Dr Shereen Lim

22/04/2026

Great to review this patient today and see his big and gorgeous smile.

Intervention to date includes:

✅ August 2025: Commenced palate expansion with a Biobloc appliance (before photos)
✅ October 2025: Expansion completed
✅ March 2026: Seven releases of soft tissue restrictions including upper and lower lip, cheek, and tongue-tie releases.

The child has reported his lips, cheeks, and tongue feel looser.

The upper right lateral incisor that was previously blocked out has erupted into good alignment.

Overall, mum has reported “a huge improvement in sleep,” and her initial concerns regarding a narrow palate and limited tongue space have been alleviated.

Disclaimer:�All orthodontic procedures carry risks, and outcomes vary between individuals. A second opinion from a specialist orthodontist is recommended before proceeding with treatment.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

21/04/2026

A tongue can stick out and still be restricted.

It’s not enough to rule out tongue tie just because the tongue can poke forward.

This baby had a tongue tie snip at birth, and you can see that the tongue can now protrude far forward.

But the most important movement for the tongue and good oral function is elevation. And that includes the mid-tongue not just the tip.

Elevation of the tongue is important for:

✅ Good suction and transfer of milk at the breast
✅ Good swallowing
✅ Speech development and articulation
✅ Breathing and airway patency during sleep
✅ Palate development during childhood

To assess for tongue tie properly involves a functional history and a feeding assessment to check the latch.

We also need to lift the tongue and feel the degree of tension.

In this case, there is a still a posterior tongue tie which restricts mid-tongue elevation.

The presenting concerns were poor latch, clicking and intake of air, and gassiness.

If these concerns are present, it’s important to know how well the tongue lifts.

If someone says there is no tongue tie because of how far the tongue can protrude, it can be worth another opinion if there are functional concerns.

21/04/2026

We’re excited to be welcoming Dr Judit to our team tomorrow.

Dr Judit has a special interest in cosmetic and restorative dentistry, and is committed to ongoing advanced training in these areas. I really enjoyed reviewing her portfolio of work and seeing the pride she takes in what she does. I'm pleased to have such a passionate dentist joining our team.

She also brings a calm and gentle presence that I know will put our patients at ease.

For parents, or for my adult patients who may be looking for a regular dentist, we’re now able to welcome more new general dental patients.

If you’d like to book an appointment, feel free to get in touch with our front office team.

We are so excited to welcome Dr Judit Szito to the Sparkle Dental family ✨

Dr Judit brings a calm, caring presence and is deeply passionate about helping people feel comfortable, understood and truly looked after. Her gentle approach and attention to detail reflect everything we value at Sparkle 🤍

She officially starts with us tomorrow and we already know she is going to make such a beautiful impact here. We feel so lucky to have her joining our team.

Feel free to say hello when you see her in the clinic 💛

Welcome to Sparkle, Judit ✨

20/04/2026

Facial Tension - Looking Beyond Tongue Tie

For the last 5 months, I have been taking short facial videos before, and one week after, oral releases.

I’ve found this demonstrates changes in facial tension more clearly than photos alone.

I am increasingly observing that facial tension from lip and cheek ties may be just as important a contributor to poor latch as tongue ties, yet these are often overlooked.

Here’s a recent case of a 5-week-old we treated with five oral releases (upper lip, lower lip, two upper cheek ties, and tongue tie).

In this case the videos also aligned with mum’s report that he was less noisy and congested.

Changes reported at the one-week review:

✅ Reduced clamping and blistering of ni***es
✅ Reduced air intake during feeds
✅ Improved efficiency of feeds, less fatigue
✅ Sleeping for longer periods
✅ Tongue resting higher during sleep
✅ Smiling more
✅ More vocal
✅ Bottom lip crease less red (previously a concern)

Disclaimer: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

18/04/2026

Here’s a little known fact about me…

I first shared this in a podcast interview a couple of months ago that is still to be released.

My favourite souvenirs to collect when travelling are pebbles.

I have a big glass jar that I’ve been slowly filling over the years, many from beaches in the Mediterranean, a part of the world I’m always drawn back to.

Over the last couple of years I’ve been a bit slack with labelling them, so they’ve been piling up on my bedside table.

After my recent trip to Thailand, I decided to finally sort and label them all - only to realise I couldn’t remember where every single one came from.

This photo helps explain why - there are a lot! Together they hold so many memories, and moments spent combing for the perfect memento to bring home.

This batch includes:
🤍 Tumbled glass from the island of Ortigia
🤍 Volcanic rock from Mt Etna
🤍 River stones from Crystal Cascades in Cairns, where my youngest daughter and I went river rafting on what turned into a private and very serene tour
🤍 Beach pebbles from countless beaches in Cairns, Cham Island in Vietnam, and Phuket
🤍 A pebble from the stunning harbour town of Lindau in Germany, where my girls and I also visited thermal baths overlooking the snow-capped Alps earlier this year

And finally, black sand from a beach in Santorini, collected during a trip to celebrate a dear friend’s 50th birthday as he battled cancer. It was an unforgettable celebration of a life well lived.

They’re all in the jar now. A simple hobby that brings me a lot of joy, and a growing collection of places, moments, and memories 🌎

16/04/2026

Just returned from a fantastic two week family vacation in Phuket and Bangkok 🇹🇭

It was the perfect mix of rest and relaxation, adventure, and so many memorable food and travel experiences together.

This photo is from our day exploring James Bond Island and the surrounds.

And whilst Phuket delivered on its promise of adventure, Bangkok was a pleasant surprise. We were there during Songkran, the water festival, which meant getting drenched often as we walked the streets, something my family enjoyed a bit more than me… haha! The energy, the food, the city lights from the river and rooftops - it’s somewhere I will return to explore further, and even welcome the opportunity to speak live in the future.

Today offers a chance to rest and recover. A good coffee, great weather and sunshine, and my favourite walk around Lake Monger.

I’m looking forward to returning to work tomorrow, hearing how everyone’s Easter holidays were, and perhaps a few baby cuddles!

03/04/2026

A last coffee at home, and one of the books I’m packing for a family trip to Thailand 🇹🇭

We’ll be having a couple of weeks of reading, massages, water adventures, and time together.

This one feels a little different.

Our eldest daughter has just been accepted into medical school and will be moving over east in September.

So we’ll be soaking up every moment. The exuberance, constant chatter, and laughter between our girls. The time as a family - minus the need to nag about the dishes and cleaning up! - that suddenly feels more finite.

Time flies so quickly, and it’s a reminder to create more precious memories.

I’ll be back in two weeks, with lots of new ones, and fully recharged and ready to continue the work I love.

Wishing everyone a safe Easter break and a happy school holiday period!

30/03/2026

Facial changes at one week review post oral releases (x6) in an adult

Recently, I shared an adult case where I performed six oral releases - excluding the posterior tongue-tie, as her palate was too narrow and I felt this would be less worthwhile to address without palate expansion to restore more tongue space.

Following release of the upper and lower lip and cheek ties, this patient had an increase in mouth opening of 14 mm (measured inter-incisally). This remained stable at +14 mm at her one-week review.

She was also my first adult patient to report an immediate perception of her palate opening behind her upper front teeth following upper lip-tie release. On her drive home from our practice, she continued to notice further opening and changes.

At her one-week review, she reported that her lips were much easier to seal, she was mouth breathing less, and her sleep had become more restful and still. She had been sleeping through the night instead of having multiple awakenings.

Today is day 11, and she reports that her face continues to show less tension.

Here are her facial photos immediately before release and at her one-week post-release review.

This case, which did not include tongue-tie release, adds to my observations that facial tension related to these additional soft tissue restrictions may play a broader role in oral function than we currently recognise.

I am increasingly seeing consistent patterns of reduced facial tension following release of lip and cheek ties. I also perceive that earlier intervention may have the potential to support improved infant latching and promote better facial and jaw development.

Moving forward, I’ll be sharing more of these visual changes in a new Facebook album:
A Case Series: Facial Tension Changes in Infants Following Oral Releases

My intention is to contribute to ongoing discussion and encourage greater attention to the role of these tissues.

Disclaimer: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

30/03/2026

In this episode of The Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Shereen Lim—dentist, dental sleep medicine expert, myofunctional therapist, and author of Breathe, Sleep, Thrive—to dive deep into what we’re learning about oral ties, airway development, and why early intervention matters so much for our kids. This conversation builds on our previous discussions, but we go even further into the often-overlooked areas of lip ties, cheek (buccal) ties, and how tension patterns in the mouth can shape facial growth, breathing, sleep, and overall health.

We talk honestly about what parents should be watching for, why “wait and see” can be risky, and how breathing, feeding, sleep, behavior, reflux, and even cavities are all connected. Dr. Lim also shares powerful clinical stories—from infants to adults—that highlight just how life-changing addressing oral dysfunction can be when we truly look at the whole body.

Podcast Episode · The Healthy Mouth Movement Podcast · 15 December 2025 · 37min

28/03/2026

8 month old baby with prominent cranial sutures - 4x oral releases

Here’s a throwback to a one-week review of a baby I treated last December.

She had a laser release of her upper lip and tongue-tie on day 4 of life, but the tongue-tie reattached. Feeding and latching difficulties persisted, along with significant gas intake, unsettledness, and poor sleep.

Mum kept searching for answers. She saw two highly skilled IBCLCs, as well as a chiropractor and osteopath. She put in a huge amount of effort. But concerns around her cranial shape and the prominent sutures became the overriding focus.

When I assessed her, the oral and facial tension stood out. Given all the support this family had already pursued, and the plateau in progress, it made sense to proceed with the release of upper cheek (x2), lower lip, and tongue tie to help alleviate that obvious tension.

Mum reported the shift was significant, with a reduction in facial, cranial, and body tension, and with that came improvements in feeding, mobility, and sleep.

Now three months on, she continues to make meaningful developmental gains.

There is ongoing professional debate around oral ties, especially those beyond the tongue and a perceived “lack of evidence" to support intervention.

But absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of no impact. These case studies are part of the best evidence we currently have, and I will continue to share patient stories to support ongoing discussions.

These families are living with very real struggles, including challenges with feeding, disturbed sleep, stress, and uncertainty.

We need to keep paying attention, keep asking questions, and stay open to what our families are telling us.

Disclaimer: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.