By Raymond Tseng, DDS, PhD

If you’re reading this, you might be a parent wondering if your baby or child has a tongue tie (ankyloglossia). You may be feeling overwhelmed, confused, or just looking for answers. You’re not alone—and you’re in the right place.

At the North Carolina Tongue Tie Center, we believe that every child deserves the best care possible. That’s why we don’t just treat tongue ties—we study them. Our center is one of the leading research hubs in the world focused on understanding how tongue ties affect feeding, speech, and development.

What Is Research, and Why Does It Matter?

Research is how doctors and scientists learn what works and what doesn’t. It helps us answer questions like:

• When should a tongue tie be treated?
• What kind of treatment helps babies feed better?
• How do tongue ties affect speech and growth later in life?

We use research to provide proof, to ourselves and our families, that the work we do has a real impact that can be seen and felt by families whose children are struggling with breastfeeding, eating, speech, airway health and other areas linked to tongue ties. It’s not enough to think something will work – we want to have evidence and knowledge so we can be truthful with parents who have to make hard decisions about tongue-tie treatments. Without research, we’d be guessing. With research, we can give your child care that’s backed by science and proven to help.

If you’ve ever encountered conflicting or confusing answers from different health professionals like a pediatrician, lactation consultant and a pediatric dentist, then you’ve experienced how confusing it can be when everyone is not sharing the same, up to date information. The Research that Dr. Ray oversees helps affirm things we thought we knew, and helps us to identify new and exciting pathways to help make sure our children are healthy and well.

How Research Helps Your Child

When you bring your child to our center, you’re getting care that’s based on the latest studies and discoveries, much of which is conducted right here in Cary, NC. We use tools and techniques that have been tested, validated, and shown to work. We also work with other experts—like lactation consultants and speech therapists—to make sure your child gets complete support. Every visit helps us learn more. When we treat your child, we gather information (with your permission) that helps us improve care for other families. That means you’re helping future parents who may be going through the same challenges.

You’re Part of Something Bigger

By choosing the North Carolina Tongue Tie Center, you’re not just helping your own child—you’re helping children all over the world. The research we do here is shared with doctors, dentists, and hospitals everywhere. Your story helps shape better care for the next generation.

We’re proud to be a place where science meets compassion. Thank you for trusting us with your child’s health. Together, we’re making a difference—one family at a time.