Chris Zombek
- BSDH, COM , I.A.O.M Board Certified Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
- Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene University of Maryland, Baltimore.
- Industry professional since 1990
Affiliations & Training
Advance Training:
- Buteyko Trained
- Tongue / Lip Ties
- Myofascial Release
- Habit Elimination
- FNFT TMD Assessment Specialist
About
Working in the field of dentistry for three decades and noticing the deformity of the face, upper and lower jaws from sucking habits, prolonged bottle and sippy cup use, tongue ties and mouth breathing, I realized that most patients would end up in orthodontics and possible surgery if not addressed early on.
Even with their treatment of orthodontics, I witnessed prolonged or relapsed situations which lead me to understand why early intervention orthodontics and myofunctional therapy had to collaborate for the best results.
Therapy Can Help
Therapy can help with problems related to disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth, also known as OMDs (Orofacial and Myofunctional Disorders):
Tongue Thrust (Dysfunctional oral swallow)
Tongue and Lip Tie (pre/post therapy)
Mouth breathing
Malocclusion/Orthodontic relapse
Elimination of oral habits
TMJ disorder that may be related to OMDs
Mild to Moderate Sleep Apnea
Snoring related to tongue posture
IAOM Board Certified
As an IAOM Board Certified Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist, I take pride in developing customized treatment plans that are fun and engaging. I do therapy with patients over 4. I use a creative approach combined with advanced training in the elimination of prolonged oral sucking habits helps me, the individual, and the family unit to work together for a plan that is best for almost any situation.
I treat patients at my office that come from near and far. I offer options for therapy and has developed a distance program which has been very successful as well as receptive through video conferencing, using a HIPAA compliant service. This is a potential option for qualified patients that cannot make it into the office as frequently. I evaluate the individual patient to make sure they are eligible for the video conferencing.
What our customers say
Trust me when I say that I had tried everything under the sun to break my son of his thumb sucking habit, which had gone on well beyond the usual age. How fortunate for us that our orthodontist referred us to Chris to address a totally separate tongue thrusting issue. From the first initial telephone conversation, Chris gave me hope that both issues could be resolved. She was awesome with not only motivating my son to reach his goal, but also helping him understand the importance of why it needed to be corrected. I am happy to report that he ended his habit within three weeks. Chris is passionate about her patients and her role in correcting myofunctional insufficencies. Without her therapy, we would have wasted thousands of dollars on orthodontics. We couldn’t be more pleased!
I have been taking my 11-year-old daughter to Mrs. Chris for 4 months and have been completely amazed at the transformation I have seen. I took for granted having a tongue that does what it is supposed to do- and didn’t realize the impact of the opposite. I am so grateful to Mrs. Chris for shedding light on this issue because if we didn’t correct it before orthodontic treatment, we would be back to square one afterward. The exercises work just like any other form of exercise, strengthening and conditioning the targeted muscle(s). I would highly recommend this therapy to anyone who has been diagnosed with oral-facial disorder.