06/03/2026
Very exciting news to share!
My peer reviewed article, “Changes in Tongue Resting Posture Following Pediatric Lingual Frenotomy: Evidence for the Tongue as a Muscular Hydrostat,” has now been published open access in the International Journal of Orofacial Myology and Myofunctional Therapy.
Article link: https://www.mdpi.com/2694-2526/52/1/9
This publication represents years of clinical observation, patient care, data collection, and deep research in airway centric pediatric health care from 2017 to 2025. It is deeply connected to the work I have been building since founding Little Bird Pediatric Dentistry in 2017, as the sole doctor and researcher behind this clinical database.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to understand the why behind everything. My background began in Kinesiology, where I fell in love with anatomy and physiology. That same curiosity led me to specialize in pediatric dentistry and, over time, to dedicate my clinical practice to understanding tongue function, breathing, growth, and development.
When I first graduated from pediatric dentistry, I did not fully understand the significance of tongue ties, tongue function, or their relationship to breathing, growth, and development. That changed when I observed tongue tie care and saw, clinically, how much there was to understand. It challenged what I thought I knew and ignited a journey to study, research, ask better questions, and understand how I could help.
Since then, Little Bird Pediatric Dentistry has become a practice completely devoted to airway centric health care from birth onward. While my primary focus is pediatric care, this work has also included caring for many adults, allowing me to observe tongue function, breathing, rest posture, and airway-related patterns across ages. My care integrates comprehensive tongue and lip tie assessment and treatment, orofacial myofunctional therapy, Buteyko breathing, breathing function, craniofacial growth, sleep, and optimized development.
When I built Little Bird, I knew I wanted it to be more than a clinic. I wanted every aspect of patient care to contribute to learning, evaluation, and the evolution of care. Since 2017, my practice has functioned as a living research database, allowing me to continuously study outcomes, refine protocols, and better understand the relationships between tongue function, rest posture, breathing, growth, and development.
This work has been self-propelled, self-funded, and deeply purpose driven. It grew from a desire to help children more fully and contribute meaningful clinical evidence to an evolving field.
This paper examines changes in tongue resting posture following pediatric lingual frenotomy and supports the importance of understanding the tongue as a muscular hydrostat within the living oral cavity.
In simple terms: the tongue is not just a structure that moves. It is a powerful muscular organ that shapes function, growth, breathing, posture, and development. When unrestricted, the tongue is innately designed to rest suctioned against the palate. Recognizing this optimal resting configuration is essential to understanding airway centric health care from birth onward.
For many years, I intentionally held back from posting broadly in airway groups because I wanted to first do the work: care for the patients, build the data, refine the protocols, observe the outcomes, and contribute something meaningful to the field.
After years of this work, it feels like the right time to begin sharing more.
I am incredibly proud and grateful to share this publication. More than anything, I am excited for collaboration. The more we can understand together, question together, research together, and learn from one another across disciplines, the better care we can provide for patients of all ages, beginning with children and families.
I have always believed that only by understanding the why can we provide better health care.
My hope is that this work helps move us closer to airway centric care becoming a standard part of pediatric health care.
To see more of my clinical videos, patient care, airway assessments, and educational content, you can follow along here:
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