Color Atlas of Infant Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie Laser Frenectomy

Robert Convissar, DDS, is a pioneer in the field of laser dentistry. One of the first dentists to use lasers in general practice; he has over 25 years of experience with CO₂, diode, erbium, and Nd YAG wavelengths.

The author of over fifteen peer-reviewed papers on laser dentistry, he is honored to have served as contributing editor of 5 laser dentistry textbooks. An internationally acclaimed lecturer from New York to London to Rome to Sydney to Hong Kong to Beijing, and everywhere in between, Dr. Convissar has delivered over 300 Laser Dentistry Certification courses worldwide. Dr. Convissar practices restorative cosmetic and laser dentistry in New York City and serves as Direct of Laser Dentistry at New York Hospital Queens Medical Center.

Alison Hazelbaker, PhD, IBCLC, has been a lactation therapist for over 30 years. She specializes in cross-disciplinary treatment and to that end has taken training in several modalities to best assist her clients. She earned her undergraduate degree from New York University, her Master’s Degree from Pacific Oaks College (Human Development specializing in Human Lactation) and her doctorate from The Union Institute and University (Psychology).

Her original research on tongue-tie, done in 1993, has changed clinical practice both in the USA and abroad. She authored the Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function™© (ATLFF™©) and is the author of Tongue-tie: Morphogenesis, Impact, Assessment and Treatment.

Martin A. Kaplan, DMD, maintains a full time pediatric dental practice in Stoughton, Massachusetts.  He is a part-time adjunct clinical instructor in the pediatric post-graduate department at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. He has been an early adopter of laser dentistry and has been standard certified by the Academy of Laser Dentistry since 2004. He has lectured nationally and internationally and has co-authored several dental articles and been a contributing author in several dental texts. Dr. Kaplan was instrumental in developing the first in the country comprehensive Infant Laser Frenotomy class which is co-presented with Dr. Alison Hazelbaker and Dr. Robert Convissar at Tufts University Medical Center in Boston.

Peter Vitruk, PhD, earned his PhD degree in Physics from the Moscow Physics and Technology Institute, Moscow USSR in 1990. He is a Member of The Institute of Physics, UK; a Diplomate and Director of Laser Physics and Safety Education of the American Board of Laser Surgery, USA; and a Member of the Science and Research Committee, Academy of Laser Dentistry, USA.

Dr. Vitruk published on electrodynamic properties and Scaling Laws of low temperature RF plasmas utilized in high power RF excited CO₂ lasers and atomic Xe lasers, laser resonator and beam transmission optics. His most recent interests and publications include the physics of the laser tissue interaction (absorption, scatter, ablation, and coagulation) in soft tissue surgery and dentistry.

In the 1990s Dr. Vitruk held a Research Scientist position with The Institute for Problems in Mechanics, The Academy of Sciences, Moscow, USSR, and then a Royal Society Visiting Research Fellow position at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Since 1995 he worked as Senior Scientist with Synrad Inc. in Seattle, WA, USA, and later as Chief Scientist with Luxar / ESC / Lumenis also in Seattle. During 2000s Dr. Vitruk co-founded LuxarCare LLC, Aesculight LLC, and LightScalpel LLC – laser service, technology development and manufacturing companies near Seattle – which he presently operates.

Dr. Vitruk was born and raised in Western Ukraine. He is married to his wife of 30+ years Natasha and they together have two children, Olga and Alexander.

Chapter one, by Dr. Hazelbaker, describes sucking physiology to aid the reader in understanding the exact nature of the physiological compromise that occurs in the presence of tongue-tie.

Chapter two, also by Dr. Hazelbaker, addresses proper assessment of tongue-tie, clarifying the differences between classification schemas and evidence-based screening tools. It further looks at the popular phenomena of lip and buccal “ties”, presenting the evidence about normal morphology, and addressing the salient issues surrounding the diagnosis of these rare impediments to proper function.

Chapter three, by Dr. Convissar, presents the physics of lasers as a backdrop for the Case History Atlas in the second half of the book.

Chapter four, contributed by Dr. Vitruk, delves more deeply into the physics of lasers, comparing and contrasting the various lasers and their strengths and weaknesses as tools for addressing oral issues.

The Kaplan atlas, which rounds out this volume, presents Case Histories along with before and after photos, representing garden-variety cases alongside of rarer and more unusual cases that are co-morbid with the ties.

The appendices provide documents developed by Dr. Kaplan in his private practice to serve as templates for those who desire guidance on how to properly intake, assess and document their tongue-tie cases. Dr. Kaplan also shares his post-op parent materials in this section. A copy of the Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function (ATLFF©™), (the only evidenced-based tongue-tie screening tool for infants from 37 weeks to 6 months of age), also appears in the appendices. A description of how to use the tool correctly in clinical practice accompanies the ATLFF©™ charting tool. A list of LASER safety strategies rounds out this section.