DENTISTS ONLY 

WEBINAR: Serrapeptase: An Effective Tool in Supporting Function Post-Tongue-Tie Release: 

Jennifer Tow, BFA, MA, IBCLC, LMT, CSOM

August 11, 2023 

8 pm EDT

FREE to those attending live ONLY, $15 for the recorded webinar

Objectives:

Discuss the history and research on serrapaptase use

Describe the benefits for post-tie release in infants

Describe the benefits for post-tie release in children & adults

Be able to teach the application of serrapeptase to patients and guide them appropriately

Compare products and source serrappetase 

Compare clinical outcomes with and without application

Discuss the social media conversation as to "side-effects"

Address the need for multi-site research

WHY SERRAPEPTASE:

The transformation from a caterpillar into a moth or butterfly depends on the actvity of enzymes. During the pupal stage, the catepillar quite literally digests its own body as it completely remodels itself to become a moth or butterfly. Enzymes will then digest the cacoon as the transformed insect emerges. 

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme first isolated from silkworms in the 1960s in Japan, but now synthetically manufactured. It has long been studied for its anti-inflammatory, mucous-reducing and pain relieving properties, due to it's asbility to break down proteins. Serrapeptase can be used effectively post-tie release to support the parent or patient in performing wound healing protocols, lactation interventions in infants/toddlers, myofuntional exercises in older children/adults and in effectively remodeling the wound sites for optimal mobility and function. 

As both IBCLC, bodyworker and myofunctional therapist, deeply involved since 2005 in the rapidly evolving world of oral restrictions, Jennifer Tow became interested in the way that wound treatment varied from one practitioner to another, the conflicting information parents were given to support wound remodeling and the frequency by which parents felt they could not follow wound care instructions, due to the trauma involved. Because IBCLCs and OMTs follow clients for weeks to months post-release, it was clear to her that may release providers were unaware that parents modified care plans frequently, often drastically minimizing or failing to do any wound care at all, commonly leading to poor outcomes. The difference between parent behavior and provider expectations varied widely and has fueled a controversy over wound care that continues to this day, much of it steeped in social media hype and mythology, often driven by "influencers" and those with an agenda in oppositon to release at all. Most importantly, she found that the response by providers took exactly the opposite direction to what was needed, such as reducing frequency of "stretches", or providing tools or instructions that parents could not follow or implement. 

In 2014, Jennifer presented a talk at the second IATP Summit in Montreal on wound healing, inlcuding the influence of various nutrients and supportive therapies on wound remodeling. In her own practice, she had been sharing some of this information with adult clients, such as the need to reduce inflammation, increasing vitamin C intake prior to release and the benefits of homepathy and cell salts to the healing process. A few year later, with the guidance of Dr. Gary Myers, a FL dentist who suggested that enzymes may be helpful in scar tissue reduction post-tie release, and in discussion with Dr Lenny Kundel, a CT dentist with whom she has shared many clients, Jennifer began to search for an enzymatic therapy that might support optimal wound healing and tissue remodeling. 

Because the release is a process, not a procedure, much can happen in the 6 weeks post-release that determines the trajectory of the outcome. Tongue-tie release in infants and often among children and adults as well, requires healing by secondary intention, so a focus on preventing too-rapid healing, as well as buying time to remodel tissue was key, but most importantly, would be an intervention that allowed parents of infants and young children the ability to feel they could indeed manage the process successfully. Educating parents as to the process goes a long way toward maintaing their cooperation, but it isn't always enough, especially during phases of wound contraction when infants and children (and adults!) are the least willing to be "stretched", and when the potential to lose function is the greatest.  

Having a personal family knowledge of proteolytic enzyme use from decades past, Jennifer began to explore the potential benefit in applying them to this process. Six years ago, in consultation with several dentists, Jennifer began to recommend serrapeptase to adult clients, with remarkable success. Next, she began to share the same information with parents whose babies seemed more prone to "reattach" or develop a new short frenum very quickly, in spite of parents following wound care instructions, IBCLC instructions and receiving bodywork for their babies. The results were so profoundly beneficial, that she and several other practitioners, including osteopaths and chiropractors began routinely recommending its use. 

When parents gain immediate benefit post-release, as many do, but begin to find the benfit wains and even regresses, the outcome is much more bleak. This is a common consequence of the wound contraction phase. Serrapeptase application in the procedure site under the tongue and lip affords parents more forgiving, more malleable tissues during active healing management. Parents feel they are causing far less trauma and feel more confident that they can positively influence the healing in a way that optimizes function. Parents quite literally find the wound care, oral exercises and feeding become easier immediately and willingly continue the process.  

The benefits of serrapeptase use in healing after tie release include: increased tissue mobility, decreased trauma, improved feeding, better wound healing, reduced scarring, reduced need for later surgical revision, eased discomfort, and helping parents understand the healing process while improving self-efficacy in the management of healing. Serrapeptase use increases the success rate for everyone involved: the parents, the child, the lactation consultant, and the healthcare provider who treated the tie. 

While there is currently no research as to the use of serrapeptase for frenotomy wounds, there is also no published evidence supporting wound care at all, yet the body of evidence as to how wounds heal is relied upon by practitioners every day, just as it for other interventions. The body of evidence as to how serrapeptase functions in the body is quite robust and the application for tie release is extremely limited in its affect on the body. It is essential to understand that serrapeptase does not act systemically on the body when applied topically, as systemic application requires enteric coating of the capsule.

PRESENTER

Jennifer Tow, BFA, MA, IBCLC, LMT, CSOM.

Jennifer has practiced holistic lactation and guided parents in raising their children holistically for over 30 years. A fascination with the physiology of wellness has led her on a decades-long journey exploring the influences on infant health that come to define long-term human well-being. She has a special interest in the areas of epigenetics and the microbiome, gut-brain health, oral functional competency and airway development, exploring the profoundly far-reaching implications of this work for breastfeeding dyads.

While residing between the USA & France from 2010-12, Jennifer established an international client base and now sees most of her clients on-line, specializing in collaborating with her clients in resolving complex breastfeeding issues. With a Master's degree in Holistic Health Coaching, her reputation for guiding parents through these issues stems from her ability to integrate holistic modalities and an expanded skill-set, such as myofunctional therapy and bodywork techniques, into her practice.

She is a writer and lecturer, offering workshops internationally and via webinar on lactation & epigenetics, gut health & healing, tongue-tie & airway development and holistic lactation practices. She offers a year-long advanced course in Integrative and Holistic Lactation. She is a founding member in 2009 of IATP (the International Affiliation of Tongue-tie Professionals) and founder of the Holistic Lactation Institute.

Jennifer is the mother of three children born at home in 1988, 92 & 98 and a granddaughter born at home in 2009. She has come to deeply embrace the wisdom and humility gained from gestating, birthing, nursing and parenting those three amazing human beings.

PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER IF YOU ARE NOT A LICENSED DENTIST.

REGISTRATION is FREE or those dentists attending live on 8/11, as Jennifer wishes to share this information with dentists globally. The session will be recorded and will cost $15 to attend after that date (no matter whether you registred prior or not as somone needs to be paid to manage registration). If you cannot ettend live, please register for the $15 ticket. Please do not register office staff. This course is for dentists only. 

We reserve the right to refund registration in full and/or cancel the attendance of participants where concerns of intellectual property infringement are at issue or for any other reason deemed appropriate.