Hi! I’m Kayla. A wife, a mother of two, a registered dental hygienist, and an orofacial myofunctional therapist. I graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in human nutrition and a minor in biology. I then spent two years studying all things oral health and prevention to become a registered dental hygienist, to which I’ve been in practice for 6 years. While working and raising a family, I also completed a certification in functional nutrition through Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and THEN a certification in orofacial myofunctional therapy. I love working with my patients of all ages to help them become the best they can be. In my spare time (which, with two young children, is fleeting) I like to cook, I love canning pickles and salsa from our garden, I like to read and I love to learn new things. I also am just like everyone else and spend too much time scrolling through nonsense on my phone. I also, of course, love spending time with my wonderful husband and beautiful children!
My “Why”
I breastfed my first child for 18 months without issue and after struggling for weeks and weeks with my second child, I began to look for answers. Our pediatrician and lactation consultants wrote me off and said my struggles were “normal” and gave me every excuse in the book, but I knew something was off. I found a local dentist that took me seriously and listened to my concerns. My daughter was diagnosed with a significant lip tie, along with a posterior tongue tie. Both ties were released and we immediately saw some improvements. However, the releases were no magic wand and I struggled knowing how to best help her regain strength in her tongue and how to help her recovery. This experience led me to where I am right now. I am here to listen, advocate, and help parents of infants and children. Through my training, I also learned a ton about myself and my own struggles with my posture, allergies, asthma, snoring, and mouth breathing. It was like a whole world that I never knew existed fell into my lap all because of my struggles with my sweet daughter. I have continued, and will continue, to seek more and more education to best support people of all ages!
-Kayla