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Dr. Lim’s Blog

Empowering Parents: Questioning Orthodontic Watchful Waiting for Your Child’s Health
Early Interceptive Orthodontics For Airway Health With Dr Shereen Lim

Empowering Parents: Questioning Orthodontic Watchful Waiting for Your Child’s Health

The Australian Orthodontic Society recommends that children have their first orthodontic evaluation by age 7. Many parents take their child to the orthodontist with concerns of dental crowding and problems like overbites, and they are placed on a program of annual reviews and monitoring of the problem with the aim of ideally delaying treatment until […]
Tongue Scalloping
Tongue Scalloping
Dysfunctional Breathing

Tongue Scalloping

Did you know tongue scalloping or tooth indents on the side of the tongue, are a strong clinical indicator of obstructive breathing during sleep? Tongue scalloping is a result of low tongue tone and posture.  It often reflects poor palate development and constricted tongue space. Research suggests in a pool of people with tongue scalloping: […]
Dental erosion and airway reflux in children
Airway Reflux
Dysfunctional Breathing

Dental erosion and airway reflux in children

Teeth grinding related dental wear is a strong predictor a child has disturbed breathing during sleep. If a child is grinding their teeth during sleep, a screening for sleep and airway problems is worthwhile. The other type of dental wear commonly seen in children is erosion, or acid wear – magnified in the image. This […]
Traumatic deep bites
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Soft-tissue dysfunction

Traumatic deep bites

Tongue tie release – should my child have this done under GA at the time of ENT surgery? Having a tongue tie release whilst a child is under for other surgery like removal of adenoids and tonsils or the insertion of grommets can seem an attractive option. But I don’t always think this option is […]
Is the white coating on my infant’s tongue normal?
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Is the white coating on my infant’s tongue normal?

Tongue tie release – should my child have this done under GA at the time of ENT surgery? Having a tongue tie release whilst a child is under for other surgery like removal of adenoids and tonsils or the insertion of grommets can seem an attractive option. But I don’t always think this option is […]
Case study: Dummy cessation at 3.5 years
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Tongue-tie

Case study: Dummy cessation at 3.5 years

Tongue tie release – should my child have this done under GA at the time of ENT surgery? Having a tongue tie release whilst a child is under for other surgery like removal of adenoids and tonsils or the insertion of grommets can seem an attractive option. But I don’t always think this option is […]
Kissing tonsils
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ENT Surgery

Kissing tonsils

Tongue tie release – should my child have this done under GA at the time of ENT surgery? Having a tongue tie release whilst a child is under for other surgery like removal of adenoids and tonsils or the insertion of grommets can seem an attractive option. But I don’t always think this option is […]
Tongue thrust and orthodontic relapse
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Tongue tie release

Tongue thrust and orthodontic relapse

Tongue tie release – should my child have this done under GA at the time of ENT surgery? Having a tongue tie release whilst a child is under for other surgery like removal of adenoids and tonsils or the insertion of grommets can seem an attractive option. But I don’t always think this option is […]
Should my child have ENT surgery or palate expansion first?
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Palate Expansion

Should my child have ENT surgery or palate expansion first?

My child needs their adenoids and tonsils removed and palate expansion – what should we do first? Many snoring children will have immediate sleep and symptomatic improvements with surgical removal of enlarged adenoids and tonsils. However, research tells us surgery is not a complete cure. Often children will have residual breathing disturbances during sleep, or […]
Should my child have tongue-tie release under GA whilst having ENT surgery?
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Tongue tie release

Should my child have tongue-tie release under GA whilst having ENT surgery?

Tongue tie release – should my child have this done under GA at the time of ENT surgery? Having a tongue tie release whilst a child is under for other surgery like removal of adenoids and tonsils or the insertion of grommets can seem an attractive option. But I don’t always think this option is […]
What is Myofunctional Orthodontics?
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Myofunctional Orthodontics

What is Myofunctional Orthodontics?

The target of myofunctional orthodontics is the poor muscle patterns that contribute to poor jaw development and crooked teeth. These include: Open mouth breathing Tongue ties Oral habits including dummy, thumb and finger sucking Tongue thrusts and reverse swallowing Approaches include: Management of obstructed airways and tongue ties Myofunctional therapy Myofunctional appliances – including Myo […]
What is an Upper Lip Tie?
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Upper Lip Tie

What is an Upper Lip Tie?

Did you know that it is normal to have a fleshy attachment between the upper lip and the front of the top gum? This attachment is called a lip-tie when it restricts normal mobility of the upper lip. The upper lip needs to be mobile to achieve a deeper latch, and can be important to […]
Facial changes after Infant Upper Lip-tie and Tongue-tie release – A Case Study
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Tongue tie release, Upper Lip Tie

Facial changes after Infant Upper Lip-tie and Tongue-tie release – A Case Study

8-month-old – one week review post upper lip and tongue tie release It’s fascinating to see the subtle influence the muscles of the mouth and face have on a child’s facial development and appearance over the years, or sometimes even sooner. This young man had a long history of feeding issues, but ties had been […]
Why I started offering Palate Expansion to 3-4 year olds?
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Palate Expansion

Why I started offering Palate Expansion to 3-4 year olds?

Yesterday I saw eight expansion patients between the ages of 3-4 years. It made me reflect on how much younger my patient base is becoming, how impactful I’m finding it, and my journey starting treatment younger and younger. The traditional age for expansion is age 7-8 years when the first permanent teeth start to come […]
Tongue Motor Immaturity: What can it tells us about a child’s sleep?
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Tongue tie release

Tongue Motor Immaturity: What can it tells us about a child’s sleep?

If a child is unable to elevate the tip of the tongue to their palate, without touching the teeth when asked, this can be described as tongue motor immaturity. It could be a marker of disturbed breathing during sleep. A comprehensive study analysing the jaw, dental and oral muscle characteristics of 100 children with persistent […]
Mouth breathing and facial development
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Mouth breathing

Mouth breathing and facial development

Did you know chronic nasal obstruction and/or open mouth breathing during early childhood influences the way the face grows? The impact depends on the extent and duration of facial muscle adaptations. One of the most recognized patterns of facial growth linked to mouth breathing is a vertical growth pattern called “Adenoid facies” or “long face […]
Craniofacial Dystrophy – What Is It?
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Craniofacial Dystrophy

Craniofacial Dystrophy – What Is It?

When the jaws don’t grow properly, it reflects a distortion of the entire cranial and facial skeleton. Craniofacial dystrophy is a term that was coined to describe this and the set of symptoms that commonly occur with this. These include: Jaw joint and muscle dysfunction Obstructive sleep apnoea Crooked teeth and impacted wisdom teeth Narrow […]
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