Dr. Bethany M. Kum DDS

Dr. Bethany M. Kum is a tongue and lip tie specialist in the Los Angeles/San Gabriel Valley area of Southern California. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Hygiene and her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the USC Ostrow School of Dentistry.

As a mother and dentist, Dr. Kum found her daughter needing a tongue tie release procedure (frenectomy) and encountered heaps of frustration with the gaps of a broken medical/dental system that most doctors and dentists do not understand.

Despite the obstacles and finding an amazing collaborative care team, Dr. Kum found the procedure to positively impact her daughter’s feeding journey and development. From there, Dr. Kum set out to create a frictionless and caring experience personalized to each family.

By retiring from general dentistry, she was able to create Tongue Ties With Love. She was selected to be a part of The Breathe Institute’s Baby Breathe Affiliate Mini-Residency program. She has shadowed many of her colleagues who are chiropractors, lactation specialists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, craniosacral therapists, speech therapists, feeding therapists, and orofacial myofunctional therapist to better understand the holistic needs and to bring a collaborative care team together for a baby and family during their tongue tie journey.

Dr. Kum prioritizes lifelong learning and is a part of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, San Gabriel Valley Dental Association, American Laser Study Club, International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals, and International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals. Dr. Kum is trained in using her LightScalpel CO2 laser for safe and precise frenectomy procedures.

Session

Babes, Tongues, & Ties: Doula Support to Optimize the Feeding Journey

Recent research shows that families have an increasing desire to feed their babies by lactation as opposed to artificial or supplemental milk such as formula. Even with this increased desire, babies are still struggling to feed. Additionally, there is a lack of information in the birthing community about what can be impacting their function to feed optimally and what support is available to the new family.

We know that feeding is important to new families; and we also know that there is a rise of tongue and lip ties (aka ankyloglossia/tethered oral tissues/oral restrictions) that are being acknowledged, diagnosed, and treated.

In this session, we will discuss ways for the doula to be empowered to advocate for families if they are having a difficult feeding journey due to tongue and lip ties. We will cover the signs and symptoms of a tongue and lip tie and the anatomy of the mouth, tongue, and lips. We will also explore how you can help your clients choose the right provider and recommendations to help create the family’s collaborative care team for their feeding journey.

Addressing tongue and/or lip ties early can have life-changing impacts on a baby’s quality of life as they grow. It can affect infant sleep, feeding (breast, bottle, solids), airways, breathing, orofacial growth and development, speech, and so much more. Dr. Kum will share her process with families of the consultation, treatment planning, and procedure utilizing her CO2 laser as well as her personalized support, and wound care management. Dr. Kum will discuss some of her clinical cases as well as what the current research shows.

As a doula, your passion, love, and support go beyond childbirth and we know that getting feeding concerns addressed early can impact the dyad’s feeding journey and quality of life as they grow. Doulas can help bridge the gap between clients and providers so that they can get a diagnosis and plan sooner than later. Join Dr. Kum for this session to learn more about how you can level up to make a difference in early intervention to enhance lactation success.