Our Services
Frenectomies, tongue-tie relief, and lactation services in Fort Atkinson, WI.
Life-Changing Outcomes, Long-Lasting Relationships
Our caring team is dedicated to providing compassionate care to mothers and their families. You can access our full range of services related to tongue-tie and other areas mothers may worry about. In addition to addressing tongue-tie issues, with our help, you and your baby can achieve a comfortable and successful breastfeeding or bottle-feeding journey.
Our specialists help in areas such as:
- Tongue-ties
- Lip-ties
- Breastfeeding and Lactation
- Oral Myofunctional therapy
By working together and treating health issues as they relate to each other, we can provide the best possible care for you and your family. Let us help you and your family thrive.
Tongue-Tie Treatments
Click on each image to learn more.
There are different symptoms for tongue-tie, and it affects ages in various ways.
In infants:
- Difficulty latching when breastfeeding
- Chews more than suckles
- Difficulty gaining weight
- Acts fussy when feeding
- Feeds for long periods with short periods of rest between
- Acts hungry often
- Makes clicking sounds when feeding
- Issues moving tongue
In older children and adults:
- Tongue appears heart-shaped or notched when stuck out
- Tongue movement is difficult
- Speech problems such as a lisp
- Tongue interferes with speaking, eating, or reaching back teeth
- Poor oral health
- Experiences TMJ
- Has sleep apnea
- Gapped or crowded teeth
- Overbite
If you think that you or your child might benefit from tongue-tie release, we invite you to schedule a consultation. During your consultation, our experienced team will perform a thorough examination to determine if the surgery is necessary.
The procedure itself is straightforward and minimally invasive. We use a CO2 soft tissue laser to cut the frenulum and free the tongue, allowing for a full range of motion. The use of a dental laser requires only small amounts of localized anesthesia, minimizing any discomfort during the procedure. Additionally, it reduces bleeding and promotes faster healing compared to traditional surgical methods.
In some cases, stitches may be needed, but we will assess each case individually to determine the best course of action. Our team is here to ensure that the entire process is as comfortable and stress-free as possible for both you and your child.
The LightScalpel laser … Click to open a new window to this page … is a revolutionary technology that we use in our practice to provide our patients with a more comfortable and efficient dental experience. This innovative laser allows us to perform procedures without the need for traditional anesthesia or sedation.
The LightScalpel laser is incredibly precise and can be used for a wide range of procedures, including frenectomies, cavity preparations, gum contouring, and more. The laser’s advanced technology allows for a virtually painless experience, with many patients reporting little to no discomfort during their procedures.
One of the biggest benefits of the LightScalpel laser is its ability to minimize bleeding and swelling, leading to a faster healing time and less downtime for patients. Additionally, the laser’s pinpoint accuracy ensures that only the affected area is treated, leaving healthy tissue untouched. At our practice, we are proud to offer the latest in dental technology with the LightScalpel laser, providing our patients with the highest level of care and comfort.
We understand how important aftercare is for both you and your child. Our team will provide you with detailed instructions on how to care for your child after tongue-tie release surgery to ensure their comfort and quick healing. We’ll also provide tips on proper latch and breastfeeding techniques to help you and your child make the most of your breastfeeding journey.
We also provide specific and personalized aftercare for our adult patients. If you have undergone tongue-tie release surgery, our experts will provide you with post-op instructions and advice. We’re also on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in Fort Atkinson, WI
Correcting the position of the tongue and facial muscles.
We offer Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) at the Wisconsin Tongue-Tie Center to correct the positions of the tongue and facial muscles to prevent serious dental problems that can arise if these issues are not addressed early on.
Neglecting this can lead to Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs), which can impact several functions and muscles of the mouth and face, affecting facial skeletal development, breastfeeding, swallowing, speech, chewing, occlusion, oral hygiene, facial esthetics, orthodontic treatment stability, temporomandibular joint movement, and much more.
Signs and Symptoms
If your child has an OMD that goes untreated, several problems will begin to develop.
- Symptoms in Young Children:
- Poor latch during bottle or breastfeeding
- Difficulty nursing
- Resting open mouth posture
- Late speech development
- Poor speech clarity
- Difficulty eating solids
- Tongue resting past the lower lip
- Difficulty transitioning from a bottle to a cup or straw
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- OMD Symptoms in School-Aged Children:
- Picky eating
- Prolonged use of sippy-cups
- Poor oral hygiene
- Sucking habits past 12 months of age (pacifier, thumb, finger)
- Drooling past two years of age
- Dental malocclusions
- Difficulty enunciating certain sounds
- Speaking with a lisp
- Forward head posture
- Facial pain
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- Signs and Symptoms of OMDs in Adults:
When OMDs are not treated into adulthood, even more symptoms can develop.
- Obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, or other airway obstruction problems
- Mouth breathing
- Malocclusion
- Restricted tongue motion
- Soft food preference
- Facial grimace
- TMJ disorders
- Speech problems
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We will evaluate you and your family on a case-by-case basis and determine the best treatment plan for your specific symptoms. For instance, your child might have a much different treatment plan than an adult. In the end, we use orofacial myofunctional therapy to correct the proper function of the tongue and facial muscles used at rest and for swallowing. We encourage you to recognize the symptoms as early as possible in children so we can provide them with the treatment they need before other symptoms develop.
- 1. Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is the treatment for orofacial myofunctional disorders. The purpose of the therapy is to correct abnormal oral posture habits.
The following occurs when proper oral rest posture is established:
- Tongue resting on the palate
- Nasal breathing
- Sealed lips
- In addition to different mouth exercises, we may also include other procedures as part of your myofunctional therapy treatment.
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- 2. Tongue-tie Procedure (Tethered Oral Tissue) If there is a restricted lingual frenum (called “tongue-tie”), we will use laser dentistry will release the restriction and immediately follow the procedure with myofunctional therapy. Myofunctional therapy will re-pattern the tongue muscles to ensure maximum benefit from the procedure.
- 3. Orthodontics
Our dental practice offers a full range of orthodontic treatments, including Invisalign® … Click to open a new window to this page … , to correct any misalignment issues an OMD may have caused. Following myofunctional therapy, we will correct malocclusions, reposition the jaw, and fix any spacing issues.
Since the average person swallows anywhere from 500 to 1,000 times per day, doing so improperly can lead to a wide variety of problems. The resting position of the tongue creates the most damage because its position is more constant.
Learn about our patient's experience at Wisconsin Tongue Tie Center.
Lactation Services
At our comfortable office, you and your baby can benefit from our comprehensive lactation services. Led by our CLC-certified dental assistants … Click to open this link … , we provide expert guidance and support to help mothers achieve their feeding goals.
Our lactation services include:
- Personalized consultations
- Breastfeeding education
- Assistance with addressing common issues such as tongue and lip-ties.
Enjoy individualized care to help you feel confident, address any concerns or difficulties, and promote a positive breastfeeding experience for both mother and baby.
You can be assured that we will patiently guide you through every step and ensure the best for you and your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is tongue-tie? A tongue-tie, or Tethered Oral Tissue (TOT), is the mucous membrane that connects the middle undersurface of the tongue to the roof of the mouth. The mucous membrane is called a frenulum.
- What is a lip-tie? A lip-tie is a mucous membrane that connects the upper lip to the gum tissue. When the frenulum is too thick, it can restrict the movement of the lips.
- Is tongue-tie release only for infants and children? No, adults who never treated their tongue or lip-tie as children can also benefit from the release.
- Can lip-tie or tongue-tie resolve itself? Yes, sometimes the frenulum can loosen itself naturally to free the tongue. Please visit us for an evaluation to determine if release is right for you or your child.
- Why use a dental laser? A dental laser provides the most comfort for our patients. Its heat doesn’t affect deeper tissues and promotes a faster healing time. In addition, it reduces the risk of infection since it cauterizes the area.
- Why get a frenectomy? If you or your child need a frenectomy and don’t receive it, it can affect overall oral health and lead to other issues down the road, like speech problems, sleep apnea, TMJ, cavities, and much more.
Guiding your family to a healthier life.
