Pain-Free Laser Frenectomies
Eliminate Tongue And Lip Ties, Help Your Child Thrive
Tongue and lip ties affect somewhere between 8% and 10% of babies under a year old. While minor tongue and lip ties may not require treatment, the condition can be severe enough to lead to issues with breastfeeding, oral development problems, and even speech impediments.
At Sidekick Smiles, Dr. Deep Shah is an expert in frenectomy treatment in King of Prussia and the surrounding communities and can provide the care that your infant needs to release tongue or lip ties, restore their oral range of motion, and grow up healthy and happy.
What Are Tongue And Lip Ties?
Tongue and lip ties are collectively referred to as “Tethered Oral Tissues” (TOTs). A tongue tie happens when the lingual frenum is too thick or overdeveloped. This is the band of tissue that connects the tongue to the base of the mouth.
Because the lingual frenum is so thick or impeding optimal function, your child will have a hard time moving their tongue around properly. This often causes issues with breastfeeding, such as excessive crying, difficulty latching, or poor weight gain.
Lip ties are similar, but affect the “labial” (lip) frenum of the upper, lower, or both lips. This is the band of tissue in the middle of each lip that connects it to the gums. Similarly to tongue ties, a thick labial frenum makes it harder for babies to properly latch when breastfeeding, or interfere with the ability to cleanse the area resulting in difficulty cleaning food after meals which can eventually lead to dental caries being formed in the affected teeth.
Signs Your Child May Need A Frenectomy
If your child has tongue or lip ties, a frenectomy may be the best option for treatment. In this procedure, the band of tissue is snipped with surgical tools or a laser. This “releases” the lip or tongue and restores the oral range of motion. How do you know if your child’s condition is serious enough to require a frenectomy? Here are a few signs:
- Difficulty latching on when breastfeeding
- Excessive crying or colic when nursing
- Clicking sounds when breastfeeding
- Falling asleep or acting very tired while feeding (cluster feeding)
- Poor weight gain (failure to thrive)
- Your child’s tongue looks “heart-shaped” or notched when they stick it out
- Difficulties eating with a spoon or finger
- Speech issues in children
- Mouth breathing and/or snoring in children
If you recognize one or more of these signs, it’s a good idea to visit an experienced pediatric dentist like Dr. Deep for a consultation. He can examine your child’s mouth and determine if a frenectomy is a good option.
The Laser Frenectomy Process At Our Office
At our office, we exclusively provide laser frenectomies. Compared to traditional surgical tools, lasers reduce bleeding, minimize infection risks, and dramatically speed up healing. This helps you and your little one get back to your normal routines more quickly!
Diagnosis and assessment
First, you’ll see Dr. Deep for a consultation. He will examine your child’s mouth and do a few different tests to check for tongue and lip ties, and to measure their severity. This usually takes only a few minutes. If he believes that a frenectomy is right for your infant, he will schedule a separate appointment for you and your little one.
Laser frenectomy treatment
After you check in, our team will bring you and your child back to one of our operating rooms. Then, Dr. Deep will clean the surgical area and prepare his dental laser for treatment. Once it’s ready, he will use it to remove the tongue or lip tie, vaporizing the tissue on contact. It only takes a few moments to perform the frenectomy, and the process is simple with minimal discomfort, if any.
Recovery and aftercare
After your child’s treatment, Dr. Deep will give you instructions on how to care for your child’s mouth. You’ll need to keep the surgical site clean, keep an eye out for complications, and perform some tongue or lip stretches with your child. These stretches prevent the tongue or lip tie from coming back as your child’s mouth heals.
Schedule A Consultation Today To Learn More
If you think that your child may need treatment for a tongue or lip tie, don’t wait to get the help you need. At Sidekick Smiles, Dr. Deep and our team offer expert pediatric care in King Of Prussia. We serve children of all ages, and we’d love to meet you and your little one. Give us a call or contact us today to book your first visit. Expert care for tongue and lip ties is just a click or a call away!