Hello there, and thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my unique practice. I’m Dr. Magdalena (Lena) Holz. I grew up in a small town in southern West Virginia. I attended dental school at West Virginia University School of Dentistry, where I graduated in the top of my class. Upon graduation, I completed a 12-month Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Residency program at C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. After practicing in general dentistry for a few years, I went on to specialize in endodontics and attended Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry to complete a residency in Advanced Education in Endodontics and earn a Master of Science in Dentistry. I then completed the board certification process and began practicing as a private practice endodontist for the next several years.
From this point forward, my career path took an unexpected turn when regression from an eye injury left me unable to continue living my dream as a clinical endodontist. I was at a loss for how I could possibly use my education, experience, and passion for wellness in any other field.
I had been exposed to the world of orofacial myofunctional therapy and some different aspects of orofacial wellness during a continuing education event several years ago, and felt fascinated by the importance of this work and surprised by how little it had been emphasized during all my years in dentistry. After journeying into motherhood and pursuing orofacial myofunctional therapy in greater depth, I quickly began to realize how interconnected this field was with the endless hours of researching I’d been doing as a new parent seeking answers. Airway and sleep concerns, tongue-ties and fascial restrictions, infant feeding and solid introduction, proper breathing, orofacial growth and development, cognitive function, TMD and orofacial pain, and so much more.
With this discovery, I knew I had to help others find orofacial and myofuncitonal therapy resources and alternative therapy options, and as someone that had been spending the last several years of practice seeing many of the detrimental effects of orofacial myofunctional disorders, it felt like the perfect pivot to my career to transition to the prevention side of treatment. I look forward to continuing to do my part in bridging the gap between the oral and systemic wellness connection and the importance of early education and intervention and in collaborative, patient-centered care.
