What Makes a Myofunctional Therapist Successful?

Success in the field of myofunctional therapy isn’t just about the knowledge you gain; it’s about how you implement that knowledge. As the “Myofunctional Therapist’s Business Coach” and creator of the Ditch Hygiene Academy™, I’ve worked with 100’s of dental hygienists and myofunctional therapists who want more freedom.

Freedom to choose how long they remain in clinical dental hygiene.

Freedom to decide how much to work.

Freedom to decide where to work from.

Freedom to control their calendar.

Regardless of whether or not they love dental hygiene, they all want to earn more + work less + be in total control of their calendar + enjoy geographic freedom all while building a life they’re bonkers about.

It’s a tall order.

Such that, many are left pondering “what makes a myofunctional therapist successful” because it’s not as easy as Field of Dreams makes it look. Just because you build it, doesn’t mean they will come.

Just because you hang your shingle out and say “I’m open”…it doesn’t guarantee that you will be successful.

But why?

I have a sneaking suspicion.

I’ve seen countless dental hygienists transition into successful myofunctional therapists and I’ve also seen just as many who create a “jobby” for themselves.  They create a hobby or passion project that never quite gets off the ground to get them out of dental hygiene.  Or worse, they create a volunteer organization because they are afraid to ever ask for money and they spend hours and hours working for free.

Here’s my thoughts about what makes a myofunctional therapist successful.

The Myofunctional Knowledge Misconception

What makes a myofunctional therapist successful isn’t just their understanding of the material—it’s their ability to put that understanding into action.

People always say “knowledge is power” but the truth is that “applied knowledge is power”.

To become a successful myofunctional therapist you have to be able to implement what you’ve learned.  You have to be able to apply it, so you can gather data, evaluate your outcomes and make changes if necessary.

Many believe that success is directly proportional to how much they know. While a solid foundation in myofunctional therapy is crucial, it’s not the only ingredient for success. You can attend every course, read every book, and master every technique, but if you don’t take the next step to implement what you’ve learned, your journey will sadly end there.

Implementing Myofunctional Knowledge: The True Success Factor

Here are 5 key abilities that make a myofunctional therapist successful:

The Ability to Take Ugly, Imperfect Action

Stop being paralyzed by decisions.  Stop being held back by perfectionism.  We all know that dental hygienists tend to be type A, 4.0 gpa kind of control freaks…which makes it hard to take ugly, imperfect action.

You need to get comfortable with B+ work.  My business mentors always stress to me that “done is better than perfect.”

I embrace it.  And I encourage my students to embrace it too!

The Ability to Make Consistent Progress

Consistent progress is non-negotiable. Like any skill, myofunctional therapy requires regular application. The more you practice, the more confident and proficient you become. This consistency builds trust with your clients and establishes your reputation as a reliable therapist.

This also means making consistent, steady progress with your learning.  Inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy™ students are given a meticulously organized step by step, follow the yellow brick road rinse and repeat framework.  By offering them an organized curriculum map, it encourages them to put one foot in front of the other, learning in bite size pieces, making consistent progress rather than drinking from a firehose, burning hot and burning out.

The Ability to Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

If you won’t move forward until you’re comfortable, you won’t move forward.  Remember back to learning dental hygiene skills?  You didn’t get to get perfect at it before giving it a whirl.  You got perfect by practicing and getting your pits a bit sweaty!

You will be uncomfortable!  And you still need to move forward!

The Ability To Not Worry About the Competition

This is a big one.  (And also one that we coach on a lot inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy™).  Why?  Because everyone wants to check the competition to see what everyone else is doing.

See what Sally is charging.

See what Susie says the market can handle.

There is no “Mayor of Myo Town” that sets the rate for myofunctional therapy.

When you learn to run your race, you stop wasting energy turning your head side to side.  When you set yourself apart so distinctly from the competition, there is no competition.

After we take students through the Profitable Pricing Lab, from Broke to Boujie, or the Ideal Customer Lab each of them learns how to compete in a category of one and therefore…not to worry about competition.

The Ability to Be Critical Of Who Gives You Advice

Stop taking everyone’s advice for your business as the gospel.  I like to call this “getting directions to Belgrade, Montana from someone who has never been to Belgrade, Montana…and also doesn’t even have a driver’s license.

So many students that I’ve worked with listen to what’s said inside every Facebook group, study group or continuing education and then think they have to implement it right away.  You don’t.

Friend, chew up the fish and spit out the bones.  Not everything is for you. And not everyone has done what it is that you desire.  Be critical of where you’re getting your advice from.  Run the information through your filter and see if it applies to your situation.  To your business.

This circles back to what it takes for a myofunctional therapist to be successful…are they in fact successful?  You get to decide what the definition of successful is based on where you want to.

For example, my definition of being a successful myofunctional therapist means that I have the ability to earn my multiple 6 figures from any geographic location.  You might have a gnats interest in working from Fiji.  In which case, you wouldn’t want to bet that farm on my advice.

Kelsey’s Success Story: Embracing Imperfect Action To Become a Successful Myofunctional Therapist

Ok, let’s get ready to land this plane…but I can’t end without talking about one of my students, Kelsey.  I introduced you to her previously, when she was a new student at the Ditch Hygiene Academy™.

I recently completed her 1 year interview.  One of the most inspiring examples of successful implementation of knowledge comes from Kelsey.

Kelsey’s journey showcases the power of taking imperfect action and not letting imposter syndrome hold her back.

Kelsey enrolled in our program with enthusiasm and determination. Just three months into the program, she secured her first client. Instead of waiting to feel completely ready, she dove in, applying what she had learned as she went along.

Her willingness to take “ugly imperfect action” set her apart. She embraced the learning curve, made adjustments on the fly, and didn’t let the fear of making mistakes stop her.

Now, one year later, Kelsey is working with her 16th client. Her success is a testament to the importance of implementation over mere knowledge acquisition. Kelsey’s story is a reminder that you don’t need to be perfect to be successful—you just need to take action, learn from each experience, and keep moving forward.

In conclusion, becoming a successful myofunctional therapist isn’t just about what you know—it’s about what you do with that knowledge. Action, consistency, client results, business acumen, and continuous learning are the pillars of success in this field.

At the Ditch Hygiene Academy™, we empower dental hygienists to make this transition by providing not just the knowledge, but also the tools and support to implement it effectively. Remember, success lies in the doing. Take what you’ve learned and turn it into action. Your future as a successful myofunctional therapist depends on it.

😘 xo,

Carmen

P.S. Are you tired of building someone else’s dreams?

Are you ready to work less + earn more + have total control of your calendar + enjoy geographic freedom?

The Ditch Hygiene Academy™, our 100% online myofunctional therapy training program with lifetime access and coaching, takes a comprehensive dive into orofacial myofunctional therapy with a huge emphasis on starting and growing a profitable private practice.

The Ditch Hygiene Academy™ includes 100+ hours of tactical & strategic training to ensure that you have the tools to impact lives, deliver effective and transformative therapy, help your clients feel good and build a life that you’re bonkers about — without wasting time or money.

The DHA is for self-motivated dental hygienists who want to work less + earn more + have total control of their calendar + enjoy geographic freedom!

You might be bored and burned out.

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Whether you love or hate dental hygiene, the ultimate outcome is for you to have freedom, however you define it.

Freedom to choose how fast you leave hygiene.

Freedom to decide how much you want to work.

Freedom to decide where you want to work from.

Freedom to control your calendar.

Learn how to start and grow a profitable myofunctional therapy business from start to finish through a meticulously planned step by step by step framework.

Just Follow the yellow brick road!

Enrollment opens once per quarter! Get on the waitlist to get all the information!