Meet Christina Bridges | Registered Dental Hygienist, Qualified Orofacial Myologist & Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Bridges and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process of starting my own business was that I knew there was a need for the services I could offer. I had spent my whole career as a dental hygienist as an employee. So stepping out to build something on my own was a little scary. However, I was determined and was so ready for a change in my career that I was willing to do whatever it took. I believed in myofunctional therapy to my core and knew I had a responsibility to make it available to patients. I had helped my husband run a business before so I had some background on what it takes to be an entrepreneur. I was hungry for change and loved the idea of having more control of my destiny.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is unique in that it was one of the very first myofunctional therapy practices in North Carolina. I am most proud of building not only my business but an extensive network of collaborative providers to assist our patients. It is often a team effort to guide a patient toward health and we pride ourselves on treating the root cause of dysfunction and disease. My most proud moments are when patients or parents tell me I have changed their life for the better. We are improving things like sleep, breathing, swallowing and oral function for our patients. These things all equate to better quality of life and improved health and longevity.

Getting to where I am today in business was not easy. When I first began, hardly anyone had even heard of myofunctional therapy. It took many hours of speaking to doctor’s and study groups to make them aware this therapy existed and how it could help their patients. I had to earn their trust and confidence because their reputation was riding on me if they referred to me. Once I won over the doctors the second half of the battle was educating the patients on why they needed this therapy and the difference it could make in their life.

A lesson I had to learn was being comfortable with rejection and learning that not everyone will be fan. However, I also learned to never underestimate the power of planting a seed. Some of the naysayers in the beginning have come around and are now some of our best supporters. I learned to keep my nose to the grindstone and let the results speak for themselves. At the end of the day I had to be satisfied that even though everyone wasn’t on board with me, it didn’t mean the work I was doing wasn’t valid and worthy.

At Myofunctional Matters, our motto has always been to “do the right thing”! We always put the patient first even if the business suffers. We whole heartedly believe you can never go wrong doing the right thing. Often this means that we send patients to other providers if we can’t address their issues with our services. It also means that sometimes patients do need our services, but not yet. We want to treat patients at a time and in a manner that they will get the most benefit from therapy quickly with as little investment as possible. We have also done the right thing by fostering a supportive community to other up and coming myofunctional therapists in the area. We don’t believe in being gate keepers and feel we are stronger together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were visiting this area for a week, I’d show them a perfect mix of local charm, outdoor adventure, and great eats. We’d hike Crowders Mountain, explore the Schiele Museum, stroll downtown, and visit the White Water Center. We’d eat everything from sandwiches at the Pita Wheel, to upscale southern comfort food at Webb’s Kitchen , enjoy rooftop cocktails at the Esquire Hotel, and grab tacos at Los Arcos. Nights would be spent at local breweries like Cavendish or catching live music in downtown Belmont or Bessemer City. We’d day-trip to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, sip wine at Veronet Winery and unwind with peaceful walks at Rankin Lake Park. Of course we would have to end one or two of those days eating ice cream at Tony’s.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my husband. His entrepreneurial spirit is what gave me the confidence to start my business. He helped it happen by being a constant support and even jumping in on the “woman’s work” of the house to allow me to focus on my business. My husband taught me to not be afraid of risk. He would always say, “You may fail, but at least they can’t eat you”. He believed in my ability and has been my biggest cheerleader along the way.

Website: https://myofunctionalmatters.com

Instagram: myofunctional_matters

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaBridgesMyoMatters