In our experience, your instincts are

almost always right.

Something feel “off”?

Although education related to the topic of tongue-ties is improving, the impact of such a restriction is often excused or even ignored. With feeding difficulties, for instance, it might be said that the child is “easily distractible” or “a picky eater.” With breastfeeding difficulties, the mother might be told, “It is supposed to hurt for six weeks,” “All babies are gassy and fussy or spit up,” or “Your baby is just a lazy nurser.” Such advice is often well-intentioned and meant to be encouraging, but it ignores the problem or fails to even recognize that there is a problem.

The problem may be a tongue-tie.

Some researchers estimate the prevalence of tongue-tie to be between 4% and 10% of the population, but the actual number may be higher because most studies don’t take into account posterior tongue-tie, which is more difficult to diagnose. The real number of babies or children that are affected by tongue-tie is likely closer to 1 in 4.

A tongue-tie can be the hidden reason behind nursing difficulties in babies, feeding problems in toddlers, speech issues in children, and even headaches or neck pain in adults. Are tongue-ties the cause of all the world’s ills? No. But they are too often overlooked, misdiagnosed, and written off by many healthcare providers. That’s why we help patients in our clinic and train other professionals to do the same in theirs.

Meet our team

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>10k

patients served

250+

providers trained
in-person

>15

countries of patients we’ve treated

We stand behind our values.

Education

We believe that awareness is the first step to change.

Service

We believe in meeting learners wherever they are.

Wellness

We believe tongue-ties shouldn’t hold kids back.

Generosity

We believe in being good stewards of our resources.

Here’s how we live out our core value of generosity.

100% of the profits from the Tongue-Tied Academy courses for professionals and a significant portion of the profits from this practice support local and global nonprofits.

ORGANIZATIONS WE SUPPORT

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We are honored to link arms with the missions of:

Neverthirst
Mailbox Club
Reach the Rest
Blanket Fort Hope
WorkFaith Birmingham
Oak Tree Ministries
Doulos Partners
Radical
And more!

Group photo of African children supported by the profits made from Tongue Tie Academy courses

background impact celebrated course academy

Patients have traveled from all over the nation and around the world to receive our care.

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McKenzie M.

After months of struggling with breastfeeding, we were both beyond frustrated and dreading every feeding. I called the center and they got me in two days later – the staff was extremely friendly and Dr. Baxter was absolutely incredible. He listened to my concerns attentively, validated my feelings and provided a thorough examination and diagnosis. Each day since the procedure, feeds have been easier and four days out, things are nearly “normal!”

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Kaley M.

Dr. Baxter performed a tongue- and lip-tie revision on my son when he was 8 weeks old. I was very close to quitting breastfeeding all together but it resolved any problems we had with nursing and made our life so much easier. I was very pleased with the process, atmosphere and staff.

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Victoria P.

Dr. Baxter and his staff did a phenomenal job with my daughter’s tongue and tie releases! We drove 13+ hours just to meet with him. He made us understand that we weren’t alone or crazy. Our symptoms were because of real ties! He empathized with us. He taught us everything we needed to be aware of. He prayed with us. He improved her life in less than 5 minutes. He was the BEST!

Meet our team.

Release Tongue Ties Laser Technology Tongue Ties Birmingham AL team outside

Release Tongue Ties Laser Technology Tongue Ties Birmingham AL team

Release Tongue Ties Laser Technology Tongue Ties Birmingham AL richard brigitte

Dr. Richard Baxter

Dr. Richard Baxter is a board-certified pediatric dentist and diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery. He is an internationally-recognized speaker on tongue-ties, author of the best-selling book, Tongue-Tied: How a Tiny String Under the Tongue Impacts Nursing, Speech, Feeding, and More, and instructor of the acclaimed course Tongue-Tied Academy.

Unbelievably, it wasn’t until after Dr. Baxter’s education in dental school and pediatric residency and his immersion in the dental field that he discovered his own tongue-tie. The fact that he went undiagnosed for so long helped him to recognize that others were living limited lives because of their tongue-ties, too-including his three daughters. Now, he’s on a mission to help parents easily identify issues associated with their children’s mouth restrictions, so that they can get the right treatment sooner. We also help train providers from all over the world so they can help their patients with this common condition.

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Dr. Brigitte Trego

Dr. Brigitte Trego graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Alabama and went on to attend UAB School of Dentistry where she was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society for being in the top ten percent of her graduating class. Dr. Trego then went on to attend a two-year pediatric dental residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, recently named the top children’s hospital in the nation. Dr. Trego is a board-certified pediatric dentist trained to treat children with special healthcare needs.

Dr. Trego is married to her husband Austin and has one son, Barnes Thomas. After several weeks of nursing issues, he was evaluated and determined to have a lip and posterior tongue-tie. After performing a lip and tongue-tie release on her own son, she has experienced firsthand what a difference a release can make! She enjoys spending time outdoors with their rescue dog Layla, cheering on the Crimson Tide, cooking, and cycling. Dr. Trego loves getting to make a difference in her patient’s lives!