A frenectomy is a quick, gentle procedure that releases a tight tongue-tie or lip-tie. When the tissue under the tongue or lip is too tight, it can affect how a child feeds, speaks, breathes, or grows. Dr. Valenzuela only recommends treatment when the restriction truly affects function.
What are tongue-ties and lip-ties?
- A tongue-tie occurs when the tissue under the tongue limits how well it can lift, move, or extend.
- A lip-tie happens when the tissue under the upper lip prevents the lip from moving freely or sealing well during feeding.
Both can interfere with normal oral development, especially in infants and young children.
Signs a Frenectomy May Be Helpful
Infants
Babies may have trouble latching, make clicking sounds during feeding, take a long time to feed, or struggle with gas and reflux. Milk leaking from the mouth or maternal nipple pain can also indicate a tongue-tie or lip-tie. These issues matter because good tongue movement is essential for efficient, comfortable feeding.
Toddlers and Young Children
As children grow, a restricted tongue can lead to difficulty chewing, picky eating, mouth breathing, drooling, or snoring at night. The tongue also helps guide facial and airway development, so limited mobility may contribute to narrow palates or changes in jaw growth.
School-Aged Children and Teens
Older children may show signs such as speech articulation challenges, tongue-thrust swallowing, orthodontic relapse, or difficulty lifting their tongue to the palate. Snoring, restless sleep, or trouble clearing food from the teeth can also be related to restricted movement.
Why Treating Ties Matters
A tight frenulum isn’t just a small tissue problem; it can affect feeding, speech, facial growth, airway health, and even sleep quality. Releasing the tie helps restore normal movement so the tongue and lip can work the way they’re meant to. At Farmville Pediatric Dentistry, our goal is not to “fix a piece of tissue,” but to improve function and long-term development.
What to Expect During an Infant Frenectomy
The procedure is done at our Gilbert pediatric dental office with a soft-tissue laser, which is very precise and minimizes bleeding. Before treatment, Dr. Valenzuela will examine how the tongue or lip moves and coordinate with your lactation consultant or feeding therapist. Your baby is gently swaddled, and light numbing may be used for comfort.
The actual release takes only seconds. Immediately afterward, we encourage you to feed your baby. This helps soothe them and begins retraining their tongue with its new range of motion. Before you leave, we’ll show you simple stretches and explain any recommended follow-up therapy.
Post-Treatment Healing
Most parents see improvements in feeding soon after the procedure, such as a deeper latch, less leaking or clicking, less gas or reflux, and more comfort during nursing. Healing is generally quick: a day or two of mild fussiness is normal, and a soft white or yellow patch at the site is part of healthy healing. Full healing typically takes two to three weeks, with feeding continually improving as the baby learns new movement patterns.
Gentle stretches help prevent the tissue from tightening again as it heals. Many children benefit from ongoing support such as feeding therapy, myofunctional therapy, or craniosacral bodywork to help them fully integrate new tongue and lip movement. Mobility improves instantly, but learning proper function takes a little time.
Our Approach to Care
Dr. Valenzuela works closely with feeding therapists, speech-language pathologists, pediatricians, and airway-focused specialists. We also offer in-office myofunctional therapy to support children of all ages. Our team is here to guide families through every step, before, during, and after the frenectomy, to help your child move, feed, breathe, and grow as comfortably and naturally as possible.