As the word about orofacial myofunctional impairment and airway awareness spreads wider and faster, more and more dental hygienists are learning about myofunctional therapy so naturally many end up on the website for the Myofunctional Therapy Training Academy.
The million dollar question is always related to myofunctional therapy training. So, I’m going to answer some of the most common questions here on this page for you!
Can Anyone Become a Myofunctional Therapist?
As the world at large learns more and more about myofunctional therapy and it becomes mainstream conversation in many dental and orthodontic offices, dental auxiliary staff are often the first ones to be interested in myofunctional therapy training. Those auxiliary personnel are either asked by the dentists to become a myofunctional therapist, or they see the dollar signs so they curiously inquire.
So, can anyone complete myofunctional therapy training to become a myofunctional therapist?
The answer is no, but it can be a murky area. The field of orofacial myofunctional therapy is, at the time of this writing, an unregulated profession. There is not a governing board or a license and there is no true distinction for what an OMT is (if you Google OMT, you will learn about Osteopathic Manipulation Treatment). It is recognized in the scope of practice for registered dental hygienists, speech language pathologists and dentists. There are some other specialties that practice orofacial myofunctional therapy such as physical therapists and some occupational therapists, but mostly you will see it as a specialty service of dental hygienists and speech language pathologists.
Now, with all that said, some myofunctional therapy training programs aren’t as disciplined about protecting the field for practicing orofacial myofunctional therapists. When this is the case the question, can anyone become a myofunctional therapist, becomes can you find someone to train you to become a myofunctional therapist and will you be able to get insurance?
Here’s where things get sticky. Even if you can find a myofunctional therapy training program that will let you train without being in one of the professions previously discussed, you will have a hard time getting insured, which is a requirement of being in business. When you add insurance for doing orofacial myofunctional therapy it is normally an extension of your professional license and malpractice insurance already in place.
To reiterate, can anyone become a myofunctional therapist? No. This important specialty therapy should be left to those who have the necessary background and the ability to properly insure themselves. The Ditch Hygiene Academy protects the integrity of the field by requiring proof of licensure to enroll in the academy.
Requirements To Become a Myofunctional Therapist
As a well known trainer in the field of orofacial myofunctional therapy, I’m often asked the requirements for myofunctional therapy training to become a myofunctional therapist.
The first requirement to become a myofunctional therapist is to possess one of the licenses previously discussed.
The second requirement to become a myofunctional therapist is to get adequate myofunctional therapy training. The key word here is adequate. This means that a lecture at a conference does not adequately prepare you to practice myofunctional therapy. There are many excellent and highly regarded training programs to choose from.
The third requirement to become a myofunctional therapist is to be properly insured.
And the fourth requirement to become a myofunctional therapist is to maintain a hunger for learning. There is so much to learn in the orofacial myofunctional therapy and airway space that you have to continue to grow and refine your skills so that you can be more helpful to your clients.
Myofunctional Therapy Training
Here at the Myofunctional Therapy Training Academy, we offer myofunctional therapy training for dental hygienists. That’s our zone of genius! We offer myofunctional therapy training for dental hygienists who want to start their own private practice in orofacial myofunctional therapy and we offer myofunctional therapy training for dental hygienists who simply want to add a new skill set to their current knowledge to better serve their patients.
When it comes to myofunctional therapy training for dental hygienists there are several programs out there to consider, and more are popping up each day. Some are very basic, dip your toe in kind of courses and others (like the Ditch Hygiene Academy) are more like a cannonball into the deep end. (If you’re looking for comprehensive myofunctional therapy training to take you from A—>Z, then the DHA is your jam.)
Here’s the thing to consider when looking for myofunctional therapy training. Training doesn’t equal competency. It takes experience for that. So regardless of which myofunctional therapy training you take, you will also have to put in the work to develop a competency with those skills.
When selecting your myofunctional therapy training it is important to consider:
- How you learn best and how the program is delivered. If you like to learn in bite-size pieces, then a 3 or 4 day course might feel like you’re drinking from a firehose.
- Do you like to learn in small intimate groups, or work at your own pace?
- What are your goals? If you have clearly aligned goals to start your own profitable orofacial myofunctional therapy business, then you would be served well by a program such as the Ditch Hygiene Academy, which is specifically designed to support you through the creation of a profitable business.
- Learning from someone who has done what you desire to do. If you want to start your own business, it makes sense to learn from someone who has smashing success with that same process (hint Ditch Hygiene Academy). In other words, don’t ask for directions to St. Louis from someone who has never been to St. Louis. I’ve heard horror stories about many trainers in the field who’ve actually never practiced orofacial myofunctional therapy or had a business. These trainers might be really good at getting the information in your brain, but they will be absolutely worthless to support and mentor you through the practical application process or the business building process. Shameless plug, but do you know that the Ditch Hygiene Academy actually has 24-40 in-depth weeks of training on those topics?
Myofunctional Therapist Salary
One last question that I get often from someone considering my myofunctional therapy training is “what is a myofunctional therapist salary?”
There is none.
Every situation is a bit different and quite honestly the myofunctional therapist salary will depend on the value that the myofunctional therapist places on her service. The amount of revenue will vary across the board with years of experience, geographic practice area or the supply and demand for services in your area.
Here at the Ditch Hygiene Academy, when it comes to the topic of a myofunctional therapist salary we take a deep dive into pricing inside the Profitable Practice Pricing Lab but we do things a bit differently.
When figuring out a myofunctional therapist salary we do not recommend that you crowdsource your information. That’s a terrible idea. Searching out what “the going rate” in your area is impossible. How can you determine what your perfectly aligned customer is willing to pay?
I hope this information helps you in your search for the best myofunctional therapy training. Here’s some more great resources for you:
Read: 5 Easy Steps To Start a Myofunctional Therapy Business & Say Peace Out To Your 9-5!