08/06/2022
Laura Rowland will be teaching our Infant Development class on behalf of STRHS Pediatric Outpatient Therapy. She will be touching on infant/child milestones and resources that are available to help out babies reach these goals. In addition, she’ll break down some of the misunderstanding regarding infants who have trouble feeding. Check out our schedule for times and locations.
Hello Middle TN/TN Valley area! I have created this page to bring education, awareness and helpful tips & advice for those who seek a holistic approach to speech therapy and oral structure development for optimal lifetime health and wellness.
👄 Did you know that how your mouth/jaw develop as you grow from infancy to adulthood can affect SO many aspects of your health?
👅 Tongue ties (tethered oral tissues - TOTS) can affect palate development, which in turn affects the way the lower jaw grows and is positioned. A high palate creates a small upper jaw, the lower jaw has to stay retracted and small to fit with the upper jaw. This crowds the mouth and creates dental crowding in adolescence and can lead to a lifetime of health issues including (but not limited to) obstructive sleep apnea.
⚠️ Early warning signs of tethered oral tissues can be difficulty and or pain with breastfeeding or bottle feeding; gastrointestinal issues (bloating, gas, constipation) often misinterpreted as colic; lip blisters on babies; a hypersensitive gag reflex in babies and toddlers; difficulty transitioning to solids from breast/bottle feeding; choking or pocketing (holding food in mouth) with chewable foods.
🌟 The best treatment is to find the tethered oral tissue early and correct it before bone development has stopped between the ages of 8-12. However, it’s never too late to treat! I’m 43 and have undergone palate expansion, posterior tongue tie release, and am currently in orthodontics to pull my teeth and lower jaw forward to create more room for my tongue and open my airway! Myofunctional therapy and body work, such as Craniosacral and Craniosacral fascial therapy have been integral parts of my treatment and health journey.
💨 Airway health is THE MOST important aspect of oral health, after all if we cannot breathe, we cannot live. My goal is to educate and help provide intervention for the oral structure early, thus creating the best possible growth and overall health for your child.
💆I’m trained in manual techniques as well as extensive training on TOTs (assessment and treatment of Tethered Oral Tissues) and myofunctional therapy to provide a holistic approach to optimizing oral structure development and health.
💛 Contact me today to help answer questions and get you directed to an airway focused specialist that can help you on your journey!
