby. As you know, I’m a myofunctional therapist, and I make videos like this all the time. Normally, I have really interesting topics, and I have different things to talk about. Today, I want to make this video a little bit different. I’m actually going to tell you guys my story when it comes to myofunctional therapy.
My patients have all heard my story. But if you’re just somebody watching me on KZfaq, I don’t normally talk about this stuff online. One of the reasons is people aren’t very nice. In KZfaq comments, they say mean things. I usually delete those comments.
But, a lot of times, people say, “Why should I work with someone like you? You’ve got a narrow palate. You have a long face. You have all these problems. Why would I work with a therapist like that? Well, the thing is I’ve gone through all this stuff. I get it. I’ve worked on my own stuff for the past ten years, practically. Today, I breathe through my nose. I have my tongue in my palate. My lips are together. I’m swallowing correctly and I do these things all day and all night.
But I didn’t always. I was a kid with allergies. It was nothing dramatic. I didn’t have giant adenoids or tonsils. I didn’t have severe allergies. It was just something that I struggled with probably during the spring and during the summer. So, I developed a mouth-breathing habit when I was really young. My parents didn’t even think about it, not that they’re bad parents. That’s normal. Most parents, they don’t really notice these things. Why would you? We’re just used to how our kids look and how our family members look, and we don't really think much of it.
So fast forward a few years, I was a hygienist. I got into this field looking for CE credit. That was really it. This was back in 2010. When I was getting trained and sitting there in that class, I realized that I had a lot of these issues. So, I was my own first patient. I had to work on myself, and it’s been a work in progress for a long time. It’s really, I think, understanding my patients that I work with. I think it’s really helped me why this stuff is important to change.
I think if you guys know that I’ve been through it, and you know my story, then it makes a lot more sense on why you would work with someone who has myofunctional issues. Think about it the other way. What if you were working with someone who didn't get you, they didn't understand, “Why is it so hard to breathe through your nose? Why is it so hard to swallow correctly? Why is it so hard to just close your mouth? What’s hard about that?”
To me, I think it’s much better to work with someone who actually has experience going through those changes and how hard it can be to change habits that you’ve done your whole life. The cool thing is I’m pretty lucky. I discovered that I had these habits when I was in my early 20s, and I’ve been able to change that stuff and work on it, and everything is good now. I’ve got the muscles really figured out. I’ve got that side of things down. I’ve got the breathing figured out.
My final step that I’ve been just really starting with, recently, is starting orthotropics. I got an appliance a couple months ago. I’m working with an orthodontist in the Seattle area. Her name is Dr. Stepanka Chae. She does orthotropics, and she is working on widening my palate, getting forward facial development. Even though I’m an adult, it is possible.
So, I will keep you guys updated on my orthotropic story, and I guess my myofunctional therapy story, in the future. Mostly, I’m excited to see what happens now that I’ve got so much new stuff going on. It’ll be good for me to share it on videos and what I’m going through and what I’m thinking about. Maybe that will help you guys too. I hope this more personal video helps you guys understand a little bit more about me, why I’m doing this, why I’m here, and how I got into this field.