Soft Tissue Laser Frenectomy TRULY Sets Enclave Dental Apart!
November 25, 2015
Recently I wrote a short piece of my personal story regarding lip and tongue ties (Ankyloglossia), and ultimately, why I am so intent on bringing this awareness to other mothers and babies struggling in the same way I did. The procedure mentioned in that story is called a frenectomy. This is a very short and painless procedure I have performed on HUNDREDS of babies and children over the years, and fully plan to bring relief to hundreds and hundreds more!
Prior to the procedure, a topical anesthetic, which is free of benzocaine, is applied on the lip or under the tongue, where the frenum connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. This ensures the child feels no discomfort during, nor after the procedure. I then use a very small, precision, soft-tissue laser to release the fibers and relieve the tension on the lip and/or the tongue, so the tongue can move freely. Lip and Tongue tie can cause cavities, gap in the front teeth, trouble with feeding, chewing, speech, etc. Usually, there is no bleeding and the laser greatly reduces the risk for infection. Healing and regeneration is stimulated by the laser’s energy, so recovery time is also much quicker. Some babies even sleep through the procedure! The whole encounter, from your consult to the time you leave, will take no longer than a typical dental visit for routine cleaning! (more…)
Can Your Dentist Save Your Breastfeeding Relationship With Your Child?
One of the reasons I enjoy spending time peeling back the layers of my story for you is so we can build a GENUINE connection. It is also important for you to understand the reasoning behind my practice and why I am so passionate about treating my patients. So, when I ask you if your newborn is having difficulty nursing, or if your toddler is having issues chewing her food, or suffering with reflux, you may wonder how that relates to dentistry and oral health. I’m so happy you asked…!
Years ago as a new mother, my baby had great difficulty nursing and was very colicky. Even after changing pediatricians several times, no one could find anything wrong with my son and my frustration grew. By the time my son was 6 years old, I had been told about lip and tongue ties (a congenital condition called Ankyloglossia) in children and began to earnestly research the condition and it’s symptoms. I was BLOWN AWAY that something so simple, and usually easy to fix, could cause so many problems for thousands of frustrated mothers and children! I hold a masters degree in craniofacial development, have trained at two dental schools in India, as well as advanced training at Harvard Dental School, yet still had never learned about lip and tongue ties.
I was determined and quickly became formally trained to fix lip and tongue ties. My 6 year old son was my first patient for that procedure, called a frenectomy. His issues with chewing and throwing up his food immediately disappeared! In some instances, lip and tongue ties can contribute to cavities, speech development issues, and digestive complications. These are a few reasons why it is important to recognize and fix the problem early on.
For the mothers who can relate to this story, I want to say to you – I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! I encourage you to look for lip and tongue tie symptoms like the ones below:
- Poor latch
- Colic symptoms
- Reflux symptoms
- Poor weight gain
- Continuous feedings
- Gumming or chewing of nipple
- Unable to take pacifier or bottle
- Incomplete breast drainage
- Infected nipples or breasts
- Nipple thrush
Because of my own experience, I am extremely committed to bringing relief and joy back to nursing mothers and their babies. Enclave Dental is one of a very small group of dental practices in all of North Texas who use a precision laser during the procedure. This special laser means a frenectomy in our office usually takes a mere 1-2 minutes, with only a topical, local anesthetic being used, so your child remains perfectly comfortable and hardly skips a beat!
Thank you for letting me share a little of my story with you. It is my true hope that I will be a small part of your story, in some way, as we continue to encourage safe, holistic dental care. Please call our office today for an appointment – I am very excited to visit with you soon!
Embracing Whole-Body Wellness,
Preetha Thomas, DMD
Enclave Dental
Replace Missing Teeth with Dental Implants Southlake Residents Rely On
August 19, 2015
A missing tooth changes the way you look, the way it feels to chew or speak, and it can adversely affect your self-esteem. Worst of all, even one missing tooth can have a negative impact on your oral health leading to dental drift (shifting of surrounding teeth to fill in the gap), loss of gum tissue shape and support, and reduction in bone density. It is essential that missing teeth be replaced in a timely fashion in order to protect your long term oral health, but traditional tooth replacement options don’t always sound very appealing. For instance, crown and bridge treatment to replace one or more consecutive teeth is effective, but it causes unnecessary damage to surrounding teeth and does not help to preserve gum tissue or jaw bone density. Innovations in dentistry have made dental implants a safe, effective tooth replacement option that restores the entire tooth from the roots up. If you’re missing one or more teeth and want to find out more about dental implant tooth replacement, call Dr. Preetha Thomas of Enclave Dental today. Our Southlake, TX practice welcomes patients to schedule dental implant consultations to find out more about our practice and treatment options.
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Your Family Can Enjoy Fantastic Dentistry Services
June 20, 2015
Your family is very important. When it comes to keeping their health in great shape, you will go to the ends of the Earth to ensure their health is never compromised. Their oral health is just as important because of how closely linked oral and overall health is. Let’s think about it for a second, when you have an infection in one part of your body, the rest of your wellbeing is going to be affected in some way. The same goes for oral health, too. Any infection or disease that isn’t properly treated will find a way to impact your overall health. This isn’t good news. We want your family to be free of diseases and in terrific shape. When you come to our office in Southlake, TX, you’ll notice how much care we put into our family dentistry services. Dr. Preetha Thomas provides gentle care that young ones can enjoy, too. We specialize in holistic care, and that’s exactly what you’ll be treated to when you visit our office.
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