Helping children thrive.
Every child should be able to eat, sleep, breathe, and speak without issue. Tongue tie or lip tie release can help you and your baby get there.
"Just because something is common does not mean it is healthy or normal” -Baxter
Meet Our Doctor
Meet Dr. Kim
Dr. Kim Feuquay is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist and laser certified by the American Board of Laser Dentistry and specialized in airway and oral function. Her passion for helping infants and children thrive comes from her own journey as a mom and breastfeeding struggles. She has pursued extensive education on airway and tethered oral tissues and their long term impact on growth and development. She believes so much can be prevented in infancy and early childhood. Dr. Kim uses a CO2 laser to perform frenectomies and has in house IBCLC and Oral Motor Specialist/SLP to address each child's unique needs comprehensively.
We are located inside Alden Bridge Pediatric Dentistry. You can visit our website here for more information.
Signs and Symptoms of Tongue and Lip Ties
Tongue and lip ties affect every mom & baby dyad differently. Many infants with oral restrictions have breast and bottle feeding problems. Every infant has a lip & tongue frenulum, function is far more important than anatomy. The following signs are common amongst infants with tongue and lip ties and their mothers. However, it is important to note that these signs can be linked to other breastfeeding problems and are not solely related to ties, therefore a functional assessment is key to determining oral restrictions.
Mothers may experience
flattened, creased, blanched nipples
nipple pain and damage
prolonged or excessive feedings
poor breast drainage, mastitis
milk production issues
Feels like a full time job to feed baby
Infants may exhibit
clicking or loss of suction
popping on and off the breast
leaking during feeding
poor weight gain
coughing, gagging, choking
lip blisters, two toned lips
gas pain, colic, constipation
mouth breathing at rest
reflux or spitting up often
Falls asleep during feeds
Lip curls under during feed
Frequent hiccups
What is a tongue tie?
A tongue tie is an embryological remnant of tissue in the midline between the undersurface of the tongue and the floor of the mouth that restricts normal tongue movement. Most everyone has a string under their tongue, this lingual frenulum is part of normal anatomy.It is not considered “tied” unless it is causing a functional issue. If left untreated, a tongue tie can affect a lot more than just breastfeeding. It can contribute to speech and swallowing impediments, mouth breathing, underdevelopment of the maxillofacial skeleton, and even predisposed to sleep and breathing disorders. In my almost 10 years of treating tethered oral tissues I have witnessed firsthand the life changing improvements that a complete release with proper pre-and post care can have on the lives of those affected.
If you suspect your baby has a tongue tie or lip tie that is causing breastfeeding problems:
Call to schedule an appointment today (phone number) to get an evaluation.
Find comfort in knowing what you can expect
We encourage all infants to meet with an IBCLC for a functional assessment for breast or bottle feeding prior to evaluation with Dr. Kim. No worries if you haven’t seen lactation, we are happy to recommend some wonderful lactation consultants that are familiar with tethered oral tissues and the issues that go along with it.
Your appointment will include a history intake, possible feed & weight, oral evaluation, speech(if older child) and you will be given exercises to prepare your baby for a release if deemed necessary. Learn more here
*All infants must have Vitamin K shot prior to release. Click here to learn more about Vitamin K and Frenectomies.
At Your Visit
Our parents relax in one of our two nurseries during the procedure and are only away from their baby for 10 minutes. We use a CO2 laser, which is a noncontact, minimally invasive, very precise laser that creates minimal post-op discomfort for your infant. We offer topical specifically compounded for safe use in infants, but no sedation is ever used during infant releases.
Post op
Infants: Your baby will be brought back to you and you will have time to establish a proper latch and position on breast or bottle with our team. You will be taught how to care for your baby's wounds. we will watch you perform stretches to ensure you feel confident.
Children: You will be given written post-op instructions to guide you in the first week.
Follow Up
We recommend you see your IBCLC within the first 3 days post op and at least one additional time to continue monitoring infant healing as well as lactation therapy to achieve optimal function of feeding, sleep, growth & development. At one week you will have follow-up with Dr. Kim. We like to see our infants at 6 months of life to monitor proper oral function as the child is transitioning to solids. Our recommendation for all older children is to see your myofunctional therapist on day 3 or 4 post revision to check in and make sure proper oral exercises are being performed. You will see Dr. Kim at 1 week for follow-up care and if needed at 3 weeks.
The LightScalpel CO2 laser is a device that produces a concentrated beam of light. The highly focused CO2 laser beam vaporizes, cleanly and precisely, while sealing blood vessels at the same time. Years of experience in medicine and oral surgery went into the design of the LightScalpel laser, which was made to provide superior care for patients. Dr. Kim has found this laser to be far superior than lasers she has used in the past such as diode and water laser. We have seen a marked decrease in bleeding and post op pain.
Myofunctional Therapy After Your Child's Tongue Tie Relase
What is Myofunctional therapy?
Essentially it is is physical therapy for the face and mouth. Some signs that you may need myofunctional therapy for your child are mouth breathing, low tongue, and lips that part at rest. These issues may lead to poor facial growth, dental problems, sleep apnea, & chronic pain.
After your child's tongue or lip tie release, you may need myofunctional therapy especially if your child is older and has experienced some of the issues listed above. Luckily we have a great myofunctional therapist in our office. Cody Haney is a licensed speech therapist with all aspects of managing screening, evaluation, and treatment activities. We love her and so do the kids!
Contact us today if you feel that your child may benefit from myofunctional therapy. You can click here to learn more about Cody Haney, our Myofunctional & Speech Therapist
Inside Alden Bridge Pediatric Dentistry.
3759 FM 1488 Suite 125 The Woodlands, TX 77384
Ph: 832 521-9024
kimthekidsdentist@gmail.com