Tongue & Lip Ties

Tongue and lip tie assessment for babies, children, and teens, with laser release only when it is genuinely needed and support through healing.

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A happy baby sitting in the dental chair before a tongue and lip tie assessment

Tongue & Lip Tie Assessment

A functional assessment for babies, children, and teens, looking at feeding, speech, sleep, and how the tongue actually moves.

The laser handpiece and protective eyewear laid out chairside for a frenectomy

Frenectomies

A quick Solea laser release of a tongue or lip tie for babies, children, or teens, when assessment shows one is needed.

A parent gently doing frenectomy aftercare stretches with their baby at home

Frenectomy Aftercare & Stretches

What the first few weeks after a tongue or lip tie release look like, including the stretches that help it heal well.

The Solea dental laser in the treatment room at Smile Gallery

Laser Dentistry

Solea laser treatment in place of a blade or a drill, which means less bleeding, less swelling, and a faster recovery.

Dr. Dan Truong with the Solea dental laser at Smile Gallery

Overview

A tongue or lip tie is a band of tissue that limits how far the tongue or upper lip can move.

Not every tie causes a problem, and not every child with one needs a release. Dr. Dan Truong looks at what your child's tongue and lips can actually do, from newborns who struggle to latch to older kids and teens with speech, eating, or sleep concerns, and tells you plainly whether anything needs doing.

Signs to watch for

When a tie may be getting in the way

What signs suggest a tie in a baby?

  • Painful or shallow latching
  • Clicking while feeding
  • Milk leaking from the mouth
  • Long or frequent feeds
  • Poor weight gain
  • Gassiness
  • Nipple pain or damage for a nursing parent

Bottle-fed babies can show similar struggles with the bottle.

Tongue & Lip Tie Assessment

What signs suggest a tie in an older child?

  • Trouble with certain speech sounds
  • Picky or slow eating
  • Gagging on textures
  • Mouth breathing
  • Snoring or restless sleep
  • Difficulty licking the lips or moving food around the mouth
  • A gap between the front teeth from a tight lip tie
Tongue & Lip Tie Assessment

One team around your child

A release works best as part of a plan. Depending on your child, we coordinate with the providers already involved, such as lactation consultants, myofunctional therapists, chiropractors and bodyworkers, before and after the release.

Book NowFor referring providers
A dental team member showing a mother tongue-tie aftercare stretches on a baby doll while she holds her infant

Pediatric Dentistry

Tongue ties in babies and kids: signs, assessment, release, and aftercare

A parent's guide to tongue and lip ties from infancy through the teen years: the signs to watch for, how an assessment works, what release day looks like, aftercare stretches, and the providers who help.

Read the guide