Kelsey Gaitan, BSDH, RDH, OMT

Hi, I’m Kelsey, the founding owner of NV Orofacial Myology. I received my Bachelors degree in Dental Hygiene from Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2014 and post graduate training in Myofunctional Therapy through Airway Health Solutions in 2023. I learned about Myofunctional Therapy while on my own health path. I had torticollis, painful muscle spasms in my neck, activity induced asthma from mouth-breathing, attended speech therapy, sick often, tonsillectomy and deviated septum surgeries, cross-bite and braces 3 times, as well as high anxiety. After extensive research I was introduced to Myofunctional Therapy.  

Through my nine years of practicing Dental Hygiene, after participating in soccer at the collegiate level, I began to develop some Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). I had facial tingling, shoulder tendinosis, traveling tooth pain, bi-weekly migraines, chronic neck and back pain, teeth grinding, and beginning signs of scoliosis. These are symptoms that started in my early twenty’s. 

My journey lead me to many Drs visits with nobody being able to provide me with reasons or solutions for my pain. This started to take a toll on my mental health as a new wife and mother. It wasn’t until I turned to a more holistic approach that I ended up getting pain relief. With many hours of research we came to a diagnosis of Eagles Syndrome. This is where the Styloid Process or the Stylohyoid Ligament will calcify, compressing other nerves and muscles in the area. Many with this diagnosis will get surgery to remove the ligament but still have many problems afterwards. I knew there had to be another way for pain management which is when I found my own Myofunctional Therapist. 

Myofunctional therapy changed my life when I thought there was no hope for my constant pain. My team discovered that I had a posterior tongue tie, lip and buccal ties causing more restriction in my face and neck muscles that contributed to my cross-bite and the Eagles Syndrome. Through my education and experiences I want to share this growing practice with others in hope for others to live a pain free lifestyle.