Between 4% and 10% of children are born with some degree of frenulum restriction, also known as tongue-tie or lip-tie. This means that their tongues and lips are attached to the mouth with excessive connective tissue webbing. This excess tissue impedes the movement of the tongue or lips to various degrees, and can cause anything from moderate inconveniences (e.g. inability to lick your ice cream cone), to more severe impairments.

Child/Adult Symptoms: Limited ability to extend tongue, gap between front teeth, painful catching of the frenulum between teeth, delayed speech, difficulty making certain sounds (such as T, R, and L sounds), difficulty swallowing solid food, or a very strong gag reflex.

Laser surgery can be performed to remove excess tissue in the mouth for children and young adults.

Benefits of a modern approach

The results of modern laser frenectomy are excellent. Lasers provide various benefits over steel instruments, including the following:

Cauterization: Virtually no bleeding, even in cases with thick tissue ties.

Sterilization: The laser kills bacteria and other microbes making infection virtually impossible.

Precise: The laser tip is small and easily guided where needed and nowhere else, unlike clunky scissors.

Thorough: With bleeding under control, the laser can go as far as needed to eliminate 100% of the restriction.