Meet Saray Fung RDH & Orofacial Myologist

Saray Fung, RDH, is a New York-based dental hygienist, orofacial myologist, and founder of OroWell, a practice focused on functional therapy, airway health, and evidence-based breathing techniques.

After years of struggling with TMJ pain, tension, and disrupted sleep, Saray began exploring myofunctional therapy for herself and discovered not just relief, but a calling. Today, she helps patients connect the dots between their oral health, breathing patterns, and overall well-being.

quip: What first drew you into myofunctional therapy, and when did you realize it was the path you wanted to follow?
Saray: I first began exploring myofunctional therapy as a way to help myself. For years, I dealt with TMJ pain, tension, and migraines, and I couldn’t understand why nothing seemed to create lasting change. As I learned more, I realized so much of what I was experiencing was tied to dysfunctional breathing and structural patterns I had never been taught to consider, even as a dental hygienist.

Working in dentistry, I’d always been passionate about prevention and whole-body wellness, but discovering a field dedicated to restoring proper function of the tongue, lips, and facial muscles felt like the missing piece. As I went through therapy myself, the improvements in my symptoms, sleep, and overall well-being were undeniable.
 
That personal transformation, combined with my clinical background, made everything click. I began to notice those same patterns in my patients — mouth breathing, tongue-tie symptoms, oral habits, sleep concerns — all things that traditional dentistry often overlooks. It became clear that myofunctional therapy wasn’t just an interest, it was a natural extension of the work I was already doing.

That’s when I knew this was the path I wanted to follow. My experience as a hygienist gave me the foundation to recognize the signs, and my own healing gave me the passion to help others experience the same shift. Myofunctional therapy allowed me to bridge the gap between oral health and overall wellness in a way that felt deeply aligned with who I am as a provider.

quip: For providers new to it, what is the clearest way to explain what myofunctional therapy is and how it supports overall wellness?
Saray: The simplest way to describe myofunctional therapy is that it’s essentially physical therapy for the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat. These muscles play a major role in how we breathe, sleep, swallow, and maintain oral posture, which are all foundational functions that impact overall health.
 
When those muscles aren’t functioning well, we often see issues like mouth breathing, snoring, disrupted sleep, TMJ pain, dental crowding, and chronic tension. Myofunctional therapy helps retrain the muscles to work in better harmony, supporting nasal breathing, healthy tongue posture, efficient swallowing, and more balanced oral habits.
 
For dental providers, I think of it as the missing link between oral health and whole-body wellness. When a patient’s breathing and muscle function improve, we see better stability in orthodontics, less inflammation, fewer parafunctional habits, and an overall improvement in their quality of life.

quip: In your day to day work, which early signs of oral dysfunction should instantly stand out to hygienists and dentists?
Saray: There are several early signs of oral dysfunction that, once you know what to look for, are hard to miss. One of the biggest is mouth breathing — whether a patient walks in with dry lips, chapped corners, or that classic forward head posture. I also pay close attention to low or forward tongue posture, scalloped tongue edges, open mouth resting habits, and difficulty keeping the lips together at rest.
 
From a dental perspective, we often see the early clues before the bigger issues show up: narrow arches, crowded dentition, a high or vaulted palate, gingival inflammation in mouth-breathing zones, abfractions, clenching and grinding patterns, or patients who constantly mention tension, fatigue, or poor sleep. For pediatric patients, something as simple as a child struggling to sit still or a teen with chronic allergies can be clues.
 
These small signs tell us there may be an underlying functional concern, inefficient breathing, weak oral musculature, airway restriction, or oral habits the patient doesn’t even realize they have. When we catch these patterns early, we not only protect their dental health but we support their overall wellness and long-term stability.

quip: You believe small habits create big change. Can you share a patient story that shows how improving function or breathing transformed their daily life?
Saray: I’m currently working with a patient whose journey really shows how powerful myofunctional therapy can be. She came to me with a long list of symptoms related to sleep-disordered breathing, yet she didn’t fit the “typical” profile many providers expect. She’s young, fit, active, and had completed orthodontic treatment in the past. Because nothing about her presentation looked obvious, she started believing her symptoms were all in her head and that this was simply her new normal.
 
During her initial assessment, several things immediately stood out: a tongue that was larger than her palate, weak tongue tone, a narrow arch, and clear signs of chronic mouth breathing. When we reviewed her CBCT and encouraged a sleep study, it became evident that she wasn’t achieving stable nasal breathing and her airway was more compromised than anyone had realized. Suddenly, her symptoms had a clear and validating explanation.
 
We’ve since begun working on foundational breathing techniques and strengthening her tongue and orofacial muscles, while collaborating with both an orthodontist and an airway-centered dentist to explore expansion and address her airway mechanics from a multidisciplinary perspective. Even though we’re still early in treatment, she’s already noticing a difference in her breathing just from the simple techniques and daily exercises we’ve introduced. That immediate improvement has given her a renewed sense of hope.
 
She told me that for the first time in years, she feels truly heard and understood — and that alone has been transformative. Her journey is still in progress, but she can finally see a path forward. To me, that’s the beauty of myofunctional therapy: gentle, intentional changes that create meaningful improvements in everyday life.

quip: What is the number one concern people seek you out for as a myofunctional therapist?
Saray: The number one concern people seek me out for is breathing, specifically chronic mouth breathing and all the symptoms that tend to come with it. Most patients don’t show up saying, “I need myofunctional therapy.” They come in because they’re exhausted, not sleeping well, clenching, struggling with TMJ discomfort, or feeling constantly tense. When we trace those symptoms back to their root, dysfunctional breathing is often the common thread.
 
As both a myofunctional therapist and a Buteyko Breathing Method provider, I’m able to evaluate their breathing patterns through a wider lens. Many patients have spent years feeling overlooked or misdiagnosed, especially when they don’t fit the “classic” airway profile. They’re relieved to finally hear that their symptoms aren’t random; they’re connected to how they breathe, how their tongue functions, and how their airway is being supported day and night.
 
Once they understand how improving nasal breathing and restoring proper oral function can transform their energy, sleep, and daily comfort, everything begins to make sense. Helping patients make that connection and giving them simple tools that bring real relief is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

quip: You are part of our ambassador community. What is your favorite part about being involved, and how has it supported the work you do in oral wellness?
Saray: My favorite part of being a quip ambassador is how genuinely supported I feel. As a dental hygienist, it means a lot to partner with a brand that truly cares about helping us grow, not just by giving us great products, but by investing in education and creating space for connection.
Being involved as an ambassador has made it easier for me to bring fun, simple, and effective wellness tools to my patients. quip really gets what we do as dental pros, and it feels good to be part of something that lifts both the profession and the people we care for.