be HAPPY &
Where it began
Dr. Carroll’s work evaluating infant tongue ties, lip ties, and feeding concerns grew out of her own experience as a new mother. Her daughter had a tongue tie that contributed to breastfeeding difficulties, and the experience led Dr. Carroll to spend years learning more about infant feeding, breastfeeding support, tethered oral tissues, and laser treatment.
Today, Dr. Carroll evaluates tongue ties, lip ties, and buccal ties specifically in infants when there is a feeding or breastfeeding concern. Her focus is function – not simply whether a frenum looks prominent.
Possible feeding concerns
Possible feeding concerns can include:
- Difficulty maintaining a latch
- Clicking during feeds
- Excessive air intake
- Prolonged or inefficient feeds
- Maternal nipple pain
- Poor milk transfer
- Concerns about weight gain
Those symptoms can have many causes, and a visible frenum alone does not mean an infant needs a procedure.
Collaboration
A team approach
Dr. Carroll believes infant feeding concerns are best approached collaboratively. She values the lactation consultants, pediatricians, feeding specialists, and other professionals who may already be involved with the family and sees the dental evaluation as one piece of the feeding picture.
The evaluation
Focused on function
Her infant evaluations are intended to determine whether a tethered oral tissue appears to be functionally contributing to a real feeding problem.
Dr. Carroll has pursued specialized education in infant feeding and laser treatment and is a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), the International Association of Tongue Tie Professionals, and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
Frequently asked questions
Does every visible tongue tie or lip tie need treatment?
No. Everyone has frenula, and appearance alone is not a reason for treatment. Dr. Carroll evaluates whether the tissue appears to be functionally contributing to a real infant feeding or breastfeeding problem.
What feeding problems can prompt an evaluation?
Concerns may include difficulty maintaining a latch, clicking during feeds, excessive air intake, prolonged or inefficient feeds, maternal nipple pain, poor milk transfer, or concerns about weight gain. These symptoms can have many causes and do not automatically mean a release is needed.
Concerned about an infant feeding problem that may involve a tongue tie, lip tie, or buccal tie? Call our Redondo Beach office for an infant feeding and tongue-tie evaluation.
Call Our Office
Reviewed by Shari Carroll, DMD, MPH - Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
Contact
1611 S. Catalina Avenue | Suite 100 Redondo Beach | CA 90277 | Phone: (310) 357-4414
There is FREE parking in our underground parking garage accessible off of Catalina Avenue.
Existing patients: Please use Dr. Carroll’s established after-hours contact instructions for urgent questions outside normal office hours.
