Meet Christine Hanson RDH
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Hello and Welcome to Gorge Myo!
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As a clinical dental hygienist I meet an astounding number of patients that are living with chronic health issues. I used to believe that my ability to help these patients was limited to periodontal cleanings and oral health education, but I've since learned that chronic conditions such as hypertension, GERD, sleep apnea, ADHD, chronic fatigue etc are often rooted in a poor airway - which can be improved!
Orofacial myofunctional disorders and their relation to sleep disordered breathing (and all their co-morbidities!) sparked and interest for me in 2017 and ever since then my curiosity in the emerging field of orofacial myology has continued to be my passion. I hold a certification for functional breathing instruction by Oxygen Advantage® and I have completed training to become a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist™, but I often collaborate with lactation specialists and craniosacral therapists for infant care. I appreciate any opportunity to collaborate with other passionalte healthcare and wellness providers here in the Gorge.
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When I am not taking classes or working with patients, I enjoy staying active outdoors on the water, in the mountains, and most places in between. I'm happy to call the Columbia River Gorge my home and love showing my young children, Ada and Gus around with my husband, David.​
If you can relate to any of the symptoms listed above, or have been diagnosed with a tongue tie, I encourage you to read up on the possibilities of myofunctional therapy. Every individual has muscle patterns created from personal anatomy, health history, and a lifetime of environmental factors. My goal is to observe these patterns and guide patients toward better overall function with nasal breathing, correct chewing and swallowing patterns, and good oral rest posture. The therapeutic exercises are quite simple but can be life-changing when patients are motivated and willing to work at home in between sessions (similar to physical therapy).
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Education and Coursework in Myofunctional Sciences
April 2018 - Introduction to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy - Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Summer 2018 - MyoMentor 12 Week Program - Sarah K Hornsby RDH Winter-Spring 2019 - Baby Mouth, Toddler Mouth - Brooke Pettus RDH April 2019 - Tongue Tie and Lip Tie - A Comprehensive approach - Melissa Cole MS, IBCLC, RLC Spring 2019 - Certification Completion: Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS) - Lactation Education Resources September 2019 - Untying Ankyloglossia - Bobak Ghaheri MD December 2020 - The Function Junction - International Association of Orofacial Myology, Kim Benkert RDH, BSDH, MPH, COM®, FAADH Winter 2021 - TMD and Orofacial Pain - FNFT - Timothy King and Sarah Beach Certified Functional Breathing Instructor - OxygenAdvantage - Patrick McKeown Continuing education annually to maintain dental hygiene licensure in Oregon (EPRDH) and Washington (RDH) 2024 - Tracking toward certification through the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM) to become a Certified Orofacial Myologist (COM®)
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Contact Information
call or text
office location
Hood River, OR 97031