DEMBRA™: 

Research-Informed Developmental Screening Framework

Built on Developmental Research

DEMBRA™ organizes developmental risk into six contributor categories supported by research in feeding development, oral function, craniofacial growth, sleep, and environmental influences.

DEMBRA™ Professional Education & Training

DEMBRA™ education provides dental and healthcare professionals with a structured approach to recognizing developmental patterns that may influence oral growth, airway development, feeding, sleep, and oral function in young children. 

Through DEMBRA™ professional education and training, providers learn how to incorporate developmental screening into their clinical workflow, recognize patterns that may warrant additional attention, communicate observations with families, and collaborate with other professionals.

DEMBRA™ education is available through professional presentations, workshops, online education, and training opportunities led by Joy Lantz.

What DEMBRA™ Education Covers

DEMBRA™ professional education introduces healthcare providers to a structured approach for recognizing developmental risk patterns across key areas.

What You'll Learn:

• Oral function 
• Airway observations
• Feeding development
• Sleep
• Craniofacial growth
• Environmental influences
• Developmental patterns and trends
• When additional evaluation or collaboration may be appropriate

Learn DEMBRA™

Interested in bringing DEMBRA™ into your professional practice? Explore upcoming educational opportunities, presentations, workshops, and training.

Step 2: Use DEMBRA™
at Every Visit

Monitor Growth Over Time

Children are constantly developing. DEMBRA™ is designed to be used throughout toddlerhood and preschool years to identify changes, emerging patterns, and developmental trends.

Track Key Areas Including:

✓ Airway Observations

✓ Oral Posture

✓ Functional Changes

✓ Growth Patterns

Remember:

Small observations today often become important patterns tomorrow.

Step 3: Turn Observations Into Action

Developmental Awareness Creates Opportunities

DEMBRA™ is not intended to diagnose disease. Instead, it helps providers recognize developmental influences and determine when additional monitoring, education, or collaboration may be beneficial.

After Identifying Risk Patterns You Can:

✓ Educate Families

✓ Monitor Progress

✓ Provide Developmental Guidance

✓ Recommend Additional Evaluation

✓ Collaborate With Other Professionals

Step 4: Build Your Developmental Support Team

No Provider Does This Alone

Many developmental patterns benefit from a collaborative approach. DEMBRA™ helps identify when additional support may be appropriate.

Your Team May Include:

• Pediatricians

• ENTs

• Bodyworkers

• Feeding Specialists

• Myofunctional Therapists

• Sleep Specialists

• Dentists and Orthodontists

Goal

Supporting healthier developmental outcomes through early awareness and collaboration.

Step 5: Explore the Science Behind DEMBRA™

Built on Developmental Research

DEMBRA™ organizes developmental risk into six contributor categories supported by research in feeding development, oral function, craniofacial growth, sleep, and environmental influences.

Children Rarely Present With Pathology

They present with patterns.

DEMBRA™ provides a structured way to recognize those patterns earlier, communicate more effectively with families, and support healthier developmental trajectories.

About the Creator

Created by Joy Lantz, RDH, PHDH, FADHA, COM®, IBCLC

DEMBRA™ was developed by Joy Lantz to give dental and healthcare professionals a practical, structured way to recognize developmental patterns earlier and support collaboration around the young child.