Functional Face

08/07/2026

Another year has passed… and I’m still waiting for airway and sleep screening to become a routine part of dental care.

And a HUGE shout-out to the dentists and orthodontists who are already doing this. You’re asking about snoring. You’re noticing mouth breathing. You’re looking at tonsils, tongue posture, growth patterns, narrow arches, and other signs that may tell us a patient needs a closer look. 🙌

Because the mouth doesn’t exist separately from the airway—and sometimes the dental office is in a unique position to notice the signs that everyone else has missed.

The ADA has recognized the important role dentists can play in screening for sleep-related breathing disorders for years.

Screening means recognizing risk, asking the right questions, looking for signs, and referring when appropriate.

And yet, we still meet children and adults with significant airway and sleep concerns who have been receiving regular dental care without anyone ever asking about their breathing or sleep.

That’s why airway and sleep screening is part of every comprehensive myofunctional evaluation we do at Functional Face.

Hopefully! I’ll get to retire this reel someday. 😂

Until then… 2026: still waiting.

💡 Has your dentist or orthodontist ever asked you—or your child—about snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, or daytime sleepiness?

07/16/2026

🎙️ New Podcast Episode!

I recently joined orthodontist, Dr. Derek Mahony, to discuss non-surgical ways to support a child’s airway.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why enlarged tonsils and adenoids are often just one piece of the puzzle
• The roles of inflammation and immune health
• Tongue-ties and oral function
• Facial growth and jaw development
• Nasal breathing and healthy breathing habits
• How to support children before and after airway surgery

Every child is different, and there is rarely a single solution. Whether surgery is appropriate or not, taking a comprehensive approach can help children breathe better, sleep better, and function better sooner.

Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Links to listen are in comments.

06/08/2026

Most parents think braces are just about straight teeth.

And while straight teeth are certainly important, they aren’t the whole story.

Almost every week, I see parents asking for orthodontic recommendations. The questions are usually:

“Who did you like?”
“Who has the best prices?”
“Who gave you a good experience?”

Those things definitely matter. But there are other things that deserve just as much attention, too.

Here are 5 things I wish every parent knew before starting braces:

1️⃣ Why the teeth became crowded matters.
Crowding is often a symptom, not the root cause.

2️⃣ Mouth breathing can influence facial growth.
How a child breathes can affect how the jaws and face develop over time.

3️⃣ The tongue plays an important role in jaw development.
The tongue isn’t just for eating and talking. It helps shape the developing jaws and supports healthy oral function.

4️⃣ Straight teeth don’t always mean healthy function.
A beautiful smile doesn’t automatically mean a child is breathing, chewing, swallowing, or sleeping well.

5️⃣ Braces don’t eliminate the need to address habits.
Mouth breathing, tongue thrust, thumb sucking, nail biting, and other habits can continue to affect the teeth and jaws long after treatment is complete.

Orthodontic treatment is a significant investment of time, money, and effort.

That’s one reason we're so passionate about helping families understand the role of breathing, oral habits, tongue function, and oral development.

Not because braces aren’t valuable—they absolutely can be.

But because we regularly meet people who had orthodontic treatment years ago and are still struggling with issues like mouth breathing, TMJ symptoms, poor tongue posture, snoring, sleep-disordered breathing, or orthodontic relapse.

Straight teeth are important.

But healthy function is important too.

The best outcomes happen when we look beyond the just teeth and consider the whole picture.

05/28/2026

04/30/2026

If your child has their tonsils and adenoids removed, they need myofunctional therapy too.

Functional Face. Personalized, effective orofacial myofunctional therapy program that addresses Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders, tongue and lip tie assessments and pre and post frenectomy care, negative oral habits such as thumb sucking and prolonged pacifier use. Pill swallowing classes.

02/10/2026

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PjOOFFCMvw8&fbclid=IwRlRTSAP4ABdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeyYrJn-xfhv98-euMBqzUWf5WSjyAwKlQVUEHvAt1oyP9jAkBn6cBayqPt0s_aem_YTce7Cly966aAA1UvkpwCw

Dr. Stacy welcomes pediatric dentist and airway-focused clinician Dr. Rafif Tayara to the ASAP Pathway Podcast for a global conversation on early interceptiv...

12/16/2025

We get asked these questions almost daily —
“What is myofunctional therapy? "
"Who is for?"
"Is it actually evidence-based?”

The short answer is yes — but not in the way most people think.

It’s often likened to physical therapy for the muscles of the mouth and airway, and the research is strongest in areas like breathing, sleep, orthodontic stability, and surgical outcomes.

I just published a detailed, evidence-informed breakdown answers our most commonly asked questions about myofunctional therapy.

If this has ever been confusing or unclear, it’ll help.

⬇️ I’ll drop the link in the comments below ⬇️