About

Hello and thank you for visiting The Bridge Myofunctional Therapy!


My name is Michele Murdy. I am originally from the Chicago area but have called San Francisco my home for the past 20 years.


I have been working in the dental industry since 1990 and have been a clinical Dental Hygienist since 1993. I have worked on patients of all ages and from all walks of life, and it is truly uplifting for me to have my patients leave with a smile on their face.


I’m a problem solver at heart and I love helping people. When I was young, I wanted to be a detective. In some ways I am, just not in the traditional sense. I like to find the root cause (yes, pun intended) of issues and help try to find solutions.


During my years of practice as a Hygienist, I kept noticing similar issues with patients that I could not explain. Things such as:



  • Why does that patient gag every time we take x-rays?
  • Why does that person still clench their teeth at night, even though we made them a nightguard?
  • Why does that patient breathe out of their mouth and not their nose?
  • Why does that person still have gum inflammation or cavities despite their impeccable hygiene?
Michele Murdy Bridge Myofunctional Therapy Bay Area

I wanted to know the source of issues like these in order to help solve them for good, instead of just treating the symptoms but not the cause.


It wasn’t until I started taking continuing education courses in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) that I started to connect the dots. I also quickly realized that I, myself suffer from some OMDs. 


“What the eyes cannot see and the mind doesn’t know, doesn’t exist”, D.H. Lawrence.


Since then I have made it my obligation to learn as much as I can in the field of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, so that I can better help my clients, family, and myself.


I created The Bridge Myofunctional Therapy out of my passion to best serve my clients and the community by “bridging the gap” between knowledge of OMT, and between healthcare providers of different disciplines. Each provider plays a critical role in a client’s OMT journey. I firmly believe that we all need to work together to best help our clients. I am just one small piece of the puzzle, but I will strive to connect with the other pieces to ensure your success.


In my spare time when I am not learning, I enjoy spending time with my partner, friends, and family. I am also a prolific DIY crafter. One could definitely say that I keep my hands busy! My wide range of current and past projects include making fruit jam (my jam won multiple awards & Best of Show/Culinary Arts at the 2019 San Mateo County Fair!), cheese, pickles, jewelry, puppets, costumes, candles, furniture, and sewing. My craft closet is larger than my clothing closet, and my long-standing joke to my partner when I see something I like is: “I could probably make that”.


Read about Michele's Journey


CV

In addition to maintaining her license as a Registered Dental Hygienist since 1993, Michele has completed the following training with some of the top experts in fields related to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, Sleep, Breathing, and beyond. She continues her education with regular study club meetings, mentorship, membership/continuing education courses with professional organizations, ongoing coursework, conference attendance, and online studies.


  • IAOM Introduction to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy: Kimberly Benkert RDH, BSDH, MPH, COM, FAADH; April 2021.


  • AOMT Introduction to Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy: Joy Moeller RDH, BS, AOMT-C, Samantha Weaver MS, CCC-SLP, Licia Coceani Paskay MS, CCC-SLP; September 2021.


  • Right Sleep course: Stasha Gominak, MD; January 2023 (& ongoing monthly).


  • American Laser Study Club conference, San Antonio; February 2023.


  • Defining Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and applying it to Your Practice: Dr. David Hopper, DC; February 2023.


  • Buteyko Breathing Method Certification (CertBBM): Patrick McKeown, May 2023.


  • Online Sleep and Recovery Coach Certification Course: Nick Lambe; May 2023.


  • Collaboration Cures conference (AAPMD/AAOSH/IAOMT), Orlando; September 2023.


  • Cadaver and Anatomy Lab at NUHS with Dr. David Hopper, DC and Dr. Kelly Wells, DC, CSOM, DipBBM; May 2024.


  • ADA Children’s Airway Event: Putting the Team Together (guest/ no CE); May 2024.


  • Fast and Functional TMD & Orofacial Pain, A Practitioners Guide to Treating TMD and Orofacial Pain: Timothy King BTh, Adv. Dip. App. Sci. Myotherapy, Member M.A. and Sarah Beach BHSc BA CertSDT, RDH, OMT; July 2024.


  • Myo Gut Masterclass; Karese Laguerre RDH, COMP, MAS; October 2024.


  • World Dentofacial Sleep Society conference, San Francisco; November 2024.


  • Sleep, Stress and Recovery Coach Certification, Level 1 (PN1-SSRC): Precision Nutrition; December 2024.


  • Certification in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT-C): AOMT December 2024.