Releasing Oral Ties To Thrive
Using laser technology allows for a safer, more precise full release of tongue and lip ties in babies and children.
Tongue and Lip Ties Can Create Many Challenges
With a full laser release, your child may have the best chance to overcome these symptoms in comparison to a "snip" with a scissor or an incomplete release.
Infants Signs/Symptoms
-
Difficulty with breastfeeding
-
Shallow latch with breast or bottle
-
Colic symptoms / cries a lot
-
Gagging, choking, coughing when feeding
-
Poor weight gain
-
Snoring or noising breathing
-
Hiccups often and or/ gassy
-
Feedings feel like a full time job
-
Baby frustrated at breast, bottle, or pacifier
-
Parents intuition that something is "not right"
Older Children Signs/Symptoms
-
Speech difficulties
-
Release recommended by a speech language pathologist or oromyofunctional therapist, or other body worker
-
Dental crowding
-
Inability to lift tongue to roof of mouth
-
Inability to stick tongue out over lips
-
Inability to clean teeth properly
-
Gum recession around areas of oral ties
-
Swallow challenges
-
Narrow palate / upper jaw
A baby story
supporting the parenthood journey
Bringing new life into the world is magnificent and yet there can be so many challenges for parents and their littlest family members.
One of the earliest challenges that new mothers face is supporting infant feeding, breathing, and speech development. As a pediatric dentist and mother, Dr. Hollen understands how critical early interventions like tongue or lip tie release can mean the difference between surviving and thriving when it comes to breastfeeding goals for both parents and babies.
Helping families thrive is our inspiration and supporting infants to adolescents remains our mission. Having difficulties with breastfeeding at home herself, Dr. Hollen recognizes the best support system includes not only family and friends, but also being able to rely on a team of professionals in early life that can help alleviate stress and provide confidence.
How does the process work?
We assess your infant / child and discuss the benefits of treatment, if determined that a release is needed. If appropriate, treatment can be delivered on the same date or will be scheduled once the patient is ready to proceed. Sometimes, this requires pre-appointment work with your therapist which is often the case for older children (often not applicable for breastfeeding infants). Treatment with a laser is very quick, usually no longer than 5-10 minutes for the entire procedure. For breastfeeding infants, we'll reunite and have you breastfeed for recovery. Older children are given stretches to complete.
After treatment, we will ask that you schedule follow-up with your therapy team, which may include: lactation consultation, speech language pathologist, oromyofunctional therapist, and/or chiropractor/bodyworker. After care is just as important as the treatment itself and requires simple daily stretching and movements for the first weeks, as directed by the dental team and any therapists with whom you work.