Daily Inspiration: Meet Sylvia & Marlene Talavera

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvia & Marlene Talavera.

Hi Sylvia & Marlene, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Our business is truly a family venture, built by a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law team. I am a retired dentist with 28 years of experience, and my daughter-in-law, Marlene, was a physical therapist in Austria before relocating to the United States. Together, we discovered a shared passion for Orofacial Myology—also known as Myofunctional Therapy—because of the remarkable impact it can have on people’s lives.
Before my retirement, both Marlene and I became certified in Orofacial Myology. Marlene, who had the idea of opening our own practice, is the primary therapist, while I joined her to continue working part-time after selling my dental practice. In May 2023, we launched our business, introducing ourselves to orthodontists, dentists, and speech therapists in the community, many of whom were already my colleagues. Referrals from these providers have been the foundation of our steady growth.
Our patients range from young children as early as three years old to adults over 50. Marlene also offers craniosacral therapy and works with infants experiencing breastfeeding challenges related to tongue tie, lip tie, or torticollis.
This work is deeply rewarding. It allows us not only to help patients of all ages but also to collaborate with other healthcare professionals and meet wonderful families. Every success story reminds us why we chose this path—we’re committed to finding the best possible outcomes for each and every patient.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. One of the most difficult parts has been feeling like we had to prove ourselves and the value of what we do. We knew, from both personal experience and training, how life-changing Orofacial Myology can be—but convincing others, especially in a field that is still relatively new, was often discouraging at first.
There were many times we walked into offices excited to share our passion, only to leave feeling like we hadn’t been heard. That was tough, because we care so deeply about helping people and knew we had something that could make a real difference.
What kept us going was our belief in the therapy and the moments we saw it working—like when someone with an open bite, who had already been through braces twice, finally learned the correct tongue posture and could maintain the orthodontic results they had worked so hard for. Or when a child learned how to swallow properly, or an infant’s feeding issues began to improve.
Those successes reminded us why we started this journey. They gave us the encouragement to keep moving forward, even through the hard days, and showed us that the struggles were all part of building something truly meaningful.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Orofacial Myology, or Myofunctional Therapy, is a specialized field that focuses on evaluating and treating the muscles of the face and mouth—the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw. We teach patients proper tongue and lip posture, strengthen weak muscles, and improve coordination for things like chewing, swallowing, and breathing through the nose instead of the mouth.

In our practice, we take a comprehensive approach that combines targeted exercises, bodywork, and craniosacral therapy. This helps patients improve chewing, swallowing, and nasal breathing—leading to better sleep, eliminating snoring, and overall improved function. We also work with patients experiencing TMJ issues, addressing them through a multidisciplinary lens to restore comfort and balance.
For those with tongue ties, we provide both pre- and post-release therapy. Before a release, we prepare patients by strengthening and coordinating the tongue and oral muscles. After the procedure, we guide them through proper tongue movement and integration, supporting the body in finding balance and long-term stability. In addition, we assist patients recovering from oral cancer, helping them rebuild strength, mobility, function and confidence.

What makes our practice unique is the blend of our backgrounds. Marlene brings her training and experience as a physical therapist, while I draw on my many years as a dentist. Together, we combine two very different perspectives that complement each other, allowing us to dig deeper into what might be causing a patient’s struggles and to create a treatment plan that addresses the root cause—not just the symptoms.

What we’re most proud of are the success stories. Like the adult who had braces twice but still struggled with an open bite, and was finally able to maintain their results after learning correct tongue posture. Or the child who learns to swallow properly for the first time. Or the infant who can finally breastfeed comfortably after therapy. Each of these milestones is life-changing, not just for the patient but also for their families. That’s what makes this work so meaningful to us—it improves not only oral function, but also confidence, health, and overall quality of life.

How do you define success?
Success is when a patient leaves our practice with a better quality of life. Whether it’s an adult finally keeping their orthodontic results, a patient finding restful sleep, a child learning to swallow properly and finally eating well after their tongue-tie was addressed, or an infant able to breastfeed comfortably—those moments are life-changing. That’s what success means to us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.integratedom.com/

Image Credits
Shoot Photography