Who Are We

Meet the Team of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapists

Audrey richards RDH OMT

My name Audrey Richards and I would love to take a moment to introduce myself. My guess is that if you are here reading this intro, there is something you are looking to accomplish and I would love to connect and see how I can best help you achieve your goals.

I love relationship building with my clients! I live for the "ah ha" moments people have when we figure out how to make something work for them and then watching them succeed.

So many people struggle with the sleep apnea, grinding/clenching at night, acid reflux, snoring, crooked and crowded teeth but yet they do just that - struggle. So many kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD when they simply aren't breathing well. I want to help people get to the root of their problems to help eliminate the issues rather than mask them. I have a family first philosophy and really want to help kids and adults alike thrive.

Looking inside my own family I realized that some of the cute habits my own children were exhibiting were actually signs and symptoms of a much larger myofunctional issues. Leaning into the opportunities around me to help correct the issues within my own home I decided that I should do this same thing for others. I opened Optimized Airways to help bring light to the myofunctional habits that have become normalized in today's world.

Awareness is key and awareness proceeds change, and so I want to help you bring an awareness to the opportunities you have so that you can make strides towards your goals. Simply put, I want to help you and your family optimize their airways!

I currently live in the Kansas City area, but am happy to be able to reach further with the help of online and virtual appointment options.

Julie Rayniak RDH OMT

Julie joined the Optimized Airways team in 2025. With an impressive 30-year career as a dental hygienist, Julie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team. Her deep understanding of oral health, paired with her passion for helping patients achieve optimal airway function, makes her an invaluable addition to our practice.

Through her journey, she’s come to realize that many of the dental challenges her patients face are linked to myofunctional dysfunctions, and now, she’s eager to help address these issues in a way she couldn’t before. Julie’s ability to connect the dots between her dental background and myofunctional therapy will undoubtedly make a powerful impact on the health and well-being of her clients.

Julie is thrilled to take this next step with the Optimized Airways team, using her expertise to not only support adults in their journey to better health, but to also empower children to grow up with the tools they need for a strong, healthy airway and optimal oral function.

Julie lives in Wilsonville, OR with her husband and two Yorkie puppies. She is able to see both in person and virtual clients - so if you are not in the PDX area, no problem.

Our WHY: Our Family

We have seen first hand the immediate changes that can occur when you get myofunctional issues under control within our own homes. We can't wait to share what we have learned with all of you! As a mom, there is nothing more important to me than helping your kids thrive. Whether you are a parent wanting to advocate for your kids, or an adult wanting to optimize your airways, we can't wait to hear from you!

Whether you are concerned about your growing child, or are an adult who struggles with snoring/grinding/headaches, working on improving nasal breathing and improving muscle tone and coordination to your airway muscles can make a world of difference on your quality of life!

Call us and see how myofunctional therapy can help you today!

How can Audrey and Julie help you?

OPTIMIZED AIRWAYS HAS PERSONAL BEGINNINGs

A quick snapshot into where we came from

Founded in Overland Park, KS. Optimized Airways is located in a Kansas suburb of Kansas City, MO and also has satellite location in Wilsonville, OR, a suburb of Portland, OR.

No matter what you are looking for myofunctional therapy for, Optimized Airways is here to support you with exercises to help build strength and correct your myofunctional habits in both children and adults alike.

As a mom, and a healthcare professional, I was struggling to get answers to issues surrounding sleep and oral habits with my kids and frustrated with answers from traditional healthcare/educators. When I learned how important the power of nasal breathing can be not just for their sleep but for their growth and development I knew I needed to help share this knowledge with other parents and adults alike.

Who knew that helping my kids breathe and sleep better could turn into a company with a mission to help others achieve the same goals! In 2023, I opened Optimized Airways to be just that, a place for people to learn how powerful correct function can be. Form follows function, and so my job is to teach simple functional changes that can change the way you live for the better!

Myofunctional therapy has been show to help you live more fully. Whether you want to stop your snoring habit, stop mouth breathing, get you breathing well through your nose, get help with jaw pain and TMJ issues or are looking for support in conjunction with pre/post tongue tie therapy Myofunctional therapy can help! In kids, myofunctional therapy can help your child get better sleep by helping correct breathing patters to reduce snoring, bed wetting, ADHD symptoms and night time grinding. When your child sleeps better they feel better, and you will too!

Myofunctional therapy and all its names

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, also shortened to Myofunctional Therapy, OMT or MYO. Orofacial Myology. Functional Exercises of the head, neck and face. Tongue Tie Therapy. Tongue Thrust Therapy. Similar to Physical Therapy for the head and neck. Neuromuscular reeducation. No matter what you call it, my goal as a Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist is to partner with you to help you address functional issues and teach you exercises to correct function. It is as simple as that - I teach you exercises for optimizing your airways to help you thrive.

Proud to Locally serve Kansas and MIssouri and globally via telemed

My Local Clients Are All Over the Kansas City Area as well as SW Portland: