Face Fixer: The story of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for RDH

This is a combined social (6:00-7:00) with dinner followed by the continuing education program with Shirley Gutkowski.
Your patients depend on you to help them prevent problems. As the science of dentistry continues to press forward, we are rediscovering the true initiation of dental problems as a nutritional cause, not just over sugared or under flossed. Caries and periodontal disease in adults can be prevented by taking a new look at infants and small children; the epigenetics of it all must be considered and figured into causative agents of current conditions. This course is for dental hygienists, dentists, chiropractors, lactation consultants, physicians, and massage therapists as a true course for a multitude of disciplines. The dental hygienists in the audience will learn who to add to their own prevention team, and how to collaborate for the benefit of excellent patient care. Orofacial myofunctional therapy is not a new term. The idea of toning the muscles in the snoring complex – the craniofacial respiratory complex – is tried and true. Focusing on the airway, in every age group, can reap benefits far beyond traditional dental hygiene skills. Audience members will be asked to work in pairs to take photos of their neighbor’s oral cavity in functional positions to be analyzed by the group (only those who want to be analyzed will send their photos)

Learning objectives:

• Describe the development of the face from fetal life to adulthood

• Categorize the five dimensions of a tongue-tie

• Assess oral conditions of adult and child oral findings

• Imagine a collaborative group to cultivate into the dental treatment plan