Tongue-tie Release (Frenectomy)

What is a tongue-tie?

Tongue-tie is a condition where tongue movement is restricted by the thin piece of skin under the tongue (lingual frenum).
For example, some people have difficulty licking around their lips, or raising the tongue tip inside their mouth. This can mean that they have difficulties with eating and pronunciation of certain letters of the alphabet.

The symptoms of tongue-tie can include that:

• the tongue can't poke our past the lips
• the tongue tip can't touch the roof of the mouth
• the tongue can't be moved sideways to the corners of the mouth
• the tongue tip may look flat or square, instead of pointy when extended
• the tongue tip may look notched heart-shaped
• A baby with a tongue tie may have difficulties breastfeeding or bottle-feeding
• the front teeth in the lower jaw have a gap between them

Frenectomy

To allow the tongue to move freely a Frenectomy (tongue-tie release) may be performed. This procedure involves the removal of the thin piece of skin under the tongue with a laser. The use of a laser can reduce the amount of bleeding during the procedure and reduce scarring.

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