Meet Tamara Thomas of Facial Physique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Thomas.

Hi Tamara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Valley Center in northeastern San Diego County, and enjoy the beach, hiking and spending time with my dogs and my family. Another passion of mine is volunteering at local animal rescues and helping to find animals their ‘fur-ever’ home.

I started my dental career at the age of 16 when I got a job as a dental hygiene assistant and sterilization technician. I learned how to be a dental assistant with on-the-job training. A year later, I challenged the Dental Boards and became a Registered Dental Assistant before graduating from high school. I fell in love with the dental field, so I decided to pursue a degree in Dental Hygiene, which I earned in 2009 from Cerritos College. I greatly enjoy my clinical experiences and educating my clients about oral and systemic health.

My journey into Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) began with my own personal and family experiences with orofacial dysfunction. Early in my career, I went through OMT to eliminate my own oral dysfunction (tongue-tie). Upon finishing the program, a spark grew in me and I decided to pursue OMT as a possible vocation. In 2016, I began exploring the field of OMT and, after extensive training and education, I became a Certified Specialist in Orofacial Myology (CSOM). In early 2017, I opened Facial Physique – a service focused on helping clients overcome orofacial dysfunctions. In 2019, I expanded my business and welcomed a new associate therapist, Selina Preston RDH, CSOM to my team. Additionally, in 2020, I became a Myomentor Therapy Advisor to oversee and guide other professionals in OMT.

At Facial Physique, we enjoy working with clients of all ages to improve oral function as it relates to breathing, facial development, and growth. We strive to cultivate awareness in the community and to advocate for bridging the gap between the medical and dental fields. To this end, I act as the medical terminology and airway instructor for the Oral Systemic Educator Certification program for the National Network of Healthcare Hygienists.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Opening a new business from the ground up has been challenging. Fortunately, I come from a long line of successful San Diego entrepreneurs who built their businesses from scratch. My great-grandmother and great-grandfather owned and operated The Lunch Room restaurant and bar on Grand Avenue in Escondido. My grandfather and grandmother bought Dale’s Bicycle Shop in Escondido in 1958 and converted it to Don’s Yamaha Shop in 1963. In 1982, my father and mother opened Terry’s Hay and Grain; a feed store in Valley Center. They owned and operated the feed store until 2001.

Having a family knowledgeable in owning a small business has been invaluable, especially when struggling to overcome the obstacles that confront entrepreneurs on a daily basis. In our case, our biggest challenge has been getting the word out about myofunctional therapy and explaining the standards of care that the American Dental Association has placed onto the dental community. These standards essentially require health care professionals to screen every patient for sleep disordered breathing.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Facial Physique LLC?
Facial Physique offers virtual Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) through a secure video platform. Since 2017, using this unique virtual approach has enabled us to reach a larger range of those suffering from orofacial dysfunction. We focus on overall airway health and getting to the root cause of any dysfunction. We have a unique integrative approach where we work with other professionals such as orthodontists, general and pediatric dentists, speech and language pathologists, chiropractors, ear nose and throat and general physicians, and many more healthcare professionals. We are eager and proud to spread awareness about OMT. We strive to make new professional connections and will coordinate your orofacial care with your current healthcare team.

The main goal of OMT is to help guide craniofacial growth to support a healthy airway. We focus on four goals: proper tongue posture, proper swallowing pattern, nasal breathing, and lip seal. When all four goals are achieved from infancy onward (yes… that early in life!), proper craniofacial growth can occur. When those four goals are not achieved early in life there is a significant increase in risk of developing sleep-disordered breathing. Most candidates for OMT are those who have, or had, orthodontic work, unsuccessful speech therapy, diagnosed tongue-tie, tongue thrust, obstructive sleep apnea, ADD/ADHD, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), thumb or finger sucking, grinding, clenching, mouth breathing, dry mouth, chronic chapped lips, teeth crowding, and snoring. As you can see, our OMT clients come to us with a wide range of needs.

As a service to potential clients, we offer a free 30-minute informational session to discuss your orofacial dysfunction needs to help determine how we may be able to help you.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Life is a risk. You are never guaranteed a tomorrow. But I see risks as a spectrum. Some risks are positive, some risks are negative. Some risks may be life-threatening, while others are not. Either way, risk is necessary in life in order to move forward. If you don’t take some risks in life, you’ll never achieve your greatest potential. And I feel at my best when I’m working with clients to address their orofacial needs and to help them live their best life. That’s what drives me. That’s my passion. And it’s worth the risk.

Pricing:

• Complimentary 30 Minute Informational Sessions

Contact Info:

• Email: tamara@facialphysique.com
• Website: www.facialphysique.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/facialphysique/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Facialphysique/