Hello, my name is Tina, I am a dental hygienist with Dr Melissa Jarrell. I have been a hygienist for the last 27 years and have enjoyed helping patients feel good about their dental health. Five years ago, I began a journey into Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy which is essentially physical therapy for the muscles of the face including the tongue. With this certification, I can help patients with dysfunctions that can affect their daily lives such as open mouth posture, tongue thrusting, TMJ issues, and orthodontic relapse just to name a few. Most of the time the therapy is just a few months but can be life-changing. As I began seeing clients, I realized that there was a faction of the population that was not being served as they should, infants and toddlers. Most myofunctional therapy begins at age 4 when kids have the cognitive ability to do exercises. I went on to study infant and toddler development which led me to become a Board-certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

My goal is to bridge the gap between the pediatric and dental worlds when it comes to oral growth and development and be able to educate parents through the crucial growth phase in the first three years of life. I am excited to bring this knowledge to not only this office but this community.