Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) is made from your own blood, assuring that it’s both biocompatible and synthetic-free. The sample is created in a centrifuge; the resulting membrane is placed at the site of surgery, where it stimulates the growth of bone and soft tissue. PRF aids in healing, as it encourages the formation of capillaries and promotes blood flow. The increase in blood flow helps clear remaining bacteria so healthy tissue can regenerate.

3D guided implant surgery takes digital treatment planning to the next level by allowing us to both visualize the steps of your procedure as well as create sequencing templates custom to you. 3D guided implant surgery combines CT scanning technology and CAD/CAM technology, providing you with unparalleled accuracy in the placement of your dental implants and restorations. In this way, we can optimize the location, angle and depth of your implants, leading to predictable and healthy outcomes.

A frenuloplasty is a liberation of the tongue from anatomical restrictions.

• Restrictive lingual frenulum, also known as ankylglossia or tongue-tie, can limit the movement and range of motion of the tongue. The tongue is important in our daily functions including breathing, sleeping, eating, and communicating. Good tongue mobility is essential for optimal growth and development of the jaws. 
• It’s common that if the restriction is severe, it would cause speech or feeding issues early in life and be addressed then. 
• If the restriction is mild to moderate, the early signs may not have been as obvious and it is common for this issue to go undiagnosed for a long time. Symptoms that could be related to a tongue tie that may become apparent later in life are snoring, difficulty sleeping on the back, headaches, mouth breathing, high cavity risk, tooth wear, restless or unrefreshing sleep, jaw pain, neck tension, and forward head posture.
• The body will find a way to do the vital functions of breathing, sleeping, eating, and communicating, but in the presence of a tongue tie, compensations will develop. The way the body will perform these functions in the presence of a tongue tie involve open mouth breathing, side sleeping, teeth clenching, which then lead to issues like TMJ disorders and musculoskeletal posture issues. These compensations are developed to offset the restriction and compromised breathing felt when standing straight up or laying on the back. An analogy we like to use is it’s like walking with the laces of both shoes tied together. You could still walk, but not to your full potential. 
• By releasing the tension in the lingual frenum and allowing for freedom of movement of the tongue, many aspects of health can be improved.
• The procedure itself is performed awake under local anesthesia using a CO2 laser after a patient has prepared with myofunctional therapy. This is like physical therapy for the tongue, and allows for safe, predictable procedures. We would only perform a procedure to improve function, and the therapy helps us determine those goals.
• It is important to evaluate tongue ties in the context of tongue space and tongue tone, and treating only if and when it is appropriate. This procedure is one piece of a larger airway-health plan we can help develop for your individual needs.

• Oral Frena are the fibrous attachments of the lips and tongue to the jaws, and they are structures we all have. Everyone’s oral frena differ based on many factors including genetics, epigenetics, nutrition, development. If the oral tissues are restrictive, it can negatively impact feeding early in life. Healthy tongue function is vital to infant feeding, sleeping, and growth, so identifying challenges early on can help get babies off to a good start. By collaborating with a team to help with healthy oral function and body movement, we can help improve infant feeding with a frenectomy when appropriate. This procedure is performed to relieve tension in restrictive oral tissues with a state-of-the-art CO2 laser for increased precision and improved healing. The procedure itself is brief, usually less than 60 seconds, and infants are encouraged to feed immediately afterwards.
  • The pressure from the tongue during swallow forms the shape of the jaws, and the jaw shape and position dictates how the face and airway will develop. So while infant feeding is important for nutrition, it is also crucial for development, which is why we are so passionate about our work with infants.

We feel time in our office should be fun! Your child’s first dental visits can lay the groundwork for their feelings about dental care (and healthcare!) for their lifetime. We love working with our pediatric patients, and make sure each child feels loved, respected and heard. We explain procedures carefully and take care that parents and guardians are fully engaged and informed when their child is in the dental chair. We see infants for frenectomies age 0-1, children for airway development age 3 and up, and children for general dentistry age 6 and up. We find many families want to keep the whole family at one practice, and we are happy to accommodate. If there is a situation where we need additional support, we will refer to a pediatric dentist.