The person behind the protocol.
Dr. Chelsea Pinto, BS, DDS, CLC is a dentist, educator, and Certified Lactation Counselor based in Los Angeles County who has dedicated her career to advancing infant and toddler oral functional care, including the evaluation and treatment of tongue and lip ties and related oral motor challenges.
She earned her Bachelor of Science from Emory University and her Doctor of Dental Surgery from the USC Ostrow School of Dentistry, where she also completed a post-graduate general residency program. As a Certified Lactation Counselor, Dr. Pinto integrates her dental expertise with a deep understanding of the anatomy and physiology underlying breastfeeding and early feeding.
Having evaluated and treated thousands of infants, she is recognized for her evidence-based, collaborative, and conservative approach to care. Dr. Pinto is the founder of the Infant Frenectomy Protocol Course, an educational program training healthcare professionals to provide anatomically and physiologically guided care, including the integration of CO₂ laser frenectomy and photobiomodulation (PBM) light therapy as part of a mindful, comfort-focused treatment philosophy. Her curriculum emphasizes clinical decision-making grounded in current evidence, intentional case selection, and a collaborative, family-centered philosophy of care.
Dr. Pinto is passionate about equipping providers with the clinical foundation to approach infant and toddler oral functional care with accuracy, nuance, and compassion.
My Philosophy
I believe that the best care happens when providers are curious, authentic, and willing to collaborate. That means asking the right questions, honoring normalcy, avoiding overtreatment, and making sure families feel informed and empowered, never overwhelmed.
Outside Office Hours
When I'm not teaching or mentoring, I'm fully immersed in the beautiful, wild, messy ride of motherhood. I'm a mom of three and married to my college sweetheart, and we spend as much time outside as possible. Playing, hiking, swimming, exploring. Southern California keeps us busy and grateful.
I recently fell in love with baking sourdough bread, I'm a country music lover, obsessed with fresh flowers and Italian food, and I enjoy creating and painting with my kids. I'm always evolving, as a clinician, as a mom, as a human. That part never stops.
