Larissa has been in the field of dentistry for over 20 years. She graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2002 with her degree in Dental Hygiene. She has worked most of her clinical career at Jeneary Dental in Le Mars, IA. Larissa feels her career has flown by which tells her that she must be having fun. Larissa’s job description has changed a little in the last 5 years as she became a board-certified orofacial myologist in December of 2022. Although, certification is not required to practice myofunctional therapy (orofacial myology), Larissa chose to pursue certification through the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM). The IAOM is the only international professional accrediting organization for this therapeutic specialty and has established the industry standard by creating a true certification process for credentialing as Certified Orofacial Myologists®. The IAOM believes so deeply in the certification process, they have a registered trademark on the COM® credential. The COM® has been referred to as the “gold standard” and is considered the highest level of achievement in the field of myofunctional therapy. Larissa was the first COM® in the state of Iowa.
Myofunctional therapy (orofacial myology) is a specialized discipline that focuses on the evaluation and treatment of oral and facial muscles. Myofunctional therapy is dedicated to treating problems of the face, jaw and mouth by retraining the muscles to function as they should. Larissa sees everyone as an individual and comes up with a combination of specific therapeutic exercises to improve how your teeth come together, breathing, facial posture/development, improve orthodontic stability and overall systemic health of the patient. Larissa is incredibly passionate about this field of work and will work tirelessly with her patients to help them live a happier and healthier version of their life.