Connecting Oral Function, Airway Health and Sleep Through an Integrative Approach
At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we are proud to spotlight experienced professionals who continue expanding their knowledge in order to better understand the interconnected factors influencing human health and wellbeing.
This week, we are pleased to introduce Susan “Susie” Danziger, a Registered Dental Hygienist, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist, Advanced Lactation Consultant, and current student in IPHI’s Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification Program.
With approximately 35 years of experience in dental hygiene, Susie brings decades of patient-care experience to her evolving work in airway health, oral function, myofunctional therapy, lactation, and sleep.
She currently works with KP Wellness, an airway-focused practice in Michigan where she has worked with Dr. Kristina Palmer since 2008. The practice currently identifies Susie as a Lactation Consultant and Myofunctional Therapist.
More Than Three Decades in Dental Health
Susie’s professional foundation began in dental hygiene.
After graduating from Ferris State University in 1993, she began her career in the Metro Detroit area before eventually relocating to East Lansing, Michigan. She has worked as a dental hygienist with Dr. Palmer since 2008.
Over the course of her career, however, Susie’s professional interests expanded beyond traditional dental hygiene.
As she gained greater exposure to airway-focused dentistry, she developed additional expertise in orofacial myofunctional therapy and lactation support—fields that can intersect with breathing, oral function, feeding, airway health, and sleep.
Her experience includes:
35 years as a Registered Dental Hygienist
5 years as an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
3 years as an Advanced Lactation Consultant
That multidisciplinary background gives Susie a particularly interesting perspective as she expands her education into integrative sleep health.
Working at the Intersection of Airway, Oral Function and Sleep
Susie currently works within an airway-focused dental environment serving patients across the lifespan. KP Wellness publicly identifies airway and breathing, lactation consulting, and myofunctional therapy among its services.
In her application to IPHI, Susie explained that the practice also administers take-home sleep studies, which are subsequently read and scored by a licensed sleep physician in Michigan.
Myofunctional therapy is another important component of her work with patients experiencing sleep-related concerns.
This exposure has given Susie firsthand experience with the ways oral function, breathing, airway health and sleep can overlap—and ultimately inspired her to deepen her education specifically in sleep.
Why Integrative Adult Sleep Coaching?
Susie already possessed decades of healthcare experience before enrolling at IPHI.
Her decision to pursue IPHI’s Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification Program was not about starting over professionally. It was about adding another layer of knowledge to an already multidisciplinary career.
As she explained in her application, adding a sleep credential will help her better support the patients she already sees who present with sleep-related concerns.
Through her studies, she specifically hopes to become more knowledgeable about sleep disorders, sleep studies, and resources available to help patients navigate sleep challenges.
That distinction is important.
Her existing clinical environment gives her exposure to airway and sleep-related concerns, while her IPHI education is allowing her to broaden the conversation beyond airway alone and explore sleep through a more comprehensive, integrative framework.
Expanding Beyond the Airway
One of the strengths of Susie’s professional background is that she already understands the value of looking for connections.
Dental health doesn’t exist separately from oral function.
Oral function doesn’t exist separately from breathing.
Breathing and airway health can intersect with sleep.
And sleep itself is influenced by numerous physiological, behavioral, environmental, emotional and lifestyle factors.
Through the Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification Program, Susie is expanding her ability to view sleep through this wider lens while remaining within the appropriate scope of her professional roles.
Rather than replacing the work of sleep physicians or other licensed healthcare providers, integrative sleep education can complement interdisciplinary care by helping professionals better understand the broader factors affecting a person’s sleep and wellbeing.
A Career Defined by Continued Learning
Perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of Susie’s story is her willingness to continue learning after more than three decades in healthcare.
She could easily have remained within one professional lane.
Instead, her career has continued evolving from dental hygiene into myofunctional therapy, lactation support, airway-focused care and now integrative sleep education.
That progression reflects something we value deeply at IPHI: professional education does not have to remain confined to a single discipline.
Sometimes the greatest opportunities to support people emerge at the intersection between them.
Professional Profile
Name: Susan “Susie” Danziger
Location: Michigan, United States
Professional Roles:
Registered Dental Hygienist
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Advanced Lactation Consultant
Current Practice:
KP Wellness, Williamston, Michigan
Current IPHI Education:
Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification Program
Education:
Ferris State University, 1993
Professional Experience:
Approximately 35 years in dental hygiene
Approximately 5 years in orofacial myofunctional therapy
Approximately 3 years in advanced lactation consulting
Areas of Professional Focus:
Dental Hygiene
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Lactation Support
Airway Health
Oral Function
Breathing
Sleep Health
Patient Education
Interdisciplinary Care
Professional Goal:
To deepen her understanding of sleep disorders, sleep studies and integrative sleep health so she can expand the resources and education available to patients experiencing sleep-related concerns.
Continuing the Journey
Susie’s career is a wonderful example of what lifelong professional development can look like.
After approximately 35 years in dental hygiene and years of additional experience in myofunctional therapy, lactation and airway-focused care—she is continuing to ask what else she can learn to better serve the people already coming through her door.
We are delighted to have Susan “Susie” Danziger studying with IPHI and look forward to seeing how she integrates her expanding knowledge of adult sleep into her already rich professional background.
Congratulations, Susie, on continuing to learn, evolve and expand the ways you support your patients. We are proud to have you as part of the IPHI community.
