Dr Shereen Lim

04/12/2025

I’ve been busy lately! Here’s one of four new podcasts interviews that have launched this week.

Check back for links to the rest of them soon.

Podcast Episode · Spoil Your Baby · 03/12/2025 · 34m

03/12/2025

Palate expansion with Biobloc for 8.5 year old:
10 week progress

Here’s another relatively quick structural change achieved with a removable Biobloc expander.

We have completed active expansion and will now focus on restoring improved muscle patterns for stability of results.

This will include myofunctional therapy, myofunctional training appliances including MyoMunchee and Healthy Start Habit Corrector, and release of upper lip and lower lip, two cheek, and tongue-tie release that were root contributors to oral dysfunction and facial tension.

Disclaimer:

Any orthodontic procedure carries risk, and individual results may vary.
Before proceeding with treatment, you should seek a second opinion with a specialist orthodontist.

30/11/2025

Palate Expansion with Biobloc Expander for 8.5 years old:
9 week progress

Here’s a straightforward case of palate expansion that has helped expand the palate structure and reshape the upper dental arch, creating space to alleviate dental crowding.

We will now transition to the myofunctional therapy phase to promote healthy oral muscle patterns and support long-term stability.

In recent months, I have started to pay more attention to cheek ties and lower lip-ties as possible contributors to facial tension, altered jaw development and orthodontic relapse.

When these soft tissue attachments are tight, I now consider release after orthodontics in children who presented with -

Cheek ties:
⭐ Zero spacing between baby teeth
⭐ Narrow V-shaped dental arches
⭐ Inward-tilting upper teeth
⭐ A tight upper lip

Lower lip ties:
⭐ Excess chin tension at rest
⭐ A recessed lower jaw or lower dental crowding

Having a wealth of facial and dental photographs from infancy through many years post-expansion has helped me observe new patterns and continue evolving my approach.

Disclaimer:

Any orthodontic procedure carries risk, and individual results may vary. Before proceeding with treatment, you should seek a second opinion with a specialist orthodontist.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Individual results may vary. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

27/11/2025

Lower Lip-Tie Observations

Over the past few months, I’ve begun offering more lower lip-tie releases for infants.

This shift was influenced by consistent positive reports from older children and adults post-release, since I started routinely checking for these ties six months ago. Many reported reduced chin tension, and often reduced shoulder tension.

As positive results accumulated, I broadened indications for release in older children and adults beyond gum recession to include reducing chin tension when there is visible muscle strain, and in children with recessed lower jaws or lower dental crowding.

In the last 2–3 months, I also began routinely assessing lower lip ties in infants. They can be easy to miss when the chin is tense and tissues are slippery, but using gauze to grip and retract the lower lip has helped me visualise and palpate the frenulum more predictably.

I now perceive that lower lip-ties are an under-recognised contributor to shallow latch, suboptimal tongue function, and altered facial development in early childhood. Feeding and latch evaluation remain within the scope of an IBCLC, and lower lip release alone does not guarantee improved feeding or development - but these photos capture new patterns I’ve observed and thought are worth sharing.

Image 1: Changes in the shape of the cry before and immediately after lower lip-tie release.

Image 2: A more pronounced or “two-tone” lower lip may correlate with greater tension. This was one of the tightest lower lip ties I’ve released in an infant, with clear overuse of the lower lip and a recessed lower jaw.

Many colleagues have shared that these posts are prompting closer examination in their own patients. These observations are shared not as diagnostic criteria, but to support ongoing curiosity and discussion.

Disclaimer:

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Individual results may vary. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

21/11/2025

Cheek or Buccal Ties

Lately, I’ve been seeing increasing value in cheek tie releases and believe we haven’t been giving them enough attention.

Across my work with infants through to adults, and after reviewing hundreds of facial and dental photographs including children I first saw as infants, I have become increasingly convinced that cheek ties may be an overlooked contributor to facial tension, altered jaw and facial development, and variation in orthodontic stability, even when tongue-tie has already been addressed.

In this video, I share some recent clinical observations and raise this topic to encourage more attention, discussion, and curiosity within the field.

Disclaimer:

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Individual results may vary. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

20/11/2025

I’m excited to share the launch of my new Breathe, Sleep, Thrive book website!

My vision is to help this info reach even more families and colleagues, empowering them with the knowledge to transform children’s airway health and overall well-being.

I’m grateful for the opportunities and doors opened to promote greater awareness, new discussions,, and integration in children’s healthcare, and I’m looking forward to keeping this momentum going, and helping more children and families thrive!

Explore the new site:

Breathing shapes a child’s sleep, growth, and development. This book helps parents and professionals spot dysfunctional issues early and act with confidence.

13/11/2025

Always love seeing Breathe, Sleep, Thrive featured amongst my favourite airway classics!

Thank you Lacie T. Dennis, DDS, PA!

11/11/2025

Here’s a throwback to our Sparkle Christmas function 18 years ago!

My husband Alex and I had just flown home from a practice management workshop in Sydney and made it back just in time to celebrate with our team.

Our eldest daughter slept the entire night in a sling on me after all the travel - without a single peep.

It was such a massive transition - from being full-time and hands-on with our first baby - Sparkle, to both the FOMO and privilege of being a stay-at-home first-time real mum!

This year has been full of special milestones.

💫 Sparkle turned 2️⃣1️⃣
💫 Our daughter turned 1️⃣8️⃣, graduated from high school, is completing her final ATAR exam today, and is heading off tonight to celebrate overseas with friends.

And within our team, there have been some significant Sparkle-versaries:

💫 Simon, our associate dentist, celebrated 1️⃣8️⃣ years with us (he started just before our daughter was born)
💫 Michele, our Oral Health Therapist, celebrated 1️⃣3️⃣ years
💫 Karli, our Practice Manager, celebrated 1️⃣0️⃣ years
💫 Brooke, our Front Office Team Leader, celebrated 5️⃣ years

It’s a proud and sweet moment knowing our daughter is on the verge of truly letting her hair down and spreading her wings - and we know she’ll do it with her usual characteristic exuberance!

We’re grateful for this journey that’s blended two of our proudest achievements - our daughters and our Sparkle team, past and present. Watching everyone grow and evolve together has been so rewarding, and we look forward to the ongoing journey!

09/11/2025

Daydreams

Last weekend, sitting in the audience at His Majesty’s Theatre watching Dr Stacy Sims speak with the host of A Life of Greatness, inspired something greater in me.

This morning, during my walk, I found myself dreaming - of one day visiting different cities for interactive Q&A sessions - no slides, no formality, just connecting and sharing more insights with readers and people curious about my work.

Beneath the branches of a tree (while my husband grabbed coffee), I let my thoughts expand as I looked at the branches and into the sky.

I thought of the colleagues across Europe who have reached out with offers to translate Breathe, Sleep, Thrive, to help more people access this knowledge. I don’t yet have a concrete plan in place, but that interest has planted seeds of possibility.

I want 2026 to be the year I deepen my connections across Europe and join the airway movement unfolding across the region. I may not know exactly how things will unfold, but I’m putting my intention out there, laying the roots, and excited to see which paths open next.

07/11/2025

It was fantastic to spend time together with this group of speech and myofunctional therapy colleagues last night.

I am grateful for their dedication to ongoing learning, and it was a good chance to bond over our common passion for collborative care and early intervention for children!

I look forward to many great new collaborations and discussions in the future.

07/11/2025

Happy 5 year Sparkle-versary to our superstar front office co-ordinator Brooke!

Over the past five years, Brooke has grown into a dynamic team leader and incredible asset to Sparkle!

She is always striving to promote the highest standards of customer service, and putting our patients experience first in every decision we make.

And she is always stepping into many different roles to lend a hand wherever needed.

We couldn’t do what we do without her, and are grateful for an awesome five years! 🥳🥳

07/11/2025

So great to have two of our fantastic assistants Lauren and Tay back to work this week!

It’s been a long three months off for Lauren and an exciting three weeks including her wedding for Tayla!

It’s been great for our entire team to have their energy and extra care and hands back on board!