We Keep Your Growing
Smile Fit and Strong.

GENTLE EVALUATION AND CARE FOR BETTER FEEDING AND COMFORT

We carefully assess and treat tongue and lip ties to support healthy feeding, speech development, and overall comfort. Our approach is gentle and minimally invasive, focusing on clear guidance for parents and the best outcome for your child’s well-being.

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Frenectomy & Tongue Lip Ties

A team approach for the best outcomes! Tongue-tie and lip-tie occur when a small band of tissue (frenum) restricts normal movement of the tongue or lip.
While often overlooked, these conditions can affect feeding, speech, and proper growth and development.

At our practice, we take a multidisciplinary approach, working closely with:

  • Lactation consultants

  • Myofunctional therapists

  • Speech therapists

  • Pediatricians

  • Orthodontists

Together, we ensure your child receives the most complete and effective care.

What are the benefits of Myofunctional Therapy?

  1. What are the benefits of Myofunctional Therapy?

  2. Healthy breathing & proper airway development

  3. Ability to move oral muscles properly

  4. Improved chewing and speech

  5. Proper teeth alignment

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY AND IT’S BENEFITS!

Our Approach to Myofunctional Therapy

1.Assessment & Examination

When the primary (or baby) front teeth incisors exfoliate sooner then expected because of an injury during the infant years, the adult front teeth or central incisors may have a difficulty erupting through a dense and thick gum tissue.    This will result in a significant delay in the eruption one or both of the front incisors. This presentation can be unsightly for some children and their parents and can cause tooth development disturbances such as teeth.

2. Treatment

Surgical

Sometimes, surgery may be recommended depending on the diagnosis.    Exercises will be scheduled prior to the surgical date to prepare the tissue for the surgery.    Similarly, Wound Care will be scheduled two weeks after surgery, during which, the patient will stretch the tissue to prevent re-attachment of previously restricted tissue.

Non-Surgical

Should surgery not be recommended, Myofunctional Therapy will begin right away. The Exercises are sequenced in a few phases:

  • Intensive Phase: In this initial phase, elimination of unfavorable habits and re-patterning of the muscles is achieved through a series of specially designed exercises triggering the muscles of the the tongue, throat, cheeks, and lips.

  • Maintenance Phase: This phase will rely on the brains ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections and learning new patterns.    Exercises will be repeated at home and appointments with the Myofunctional Therapist will begin to be scheduled less often.

  • Habituation Phase: In this final phase, the Myofunctional Therapist will continuously monitor the patient through monthly evaluations.

3.Evaluation of Treatment & Re-Assessment

Should additional treatment become necessary, the treatment will be re-addressed.

To learn more about Myofunctional Therapy, click here.

Working with other Professionals

Our Myofunctional therapist works closely with other professionals such as lactation consultants, orthodontists, pediatricians, ENTs, and cranio-sacral therapists to achieve the best results.

To learn more about Cranio-Sacral Therapy, click here.

Myofunctional Therapy

Our mission at the Myofunctional Clinic is to create and maintain the best environment for optimal growth of the oral and facial muscles.    We want to help our patients build healthy habits for life through normal chewing & swallowing, proper tongue rest position and improved breathing.    Our Myofunctional Therapists through collaboration with    with our doctors complete any necessary treatment and achieve optimum clinical outcomes for your child in the most seamless and integrated model.

What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Myofunctional Therapy is a type of physical therapy that helps restore proper function to the muscles of the face, mouth and neck.    The therapy will eliminate disfunctional oral habits in order to re-establish proper oral rest posture: tongue resting comfortable on the palate to allow for adequate palatal arch development during growth. Correcting oral rest posture has a significant impact on upper and lower jaw development and healthy breathing. In addition, the correction of the improper swallowing pattern is necessary to ensure proper jaw development. This can be achieved by myofunctional therapy exercises targeting the specific problem or appliances such as the Froggy Mouth.

The most common swallowing problem is a tongue thrust. For more information on the tongue thrust, please click here.

Here are some articles in clinical journals highlighting the importance of myofunctional therapy and appliance use:

Why Early Treatment Matters

When left untreated, tongue-ties can cause:

In infants:

  • Difficulty latching or feeding

  • Poor weight gain

  • Gagging or choking during feeds

  • Reflux symptoms

  • Painful breastfeeding for mothers

In older children:

  • Speech delays or challenges

  • Dental crowding or bite issues

  • Difficulty with oral function

  • Gaps between front teeth (lip-tie)

  • Painful breastfeeding for mothers

Early diagnosis can help prevent long-term complications and support healthy development.

Treatment: Gentle Laser Frenectomy

A frenectomy is a simple procedure to release the restricted tissue. We use a state-of-the-art COâ‚‚ laser,
which offers:

  • Faster treatment

  • Minimal discomfort

  • Little to no bleeding

  • Improved healing with less scarring

This modern approach is safe, precise, and designed for the best possible outcome for your child.

Our Approach

We combine advanced technology with personalized care to ensure your child feels comfortable, supported, and safe throughout the process.

We help support healthy growth, feeding, and smiles from the start.

Clinical Success

See how personalized pediatric dental care can make a lasting difference. These clinical examples highlight real progress, healthier smiles, and the care behind each child’s treatment journey.

  • BEFORE (FRONTAL VIEW)

  • BEFORE (SIDE VIEW)

  • AFTER (FRONTAL VIEW)

Reviews From Our Families

  • WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE DR. VALI & HIS TEAM.

    Dr. Vali and his staff have truly gone above and beyond for my children. When my daughter needed emergency oral surgery, Dr. Vali personally responded to my email over the weekend and made sure she was seen first thing that week. The level of care, responsiveness, and compassion we experienced meant so much to our family. We are incredibly grateful and highly recommend his practice.

    SPD Parent

  • WE LOVE DR. VALI AND ALL OF HIS WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES.

    Been coming to this office for around 13 years. That alone says it all. My children have never left here feeling any type of pain/disconfort. Dr. Vali wasn't even in our dental plan, but we honestly wouldn't go anywhere else. Thankfully he's in network now with our plan. Either way this is the only office we trust and love.

    SPD Parent

  • WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE DR. VALI & HIS TEAM.

    We've been seeing Dr. Vali for over 9 years and couldn't be happier with our care. The hygienists are all patient, friendly, and warm with our 3 children. Dr. Vali is very careful and thorough with his exams & recently diagnosed an infection in my daughter's mouth that her orthodontist had missed. As a bonus, the office is beautifully decorated!

    SPD Parent

  • WE LOVE DR. VALI AND ALL OF HIS WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES.

    We’ve been going since our kids were little, over 10 years. Beautiful, fun facility. Takes the fear out of the dentist. Dr. Vali and the whole crew really care about dental health and education!

    SPD Parent

  • WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE DR. VALI & HIS TEAM.

    Dr. Vali and his staff have truly gone above and beyond for my children. When my daughter needed emergency oral surgery, Dr. Vali personally responded to my email over the weekend and made sure she was seen first thing that week. The level of care, responsiveness, and compassion we experienced meant so much to our family. We are incredibly grateful and highly recommend his practice.

    SPD Parent

  • WE LOVE DR. VALI AND ALL OF HIS WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES.

    Been coming to this office for around 13 years. That alone says it all. My children have never left here feeling any type of pain/disconfort. Dr. Vali wasn't even in our dental plan, but we honestly wouldn't go anywhere else. Thankfully he's in network now with our plan. Either way this is the only office we trust and love.

    SPD Parent

  • WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE DR. VALI & HIS TEAM.

    We've been seeing Dr. Vali for over 9 years and couldn't be happier with our care. The hygienists are all patient, friendly, and warm with our 3 children. Dr. Vali is very careful and thorough with his exams & recently diagnosed an infection in my daughter's mouth that her orthodontist had missed. As a bonus, the office is beautifully decorated!

    SPD Parent

  • WE LOVE DR. VALI AND ALL OF HIS WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES.

    We’ve been going since our kids were little, over 10 years. Beautiful, fun facility. Takes the fear out of the dentist. Dr. Vali and the whole crew really care about dental health and education!

    SPD Parent

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