Helpful Information

Yes. At DSSC, we utilize myofunctional therapy as a clinical modality (a specialized tool) to treat underlying functional issues like oral dysfunction, speech clarity, swallowing disorders, breathing function, and upper airway concerns.

Because we are qualified medical providers, we bill through your medical insurance rather than your dental insurance.

While insurance companies rarely cover myofunctional therapy as a standalone, isolated service, we aren't billing for the tool itself; we are billing to treat the underlying medical issues. Insurance covers these treatments because addressing these larger conditions falls squarely within the scope of practice for medical providers like our licensed Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs).

Yes, you are always welcome to explore your care and coverage options with us. We completely understand that maximizing your insurance benefits is an important part of your healthcare decisions.

While we highly respect the internal programs of our dental colleagues, you always have the right to choose your preferred provider. If you decide to work with us, our goal is to complement—not replace—the excellent care your dentist provides. With your permission, we will gladly share our treatment plan and progress reports with your dentist to ensure your therapy remains fully aligned with their overall vision for your dental health.

YES! You should have a full functional evaluation completed before you even consider completing a release. A highly-qualified release provider will never provide a release without first having a full functional evaluation completed.
Structure and function are both essential parts of accurate diagnosis that require different professionals.

No. A superbill is actually just a detailed receipt for services, not a form of insurance coverage.

When you see an out-of-network provider, you pay their full rate out-of-pocket at the time of your visit. They then give you a superbill, which you submit to your insurance company to request reimbursement.

It is important to know that submitting a superbill does not guarantee you will get your money back. Superbills often do not result in reimbursement. Insurance companies frequently deny these claims, or they may only apply the cost toward a separate "out-of-network deductible"—which is typically much higher than your standard in-network deductible and must be fully met before any money is paid back to you.

When you see an in-network provider, the process is streamlined because the provider has a direct contract with your insurance company:

• Paying your copay instead of the full fee: Rather than paying the entire session cost upfront and hoping to get reimbursed, you are only responsible for your standard copay or deductible at the time of your visit.

• Direct billing: The provider's office handles the claims and bills your insurance directly, so you do not have to manage any paperwork or submit receipts.

• Set rates: Your costs are pre-negotiated and capped by your insurance plan.

Generally, yes. When you receive therapy at a hospital-owned outpatient clinic, your bill often includes a "facility fee" on top of the actual cost of the therapy session. This fee covers the overhead of running a massive hospital system. Because DSSC is an independent, specialized clinic, we don't have those hospital facility fees, which usually makes your out-of-pocket costs lower with us—even if we are using the exact same insurance benefits.

Patient and parent intuition is important!
Generally when this happens, it’s the in-depth functional evaluation that is missing. Structure only tells half the story.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. We do not believe in assigning a mandatory, set number of sessions to our patients.

Because everyone’s anatomy, neurological profile, developmental pace, and personal goals are entirely unique, every single plan of care we create is fully individualized. While we cannot give you a definitive timeline without an initial evaluation, your care will be uniquely tailored to your specific needs and goals, progressing at the exact pace that ensures your long-term success.

While every single insurance plan is unique (and we always recommend verifying your specific benefits), using your insurance is usually the most cost-effective path.

Restoring full function often takes consistent time and dedication, meaning therapy isn't just a quick few sessions fix. Furthermore, comprehensive care for airway and myofunctional issues frequently requires collaborating with other medical specialists (like ENTs, primary care providers, or specialized dentists). When you factor in the length of care and the multi-specialist approach, using your insurance benefits almost always ends up being significantly cheaper than paying out-of-pocket for each individual service.

It can be incredibly frustrating to invest time, money, and energy into therapy without seeing the results you expected. If past therapy didn't stick, it is often because the vital connection between the muscles, the nervous system, and key lifestyle foundations wasn't fully aligned for your specific body.

What we do differently is look at your progress through a comprehensive lens—treating the whole neurological system while strictly honoring the timing, structure, and collaborative support required for true success.

1. A Neuro-Focused Approach

The tongue isn’t just about speech or eating—it’s a powerful sensory and motor organ that sends constant feedback to the brainstem and cerebellum. Our individualized programs target how your tongue intimately influences:

• Motor coordination and posture: How your tongue rest posture impacts your neck, jaw, and alignment.

• Breathing and swallowing patterns: Rewiring automatic, subconscious habits rather than just temporary movements.

• Attention and emotional regulation: Activating brainstem arousal systems that affect how calm, focused, and regulated your nervous system feels.

2. Structural & Timing Considerations

Therapy cannot retrain a muscle if a physical barrier is blocking it. We closely assess structural considerations right away. If physical roadblocks exist, we don't expect you to figure it out alone; we actively help you navigate and access the additional specialized care needed to clear those barriers so your therapy can actually succeed.

3. Compliance, Motivation, and Follow-Through

Myofunctional therapy is neuromuscular re-education—it is essentially rewriting automatic patterns in the brain. Because of this, program compliance, motivation, and daily follow-through play a huge role in successful therapy. We individualize the pacing of our program to match your lifestyle, keeping motivation high and ensuring the daily practice feels achievable so these healthy new patterns become permanent.

By combining deep neurological retraining with honest structural screening and dedicated lifestyle support, we bridge the gaps to help you achieve lasting results.

We treat the entire lifespan, from infants to geriatrics. Some of our providers work with specific age-ranges and some find joy in treating all ages.

Not quite, though both are wonderful! While both school and private speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are highly trained, they operate under different guidelines and serve different purposes:

• Different Goals: School-based therapy focuses strictly on academic success—helping your child participate in class, understand lessons, and socialize with peers. Private therapy focuses on functional communication across all areas of life, including home, play, and community settings.

• Different Qualifying Criteria: To get speech at school, a child’s delay must be proven to negatively impact their schoolwork or classroom behavior. In a private clinic, we can treat a wide range of speech, language, or feeding challenges, even if your child is doing perfectly fine academically.

• Different Environments: School therapy is usually done in small groups to help children practice skills with peers. Private therapy is typically one-on-one, allowing for highly individualized attention and direct parent involvement in every session.

They actually make a great team! Many parents find that combining school services with private therapy helps their child make faster progress, as they get the benefit of both peer practice at school and dedicated, individual focus at the clinic.