Myo Life
Myo Life is a podcast for bored, burned out dental hygienists (and myofunctional therapists) who are ready to work less, earn more, have total control of their calendar, enjoy geographic freedom and most of all - make a bigger impact for their patients - while ditching the long hours, constant aches and dreaded Monday's. You will learn simple and effective strategies and tools to start and grow your profitable myofunctional therapy practice. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss a thing!
Myo Life
#11 The Anatomy of a Great Myofunctional Exam
In this episode of Myo Life, Carmen dives deep into what makes a great myofunctional exam—not just from a technical perspective, but as a powerful tool to connect with clients and convert exams into therapy enrollments. Learn how to confidently guide clients through the exam process, maximize conversions, and bridge the gap between their current struggles and the life-changing results myofunctional therapy can provide. Whether you’re a seasoned myofunctional therapist or just starting, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you turn curiosity into commitment.
Hey, I'm Carmen and welcome to Mayo Life. That's short for my outrageous life, which is exactly the kind of life I get to live since I found the courage to ditch dental hygiene and build a life I'm bonkers about as a Mayo functional therapist and entrepreneur. Here you will find all the things Mayo business and how to build a life that you, too, are bonkers about. I'm very happy you're here. Shall we dive in. Hey there, and welcome back to the show. I am Carmen Woodland, I am your host, and today we are diving into what makes a myofunctional exam truly impactful. So not from a technical, not from a step-by-step perspective, but as a strategic tool to connect with potential clients and guide them towards life-changing therapy. So this episode the anatomy of a great myofunctional exam is all about helping you see the exam as more than just an assessment. It's the bridge that turns curiosity into commitment or, better said, turns curiosity into cash. That's the important part. So, whether you're a seasoned myofunctional therapist or you are just starting out, this episode is going to give you actionable insights to maximize the impact and conversion of your exams. Are you ready? Let's dive in. Okay, so I have some notes here and I am just going to riff. So first of all, let's talk about why a myofunctional exam is crucial. You have to know what's going on with the human. How do you know you can help them if you're not doing an exam? Also, it's really important to complete this step, for you to be able to write a report to send to other practitioners. I answer so many emails about people saying, hey, I don't know if you can help me, like, I don't know if I can help you until I do an exam on you. Okay. So and sometimes that's hard because people don't necessarily want to pay for an exam if they don't know that you can help them. That is where the free assessment comes in. In my case, because I no longer do free assessments that's when having a bum diggity website really comes in, because they're able to go to my website and figure out whether what their concerns are are something that I can help with. Okay. So that's important. Also, when you do a myofunctional exam, this helps you determine the steps for therapy. Is a sleep study needed? Do we need airway intervention first? Are there patent nasal passages or do they need to see an ENT to get roto-rooted out before they can actually start to learn how to nasal breathe. When will a release happen? So if there's a phrenectomy that's needed, when is that going to happen? So, knowing the information that you get from the exam is going to help you figure out what's going on. Yes, I have a tongue tie in this situation, but we also have behavior issues and not sleeping well and poor grades in school and all of this stuff for a kiddo. That points to airway crisis, and we know that airway trumps everything. So we have to start there. So that's really important.
Speaker 1:And now, the other reason that a myofunctional exam I really think is crucial is because it helps you figure out if you want to work with this person. I talk a lot about this. I do think it's really important that you have a personality connection. The clients that I see on my roster are people that bring a smile and joy to my heart to see on my calendar. Now, when I was a new therapist and desperate and I get it, everybody does it but I would work with anybody man if they had a pulse and a wallet, a pulse and a visa, I would work with them Not so much anymore. So when you have the opportunity to do an exam, you can kind of feel that out. So are they your ideal, dreamiest, easiest client? Don't make the mistakes that I did and try and work with everybody. That's the take-home message there.
Speaker 1:So we're going to break down the pieces of an exam. Now you know why it's really crucial. You have to know what's going on. Let's talk about the pieces that I think make it a great exam. Okay, so first the intro. We're going to go intro info. We're going to look at symptom, snapshot, function, bridge the gap, logistics. Okay, let's dive in.
Speaker 1:So the introduction. Why are they here? You're doing an exam? Why did they book it? Did somebody refer them? That's always important to know because if they were referred by a practitioner, they were referred by a practitioner. I know that that practitioner has probably a certain protocol.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that's the first part. Why are they here? Who referred them? Then you're going to kind of go into the info part. So this is the info gathering. My friend, you have to listen. This is where you're going to be getting a lay of the land.
Speaker 1:Identify what they want. Is it realistic? Can you get them there? Do you want to get them there? This goes back to being the easiest, dreamiest client. What have they tried? What has worked, what hasn't? So say, if somebody is telling you, well, what they really want is straight teeth, and you're asking that, okay, is straight teeth, and you're asking that, okay, well, what, what have you already done? Obviously the conversation's a little bit different. I've done ortho. Um, really, this, this is better thought of, like sleeping, I want to sleep better. Okay, what have they tried? What has worked? What hasn't? So? You're just getting a lay of the land. It just it tells me a couple things. Is this somebody who is self-motivated to do the work? Because myofunctional therapy is a self-motivated therapy. If I don't get results for my clients, they are not my walking advertisement for my therapy, so I have to get results for them. I want to work with clients that I can get results for so that they can tell other people. Remember that free advertising. So really important for you to know that information. So you're listening. You're getting the lay of the land.
Speaker 1:Now when it comes to the symptom snapshot. So this is when you're going to be reviewing symptoms paperwork, asking questions, so I use something called the discovery paperwork. This is what I use. It's um, it has all of the symptoms that I want information on. It has medical history. It has the upper sleepiness, uh. It has the Pittsburgh sleep study For a child. It has the pediatric sleep questionnaire. It has the quality of life score. So there's lots of different things that I put into this and then I just start reviewing that. That is what helps me determine what I need to dig deeper in. So what are the symptoms telling you? What have they left out? Some people are really good at filling in their paperwork like really really good, and others leave most everything blank. So that means that I have to dig a little bit deeper. So, as you're doing your symptom snapshot, you're looking at things that you need to take a deeper dive on.
Speaker 1:I always take a deeper dive on breathing. How are they breathing? They do a breathing assessment. I evaluate whether they have shallow thoracic breathing. Did they have trouble? Did they have shallow thoracic breathing? Did they have trouble? Did they have resistance? Was it obvious that it was completely unnatural to them? Could they do it? Could they not do it? I always take a deeper dive on that. I always take a deeper dive on digestive stuff, just because obviously I have a nutrition therapy background as well, so I want to know how their digestion is doing. But also that helps me understand their chewing and swallowing, tongue posture, all of that stuff. These are questions that I ask directly. I ask in my paperwork what is their tongue posture, what is their mouth posture, all of that stuff. I always take a deeper dive into sleep because nine out of 10 people, yes, they might tell me that they snore. Yes, they might tell me that they mouth breathe at night, but a lot of them maybe don't realize that they wake up feeling unrefreshed or they are restless at night, that type of stuff or that they grind. So I always take a deeper dive on that.
Speaker 1:So when I'm doing an exam, after I've done the intro and I've done the info gathering and I've gotten a lay of the land and I do that symptom snapshot, now I'm ready to move into the functional assessment. So this is where I evaluate the oral function and identify concerns related to tongue tie and tongue mobility. So once I do that functional assessment, then I'm ready to what I call bridge the gap. Now, bridging the gap is where you're considering where they're at and where they want to go and how you're going to get them there. When I'm taking notes during somebody's exam, I'm constantly bridging the gap or writing notes for something that that I can use to bridge the gap.
Speaker 1:Many, many of my new students who are new to the field, they always think that everything is going to be about money, and oftentimes it's not, especially when you're building a premium practice and we're not centered on price and we also have a different mindset that we don't want to mirror to our clients that our services are not worth what we charge. Oftentimes it's something else. So you have to listen to what they have mentioned and you want to make sure that you cover that. So I'm always taking notes. I call it BTG bridging the gap and it's something that I want to make sure and I cover.
Speaker 1:So, for example, if I'm doing an exam with somebody and they keep telling me that time is an issue, then I am going to bridge the gap and I'm going to let them know that, hey, you're wanting to, you're here, you want to get to here. Time is a concern for you. Here is how I am going to help you tackle time be efficient. You know this is proven. These are exercises that I have taught time and time again. I'm going to take you from A to Z the fastest. Obviously, they have to do the work and maybe it's tech issues. So if somebody is telling me that one of their biggest concerns is tech issues, then I'm going to bridge the gap and tell them well, this is how you know I do it. So, whatever, that is ABC. So bridging the gap. So now, once I move somebody through these steps of an exam why they're here, got their information, I know their symptoms, I've done their functional assessment then I will move into what I think. Okay.
Speaker 1:So this is, you know, therapy presentation. So that's where we discuss the logistics. How was the function? Did they fail at everything? Did they have struggles? What kind of things I saw, what I think. So then we move right into the logistics of what therapy looks like, what you know, how often we do therapy, what, what my therapy packages entail, all of that kind of stuff. I go through everything because I'm looking. You're wanting to find and overcome the objections.
Speaker 1:Okay, again, you don't want to make it all about money. You want to hear what they're saying. And to hear what they're saying. Sometimes you just have to shut up, which is hard sometimes, especially when we're so excited. Um, but you will be explaining that, whatever the price is, you can go over all of that kind of stuff. Um, and then it is really important to tell them what happens next. You guys, they don't know your process.
Speaker 1:So, whatever your steps are like, in my case, I offer them a spot in therapy with me. I'm going to hold it for one week. I'm going to send you a quote that goes over the prices we just talked about. You can do a payment plan, you can prepay and save 10%, or however you have it set up. Then I tell them that their report is going to come. Sometimes they have given me a release to send that to their referring doctor. I will tell them that I will get the report set to their doctor. They can go look in their email. They have their offer for a spot in therapy with me In my practice. They sign their consent for therapy, they accept their offer all of that stuff in 17 hats that is the program that I use for everything and then the ball is kind of in their court. Okay.
Speaker 1:So that really, in a nutshell, is, I think, what is the anatomy of a great myofunctional exam. Now, if you set things up in an organized, meticulously organized fashion from the very beginning, an exam should not be that big of a deal. I know my students sometimes get really nervous about this exam, but it's just continuing the conversation from that free assessment. The information that you get from the free assessment should start feeding the information that you're going to put on your report. So it's a very efficient system. Once you set it up and follow it, then you do not have to keep reinventing the wheel. So that's what I love Every single time on the day of this recording, I think I have six exams this afternoon. I know exactly what I'm going to do. I have it all set up. It's a very organized process. Of course, I use Trello to organize everything. I get their information, their paperwork, their pictures, their swallowing videos, their sleeping videos. All of that stuff goes into. I get their information, their paperwork, their pictures, their swallowing videos, their sleeping videos. All of that stuff goes into a file. I start their report before I actually get them in front of me and you can do the same thing If you've done a free assessment on somebody.
Speaker 1:You might not always do a free assessment on somebody. Some people like to just jump into the exam. They're all about saving time. But if you've done a free assessment on somebody, some people like to just jump into the exam. They're all about saving time. But if you've done a free assessment on somebody, you can review the notes that you have taken, you can review the paperwork that they have provided you. Nine out of 10 times you guys, I can start an exam. I already know they need therapy.
Speaker 1:Obviously. I established that during a free assessment. But I already know from their paperwork what percentage of daytime hours their nasal breathing, what their nighttime breathing is like, all of their symptoms. What's their biggest problem when you do an exam and if somebody is telling you their biggest concern is digestion, but you can see on the paperwork that your biggest concern for them is the probable sleep apnea that they have or could have. You're going to have to. That's going to be part of bridging the gap. Is they're really worried about digestion and you're worried like, hey, we need a sleep study. So that's bridging the gap. That's part of how you're going to take them from where they are to where they want to go. So that's all part of the process.
Speaker 1:But the nice thing about having a free assessment that becomes a comprehensive exam is you're just continuing the conversation. You already know so much about this person that gives you so much time to really roll your sleeves up and get into that exam and have these conversations and build that know like and trust factor, which is so wonderful. There is nothing that feels so good as getting to the end of your functional assessment and saying, okay, well, end of your functional assessment. And saying, okay, well, here's my thoughts, here's what I see, here's my thoughts, based on your symptom and your information and everything you're telling me and your pictures and your function, all of those things. This is what I think you should do it. It feels so good when they say, yep, let's do it, let's do it Okay.
Speaker 1:So the important thing I want you to remember is that your myofunctional exam isn't just a gateway to therapy. It is a critical moment where you establish trust, demonstrate your expertise and then showcase the transformative power of your services. I do not use those words lightly. This therapy is life-changing for people and it's not like you're selling a diet powder. It truly is, and I don't think people realize how transformative it is.
Speaker 1:So if you are already in business and you need to drill down on some of these concepts, then we probably have a course for that. If you just need some piecemeal help, if you will, you can locate all of our single courses in the show notes or wherever you're watching this video. Just depends on when this video comes out. Live what we have in there, so you'll always want to check back. Thank you for tuning in to the Anatomy of a Great Myofunctional Exam. Do not forget to subscribe, and if this episode resonated with you, please share it with a fellow therapist or somebody else who's just getting started, to help them understand the power of exams. So that is a wrap. My friend and I will be back soon. In the meantime, keep on building a life that you are bonkers about. Bye for now.