Sleep and Breathing Wellness Center- Tongue Ties

Shout out to Alyssa with the team who referred this young lady to us and prepped her for surgery in a majorly impressive way. Maria has put in the hard work and it showed today in the strength and control she demonstrated throughout her Functional Frenuloplasty. She traveled to Tampa from the greater Orlando area with a stop to see our phenomenal collaborative partner Jen on the way over. She was ready for it all today, arriving muscular prepared, mentally focused, and full of BPE- Big Positive Energy 😝 It was a joy to treat her today, and I can hardly wait to see what unfolds for her.

Stay tuned for more of Maria’s journey.

Ortho by newazortho.com

Another one slaying the game! 🙌🏼

Care team:
Ortho with Dr. Lisa Yurkiewicz

I often get asked if I treat other ages bc I advocate so much for early treatment with the babies. I asked AJ’s mom if I could brag about him online so you all could see that it’s never too late to treat, and also that just like with the babies, it is not a magic fix. She happily agreed in hopes of helping others.

I intentionally only posted extraoral photos to emphasize the power of oral ties. We took a CBCT the day we took the photo on the left- October 2023. The radiologist ruled out significant bony asymmetries. By focusing on birth trauma, tension patterns, lymphatic drainage, and myofunctional therapy PRIOR to releases, you can see the softness and ease in his face (and less venous pooling underneath the eyes) when the photo to the right was taken at the end of January 2024. Yes, this family has been working hard for months to prepare and they will continue to work hard because they earned the releases and want to continue to reap the rewards.

I also want to note that in this process, AJ has found his voice in advocating for himself. Encouraged by everyone on his care team, empowered by on his release day, AJ spoke up about stopping for breaks. And he continued to do so at his post-op appointment. I’m so excited to hear more about how this kiddo develops both from a craniofacial standpoint and as a young man. 😊

We had three infant boys released today ranging from 1 week to 6 weeks old. All three of them had similar reactions to release of upper and lower lips plus buccal ties prior to tongue release. Once the lips and cheeks were released, before I got to the tongue, they all took a pause. They all got very quiet, very peaceful. They all began to integrate/ process the changes they felt from the relief of built up tension. It was beautiful. It was exactly one of the reasons why I do this. They talk to me in their own ways and I listen. These little souls have so much to tell us. They already know how to advocate for themselves. We just have to learn their communication style.

The second photo shows before and after photos of lip tie releases and oral rest posture. Please note the oral rest posture. Remember that I hadn’t yet touched the tongue. This is the unappreciated power of lips and cheeks. They need full range of motion too. Note the increased range of motion of the cheeks in the third photo. Note the conservative nature of the releases. Lips and cheeks need relief of tension too. They need good fluid flow.

The fourth photo shows the before and after of the tongue. Note that the after photo doesn’t show me lifting the tongue. This little dude integrated right away and already started to elevate his tongue.

All these photos are one patient, but all three boys also really enjoyed their post-op extension stretch. They were all welcomed by their parents in a calm, regulated state.

One of the reasons we are able to do this is the collaborative team. Each of these babies had functional assessments and bodywork before releases. None of these babies were dysregulated and neither were their parents.

Other reasons we are able to take this approach are my background education , my surgical training , and my choice of tool- the . I have other lasers in the office, but I would never go into delicate buccal tissue with a diode, or scissors, or a scalpel. Each provider is a master of their tools. I have very specific tools and very specific techniques.

I took Lorenzo to meet Ethan at . After having several patients rave about him, I took it as a sign to make the switch.

Our lil’ guy is small but mighty! He was happy and comfortable in the environment created by the Wholistic Peds team. The nurse was authentically upbeat and nurturing, and Ethan provided a warm, comforting atmosphere with positive energy.

We had a long conversation about gut inflammation and vaccinations in addition to the 6 month well-child visit. It was educational and I was never rushed. Ethan gave me some notes for my efforts to reduce Lorenzo’s gut inflammation. We have made much progress through my elimination of gluten and dairy but there’s more to do.

I felt at home. The office culture felt very much like what I have created in my own office, what makes us different than other “dental” offices. I particularly loved how, just like in my infant room, he doesn’t have an exam table in the room and also gets on the floor ☺️ It truly allows for an openness and vulnerability from the parents.

Little Miss B had *most* of her present supporting her today. , we missed you but felt your work in preparing her for today. 🤪🤣

This girl wowed us all today. She came in excited and prepared for the appointment. She really didn’t quite know what she had signed up for, but she was ready.

No one is saying it wasn’t uncomfortable, but she was surrounded by a team- with everyone invested in her best interest and best outcome.

The truth of the matter is that this is a tough age group to treat, not impossible but challenging. They have learned their autonomy and they are expressive. I don’t accept many cases. A family has to earn the release(s) because there has to be a reason, a driving force. The family has to understand the function (and dysfunction). We never cut simply because ties are present. You come for the consultation, we put a team together, through therapy and bodywork careful preparation happens, then we release. It’s not a magic fix. There’s quite a bit of rehab afterwards as well. It’s hard work and so it needs to be the right time for a family to take on the challenge.

It warms my heart that in the end, she didn’t say “Mommy, she hurt me.” She said, “She was my mother.” Intention is so powerful. The energy we bring into a room as release providers is so powerful. I believe that in her core she knew I was “mothering” her- doing hard things while keeping her best interest at heart.

We are honored to be chosen and we are humbled when you follow the process. 🙏🏼 Thank you, P Family, for your trust and for those delicious, freshly picked strawberries! 🍓

Happy Birthday, Daniela! 🎉

We are so incredibly blessed to have you as a part of our team! ☺️

If you’ve been following us, you’ll recognize Dr. Christina Makram from our posts and stories. She has been spending time in the office with us learning our protocols and office culture.

After we address oral ties and oral dysfunction in the infant and toddler population, many families ask us where to go from there to ensure their child is meeting craniofacial development expectations. We are honored and thrilled to have Dr. Christtina officially join us, offering patient care to our littlest population Monday-Wednesday every week. Services offered are currently limited as we learn how to accommodate 2 doctors in the office 😊

Current services offered:
🦷 Holistic Preventative Primary Care Dentistry for ages 0-3
🍎 Oral Wellness Guidance
👅 Oral Ties Assessment and Release for ages 3-8

——————————pediatricdds: I’m a board certified pediatric dentist, and I love to show my patients that seeing the dentist can be a fun, educational, and safe experience. It is my passion to focus on prevention and address all aspects of both oral health and overall body health from a root-cause approach.

I’m thrilled to join and work with the collaborative team at the Sleep and Breathing Wellness Center!
Along with helping Dr. Dy and the team in addressing children of all ages with functional releases, I also focus on the growth and development of the dentition, oral structures and tissues, building positive habits, oral hygiene and cavity risk counseling, and nutrition counseling. My goal is to help give my patients all the tools and guidance they need to create a healthy and balanced oral environment for their adult teeth to grow into. I strive to set my patients up for a lifetime of great oral health, and I want them to thrive and achieve success in all aspects of their well-being. ❤️

Happy New Year, everyone! If you’re new to our page, please allow me to introduce myself.

I’m a general dentist whose practice is limited in scope (my office does not provide dental hygiene visits or restorative care). I provide functional releases as well as non-surgical options to address oral ties and offer non-CPAP therapies for the treatment of breathing disordered sleep. I treat all ages from newborn through senior adults.

I founded the Sleep and Breathing Wellness Center in Tampa and lead a multi-disciplinary team. I am proud to have created a healing space in which you will find preventative pediatric dentistry, oral motor therapy, myofunctional therapy, ALF appliance therapy for craniofacial development and co-therapy, TMD (TMJ Disorder) therapy, orofacial pain therapy, mandibular advancement splint therapy, postural restoration therapy, and much more. We believe collaborative care is important for setting patients up for success regardless of age.

Please visit our website (linked in bio) to see an extensive list of my training, which includes being a proud affiliate of Dr. Soroush Zaghi of The Breathe Institute () and graduate of both adult and pediatric dental sleep medicine residencies at my alma mater, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

Happy holidays! It’s been an absolute honor to serve you this year. We can hardly wait to share with you our plans for 2024, but alas, good things come to those who wait. 😉

A little fun at the office once all the patients had left.
tiny.tots prescribed some suck training in tummy time (did I understand the assignment? 😝) and came to the rescue to hang out with Lorenzo (in the massage chair 🧘🏻‍♀️) when I tried to adjust Mateo’s ALF appliance with all 3 boys on the table at once 🤣

We will be closed the week of Christmas as well as on New Years Day to spend time with our loved ones. However, we know that babies will be born on their own schedule, so we will have limited availability to support mom-and-baby dyads in most need on December 27. For urgent newborns, please text 813240331.

If you call during our closure, please be patient in awaiting a return phone call when we reopen.

Happy holidays! 🥰

Since moving the practice back to Carrollwood and being able to focus on it full-time after selling my general dentistry practice, I’ve enjoyed having all my equipment at hand for enhanced treatment planning.

The Lightwalker laser came with me after the practice sale. Now we can offer state-of-the-art procedures such as OraLase and Nightlase (TM) to give our patients more options.

I’d like to record a video for our patients providing education on these procedures. What questions do you have about OraLase?

Taylor Swift’s doesn’t have anything on us! 🤪

📸:

I’ve got to tell you about this girl right here. This girl is killing it. She and mom are putting in the work!

We met in March. Sweet baby girl was in fight-or-flight and we didn’t get very far with our eval. We put a care team together and today was lip ties and buccal ties only. She is not yet ready for her tongue tie release.

You read that right. They have been putting in the work for 8 months and we are not done yet. But you know what? This mom and daughter dynamic duo is slaying the game. The toddler that came in today was a different kiddo than who I met in March. She has progressed in so many ways, and I’m so happy to brag about the care team we put together for this amazing family (OMT, CST, MFR).

When you work with collaborative partners and meet the individual (and their family) exactly where they are, you can absolutely treat this age without sedation and with positivity. There are families out there ready to put in the work, but it starts with education and continues with an individualized approach. Don’t count them out. Don’t make them wait (unless it’s their personal choice). There’s too much growth potential in these years.

So so so proud of you! ☺️👏🏼🙌🏼

Dear H continues to be one of the cutest pumpkins in the patch! Look how 4 weeks has changed the position of that lower jaw since his releases!

Swipe to see how relaxed he felt by the end of his most recent treatment.

is that treats the mom and baby .

OraLase for these fast friends as they enjoy an episode of Blippi.

What is OraLase? It’s a powerful, non-contact, gentle, infrared (specifically, 1064 nm) light 💫 therapy aimed at neurological reset, integration of the cranial nerves, increased blood flow, and relaxation of connective tissue. Sessions are about 20-30 minutes long and the frequency of prescribed treatment will depend on one’s individual needs.

Have you ever experienced OraLase?

Office tour (October 2023)

What a week in the office for Lorenzo! We welcomed Daniela to the team to help around the office and love on Lorenzo when Mommy’s hard at work. We got visits from .tiny.tots, , and . We continue to feel blessed to experience the gifts of our collaborative partners. ☺️

🙌🏼 latch work with during noncontact

In the moment, this photo shoot was stressful. Baby Lorenzo had a great nap heading to the studio, so he was up and wanting to get. 👏🏼 his. 👏🏼 milkies. 👏🏼 ( ) The older one wanted to get back to playing with his cousin on the other side of the camera, and the middle one was doing parkour all over the furniture. 🤦🏻‍♀️

But now, I look at these photos and I think to myself, “wow, I get to be their mom.” We have these three boys who somehow have the power to make me simultaneously feel like I’ve lost my independent self, I’m completely fulfilled, and I’m right where I need to be in life.

They can drive me bananas, especially at bedtime on a school night! And sometimes, I feel completely - like does *everyone* need to sit on top of/ next to me at one time?!? But when I can get my mind to calm down and remain present in the moment, there is nothing more rejuvenating than a few deep breaths and a great cuddle sesh with my guys.


📸:

Today was my first day seeing patient again since going on . I returned slightly early to see some babies in need (bc ), and I could not have asked for a more gracious family with whom to begin my day! Additionally, Baby J got to be the first patient to have a co-treatment release on our plush, new massage table 💁🏻‍♀️

Lorenzo got to be loved on by .tiny.tots and - how lucky is he?!?

🌅 This morning is about a nourishing breakfast, contact napping, some HG TV, and (hopefully) folding a couple loads of laundry.

One of my favorite items from the subscription that was gifted to me is this mug. I use it every morning for my daily black coffee with ✌🏼 scoops of . The mug says, “THE DAYS ARE LONG BUT THE YEARS ARE SHORT.” With 3 young kiddos and a business, it’s a nice way to refocus first thing in the morning.

I was advised to stay and during the as my gut repairs. One of my go-to breakfasts has been oatmeal. As the weeks have gone by, I’ve come up with a super yummy combo of almond milk, oats, chia seeds, coconut oil, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and Himalayan sea salt with chocolate chips on top 😋

❓What do you love to put in/on your oatmeal?

❓If you’re gluten-free and/or dairy-free, do you have any quick recipes to share for a busy mom?

Good morning! I wanted to take a few moments to spotlight a that was so helpful this go-around. Thank you, , for truly helping our goals become your goals and safely helping us navigate Lorenzo’s entry into the world.

I really never knew that a doula could be helpful for any type of birth- unmedicated vaginal, medicated vaginal, or C-section. After my experience, I wish I had invested in a doula for my first and second births and would highly recommend it for .

Our doula team (Alessandra and Frances) is a power duo of prenatal prep, birth support, postnatal support, placenta encapsulation, postpartum nutrition, yoga, prenatal massage, postnatal massage, etc. They make an amazing team and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! 🥰

of a newborn with an obsessed Mama ☺️

Day 0- I’m born 😆 ( ). I was blessed to receive the day I was born with .

Day 1- .tiny.tots visited me for an evaluation (Yup! I have some restrictions, but I know some people 😆)

Day 2- We busted outta that hospital and met Ms. Amy at Mommy’s office to release my upper and lower lips (no buccals, waiting on the tongue).

Day 3- Ms. Frances gave Mommy my .

Day 4- I got to meet Dr. Jessica! 🥰

Day 5- sent us some yummy delicious treats!

Day 6- came over for my first Chiro adjustment (I’m told I entered the word a bit rapidly 😬)

Day 7- I’m a week old! 🎉

Day 8- The time came for my . I had another session with Ms. Amy before going back to Mommy’s office.d Mommy and I were very brave (as was Daddy who had to step in as Mommy’s assistant).

Day 9- getting a little sun for my slight jaundice

(Mommy promises to share more of our journey from her perspective as a nursing mama.)

Good morning! Thank you, everyone, for your support and good vibes!

Baby and I are doing well, enjoying our time with family and helping the big brothers adjust to their new roles.

We are so thankful for the tribe we are a part of in the community of as well as the family, friends, and patients that have sent well wishes from near and far (I’m lookin’ at you, 😘).

I promise to post more of our journey and recovery. But for now, we are enjoying some time being .

Wishing you wellness,
Dr. Dy

What a treat to have Megan Bollinger, MPT, PRC come in for a calibration day in preparation for her to join our collaborative team!

Megan specializes in postural restoration and integration. She is such a key team member for the full body wellness goals many of our patients have set for themselves.

Megan is PRC certified through the Postural Restoration Institute. We were paired up by a colleague I was blessed to meet during some of my training in with Dr. Nordstrom and .courses at the earlier this year.

Keep following to see all the exciting things we have in store for you all at the Sleep and Breathing Wellness Center at our new home in Carrollwood. 🙌🏼

How awesome is this power duo?!? 👏🏼

So lucky to have in-office therapist options for our patients for and ! And now that we have 2400 sq ft (and growing) to ourselves, they no longer have to alternate days to share an office. That means more opportunities to collaborate and share ! 🤩

These ladies as well as our home-health providers, virtual providers, and body professionals are *essential* to achieve the changes our patients seek with our to .

The ! Honor yourself/ your baby/ your child by focusing on the therapy and the necessary changes. It will help you achieve with your surgical releases by best preparing it for the changes. Yes, that’s right. Babies need oral motor therapy too to get them back on track as the dysfunction starts in utero. 🤔

Basically, please don’t just jump into the procedure bc you’re there already and a provider offers it right away. Don’t let your/ your loved one’s healing be an afterthought! There are exceptions to same-day treatment BUT not many.

Many thanks to this amazing group of collaborative partners who gifted me and baby with a delicious dinner, great conversation, and a basket of industry-vetted bottles, pacifiers, and teethers 🙌🏼

Happy 4th of July! We hope you are enjoying time with those you love.

Tomorrow, we will reopen and have special hours Wednesday-Friday. For this week only, we will be seeing patients at Sweet Tooth Dentistry (3614 Madaca Ln. | Tampa, FL | 33618) while the we await the arrival of some necessary equipment at our new office.

Please continue to reach Taylor at our usual phone number 813.212.7891 or text line 813.240.3301