Dra. Sharlene Becker Odontopediatria is a specialized pediatric dental practice led by Dra. Sharlene Hostins Becker, an odontopediatra (pediatric dentistry specialist) based in the Bom Retiro neighborhood of Blumenau, Santa Catarina, at Clรญnica Somater. Dra. Sharlene holds a degree in Dentistry from FURB (Universidade Regional de Blumenau) and completed a post-graduate specialization in odontopediatria at Faculdade Avantis, with additional experience as a professor and instructor at both Avantis and FIESC. Her practice is known for its humanized, affective approach โ described by patients as loving, competent, and deeply attentive to the needs of children and their families.
Dra. Sharlene's work is centered on the belief that pediatric dental care is not just about treating teeth, but about building trust, establishing healthy oral habits early, and ensuring that children have positive experiences with dental care that support lifelong well-being. She brings to each consultation the careful, patient-focused attention that characterizes the best of pediatric dental practice.
Pediatric Dentistry
Odontopediatria at Dra. Sharlene's practice covers the complete spectrum of dental care for patients from infancy through adolescence. Infant and baby dental care begins from the earliest weeks of life, addressing oral development, breastfeeding support, and early detection of structural issues. Preventive care โ including professional cleaning, fluoride application, and fissure sealants โ protects children's primary and permanent teeth against the most common threats to early oral health.
Restorative treatments for primary and permanent teeth use biocompatible, tooth-colored materials to repair cavities and damage while preserving tooth structure. When decay or infection reaches the pulp of a primary tooth, pulpotomy or pulpectomy (pediatric root canal procedures) preserve the tooth in the arch until natural exfoliation, protecting the developing permanent tooth beneath. Tooth extractions, when clinically indicated, are performed with careful technique and age-appropriate pain management to minimize distress.
Dra. Sharlene also provides orthodontic monitoring throughout childhood, tracking the development of the dentition and bite and identifying early any patterns that warrant interceptive treatment or specialist referral. Emergency dental care โ for dental trauma, acute pain, or infection โ is available through the clinic's direct contact channels, ensuring families have access to a trusted specialist when urgent situations arise.
Laser Frenectomy (Cirurgia de Freios Orais com Laser)
One of Dra. Sharlene's most distinctive specialties is frenectomia a laser โ laser-assisted oral frenulum surgery. The oral frenula are the small bands of tissue that connect the lips, cheeks, and tongue to the gums and floor of the mouth. When a frenulum is abnormally short, thick, or tight โ a condition called ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) in the case of the lingual frenulum, or maxillary frenulum hypertrophy in the case of the upper lip frenulum โ it can cause significant functional problems.
In infants, tongue-tie interferes with breastfeeding, causing latch difficulties, inadequate milk transfer, nipple pain for the mother, and poor infant weight gain. In older children, restricted tongue mobility can affect speech development, swallowing, and oral hygiene. Upper lip frenulum hypertrophy can create a midline gap (diastema) between the upper front teeth and impair proper lip seal. These conditions require surgical release โ frenectomy โ to restore normal function.
Dra. Sharlene performs frenectomy using a diode laser, a technique increasingly preferred in pediatric patients for several important reasons. Laser frenectomy is precise, minimally invasive, and largely bloodless โ the laser simultaneously cuts and cauterizes tissue, eliminating the need for sutures in most cases and dramatically reducing the procedure's bleeding and visual impact. The post-operative healing period is typically shorter and less uncomfortable than with traditional scalpel surgery. For infants undergoing lingual frenectomy for breastfeeding difficulties, laser procedures can be performed quickly and with minimal trauma, allowing breastfeeding to resume almost immediately.
Dra. Sharlene's expertise in laser frenectomy, combined with her background in pediatric dentistry, makes her a specialist well-suited to manage frenulum cases across all ages and clinical presentations โ from newborn tongue-tie affecting breastfeeding to older children with speech or orthodontic implications.
Patient Experience
Dra. Sharlene Becker's practice at Clรญnica Somater in Blumenau's Bom Retiro neighborhood serves patients covered by Unimed and private-pay patients, with weekday appointments available across extended morning and afternoon sessions. Her combination of specialist pediatric training, laser surgical capability, and genuinely affective clinical approach makes her a trusted choice for parents in Blumenau seeking expert, compassionate dental care for their children โ from the first dental visit through adolescence.
