Having learned and collaborated with pediatric health care experts from around the world, a new comprehensive airway centric assessment and approach was born.
Dr. Alison Sigal
Certified Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry
B.H.Kin, DDS, MSc (Ped Dent), FRCDC
Founder, Little Bird Pediatric Dentistry
Making airway-centric health care a global standard—shaping textbooks, curriculums, and future health-care models. Little Bird Pediatric Dentistry represents Dr. Alison Sigal’s vision of pediatric health care, creating an Airway Centric clinic that focuses on optimizing the growth, development and function of all children from birth on-wards. This vision of Little Bird grew from…
- A love for children and healthcare,
- A foundation in anatomy, physiology, and function,
- And a passion for research and global multi-disciplinary collaboration
Dr. Alison Sigal is a pediatric dentist with additional training that includes orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) and Buteyko breathing. We have a four-fold mission at Little Bird:
1. To optimize the growth, development and function of all children we care for from birth onwards, that is airway focused and comprehensive. For optimized growth, development and function, it is critical that we are breathing from our noses, having our lips sealed (closed) at rest, and with correct tongue rest posture (up against the roof of our mouths, behind the upper front teeth). Our philosophy of care at Little Bird is for optimization and prevention, to therefore avoid or minimize treatment and correction at a later, older age. This is why we work collaboratively with various health care providers and see babies within their first months of life - ensuring optimized tongue and lip rest posture, nose breathing, sleeping and feeding. Beyond babies, ALL new patients at Little Bird receive comprehensive airway centric examinations that include but are not limited to the evaluation of their breathing, sleeping, diet/chewing /swallowing and teeth. No matter how old your child is, identification and treatment can be beneficial. Dependent on the specific needs for each patient, our services at Little Bird may include (but are not limited to) Buteyko breathing re-education, orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT - exercises for the muscles of your head, neck, & airway), tongue and/or lip tie releases (frenotomies) and more.
2. Provide a community-based family first center where care can be personalized to the unique needs of each individual. Little Bird has Snoezelen/Sensory integrated features throughout the entire office. At Little Bird, we aspire to meet the needs of each of our patients through our various spaces and design. From a natural waterfall feature, to live trees, calming rooms, rebounding therapy and a classroom space for our many airway centric programs!
3. To practice and contribute to evidence based health care; having created a secure electronic charting system, this will allow for on-going research to be conducted at LB, and used to assess and continually improve patient care.
4. To continually collaborate and learn from multi-disciplinary health care providers, and evolve our practices to best meet the needs of our patients. Please visit our website at www.littlebirddental.ca for further details and to use our Airway Centric Self-Assessment Checklists to evaluate your loved ones from home! We look forward to taking care of you,
Sincerely,
Dr. Alison Sigal
“Spread Love. Spread Kindness. Spread Your Wings!”
02/02/2026
One family. One day. Big results. 💙
What started as possible care for one son turned into caring for Mom, Dad, and siblings too!
So thankful we could help this wonderful family —and we can’t wait to hear from them again as they continue to live their optimized lives!
02/02/2026
Sweet baby Sydney 💙💙
Swipe to see the data her mama has tracked—clear, meaningful improvements in sleep that speak for themselves.
When tongue tie release is done properly and with the airway in mind, sleep can change… and so can a family’s day-to-day life.
Sleep matters. And we’re so excited to see where this bright, well-rested, tongue-tie-released life will take her
01/31/2026
Day 10 / 10 — The Final Reason to Release a Tongue Tie
Headaches. Migraines. Chronic tension.
These are not things we should learn to live with.”
A restricted tongue can contribute to:
• Forward head posture
• Neck and shoulder tension
• Compromised airway and poor sleep
When the tongue can’t rest and function properly, the body compensates—often by recruiting the neck, jaw, and shoulders. Over time, that constant compensation creates strain and pain.
Tongue tie release, paired with proper functional therapy, can help improve—or completely relieve—headaches by:
✔️ Reducing forward head posture
✔️ Improving sleep quality and oxygenation
✔️ Decreasing overall tension in the body
This isn’t just about the tongue.
It’s about posture, sleep, airway, and whole-body health.
Thank you for following along in this 10-day series.
Education and airway-centric care will always be the mission 💙
01/30/2026
I’m absolutely beaming this morning!
The sun is shining and my inbox is overflowing with parent messages sharing real wins and improved lives.
Sweet baby Sydney was here at Little Bird just 18 days ago for her release and is now sleeping like a QUEEN.
Here I got to see her mama’s data points—watching struggles turn into steady, beautiful improvements is pure magic.
What a gift it is to witness the start of such a vibrant life for this little bird.
Thank you for trusting me with your precious girl 💙
01/30/2026
Day 9: OPTIMAL range of motion — from the tongue to the toes.
Posture isn’t just about standing tall… it’s about total body freedom.
When the tongue is released and resting where it belongs—up on the palate—it becomes a stabilizing anchor for the entire body.
A tethered tongue pulls down on the system, adding strain to the cervical spine and creating compensation patterns head to toe.
Release the restriction, and suddenly the body can move the way it was designed to.
Less tension.
Fewer headaches.
Reduced neck and shoulder strain.
More ease, balance, and full-range movement.
Imagine living in a body that feels light, aligned, and pain-free.
That’s the power of tongue tie release.
01/29/2026
Day 8: Ease of articulation!
Who doesn’t want to be heard and truly understood?
After a tongue tie is released full tongue mobility unlocks clearer speech, sharper pronunciation, and effortless flow. When the tongue moves the way it’s meant to, words land with precision and power.
No more tripping over sounds.
No more lag between thought and speech.
Let your words keep up with your mind — and speak with clarity, ease, and confidence.
01/27/2026
Day 7!
Releasing a tongue tie creates real, functional change for my patients.
With full tongue mobility, eating becomes easier and more enjoyable — improving chewing, swallowing, and even taking liquids and pills.
The tongue is designed to create a natural wave-like peristaltic movement in the mouth. When it’s restricted, that process is disrupted. Restoring function supports smoother swallowing, better digestion, and a more confident relationship with food.
Function matters. Quality of life matters.
01/26/2026
Calm isn’t a mindset — it’s a nervous system state.
When the parasympathetic system is activated:
• Better focus
• More energy
• Happier mood
• Fewer emotional regulation challenges
Nasal breathing tells the body it’s safe.
And when the body feels safe, behaviour changes.
Today we slow it all the way down.
Activating the parasympathetic nervous system is how the body shifts from survival mode into rest + repair.
An optimally suctioned tongue supports an open airway and signals safety to the body. Pair that with a slow nasal exhale, and the nervous system finally gets the message: you’re okay.
Less tension.
Less anxiety.
More calm, restorative rest.
Your breath, your tongue, your nervous system—working together 🤍
01/24/2026
Quality sleep starts with quality breathing.
When the tongue is properly suctioned to the palate, it stays out of the airway—allowing for unobstructed breathing and truly restorative sleep. 😴
Tongue tie release supports this natural tongue posture, helping people of all ages experience deeper, more recuperative rest.
Because sleep isn’t just rest… it’s repair.
01/23/2026
Day 3/10: Growth isn’t random—here’s how the face develops!
One thing I wish more families knew 👇
The tongue plays a HUGE role in how a child’s face, jaws, and airway develop.
When it’s suctioned to the palate, it helps create space—space for breathing, teeth, and balanced facial growth.
That’s why tongue tie release isn’t just about feeding or speech.
It’s about supporting how kids grow.
This is airway-centric care in action 💙
01/22/2026
On day 2, let’s talk about the second most important reason for tongue tie release and optimal tongue rest posture; Restoring proper nasal breathing.
The nose is designed for breathing, the mouth is designed for eating (and speaking)!
Function first. Always.
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Little Bird Pediatric Dentistry:
Little Bird Pediatric Dentistry represents Dr. Alison Sigal’s vision of pediatric health care, creating an Airway Centric clinic that focuses on optimizing the growth, development and function of all children from birth on-wards, and caring for persons with special needs of all ages.
This vision of Little Bird grew from…
A love for children, persons with special needs, and healthcare,
A foundation in anatomy, physiology, and function,
And a passion for research and global multi-disciplinary collaboration
Drs. Alison Sigal and her father Michael Sigal are both pediatric dentists with additional training that includes orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) and Buteyko breathing. Having learned and collaborated with pediatric health care experts from around the world, a new comprehensive assessment and approach was born.
We have a four-fold mission at Little Bird:
To optimize the growth, development and function of all children we care for from birth onwards, that is airway focused and comprehensive. For optimized growth, development and function, it is critical that we are breathing from our noses, having our lips sealed (closed) at rest, and with correct tongue rest posture (up against the roof of our mouths, behind the upper front teeth).
Our philosophy of care at Little Bird is for optimization and prevention, to therefore avoid or minimize treatment and correction at a later, older age. This is why we work collaboratively with various health care providers and see babies within their first months of life - ensuring optimized tongue and lip rest posture, nose breathing, sleeping and feeding.
Beyond babies, ALL new patients at Little Bird will receive a comprehensive airway centric examinations that include but are not limited to the evaluation of their breathing, sleeping, diet/chewing /swallowing and teeth.
No matter how old your child is, identification and treatment can be beneficial. Dependent on the specific needs for each patient, our services at Little Bird may include (but are not limited to) nasal hygiene programs, Buteyko breathing re-education, orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT - exercises for the muscles of your head, neck, & airway), tongue and/or lip tie releases (frenotomies) and more.
To pioneer a community-based Center for Persons with Special Needs of All ages where care can be personalized to the unique needs of each individual
Little Bird features a first of its kind, controlled multi sensory (Snoezelen) treatment room, and has Snoezelen/Sensory integrated features throughout the entire office. At Little Bird, we aspire to meet the unique needs of each of our patients through our various spaces and unique design. From a natural waterfall feature, to live trees, calming rooms, rebounding therapy and classroom space that enables group homes to attend their appointments together.
To practice and contribute to evidence based health care; having created a secure electronic charting system, this will allow for on-going research to be conducted at LB, and used to assess and continually improve patient care
To continually collaborate and learn from multi-disciplinary health care providers, and evolve our practices to best meet the needs of our patients
Please visit our website at www.littlebirddental.ca for further details and to use our free Airway Centric Self-Assessment Checklists!
We look forward to taking care of you from before you are born, until you are soaring at Little Bird!
Sincerely,
Dr. Alison Sigal
“Spread Love. Spread Kindness. Spread Your Wings!”
