Refer a Patient
Laser Frenectomies and Frenuloplasties
Shine Pediatric Dental Co. offers early care options that affect your child's entire oral development, including treating soft tissue concerns like lip ties and tongue ties. As a specialist in children's dental care, Dr. Sarah Severson strives to implement early intervention strategies that facilitate better skeletal development, dietary habits, airway and breathing structures, speech, and nursing/breastfeeding. One of the services we offer is soft tissue frenectomy therapy, a laser assisted treatment offering same-day results for infants, toddlers, children, and teens.
Understanding Frenectomies: Beyond the Basics
Dr. Sarah uses laser-assisted soft tissue treatment to quickly treat tongue and lip ties in a gentle, noninvasive manner. The most common areas for frenectomies are the lingual frenulum (under the tongue) and the labial frenulum (inside the upper lip).
Why Frenectomies Matter: Benefits for Your Child
- Enhanced Speech Development: The lingual frenulum plays a crucial role in speech development. If it is too short or restrictive (a condition known as ankyloglossia or "tongue-tie"), it can impede proper tongue movement, leading to speech difficulties. A frenectomy can help improve speech clarity and pronunciation.
- Improved Feeding in Infants and Toddlers: For breastfeeding infants, a tight lingual frenulum can make latching difficult, causing discomfort and frustration for both the baby and mother alike. A frenectomy can resolve this issue and promote a more successful breastfeeding experience and is available for children as young as newborns. Inability to properly move tongue and improper tongue function can impact ability for a young child to chew and swallow food, this can lead to texture aversions and even gagging or increased risk of choking on foods. With the coordination of a Speech Language Pathologist or Feeding Therapist, lots of improvement can be made post frenectomy in regards to chewing and swallowing.
- Improved Nasal Breathing & Less Mouth Breathing – Releasing tethered oral tissues can help support proper tongue posture and nasal breathing, reducing the tendency for open-mouth breathing during rest and sleep.
- Helps With Habit Cessation (Pacifier & Thumb Sucking) – Increased tongue mobility and improved oral function can make it easier for children to stop prolonged pacifier use or thumb sucking, supporting healthy oral development.
- Prevention of Dental Issues: In some cases, an excessively tight labial frenulum can lead to a gap between the front teeth, a condition known as a diastema. By addressing this concern early through a frenectomy, we can help prevent potential orthodontic problems in the future.
- Improved Sleep, Breathing and even Behavior/Attention: Tethered oral tissues have been correlated with obstruction of the upper airway which can lead to symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing and even Obstructive Sleep Apnea in children and adults. These tissues if not addressed can also lead to obligatory mouth breathing, can obstruct the airway causing symptoms that negatively impact sleep quality and duration including: snoring, nocturnal grinding, restless sleep, frequent night terrors, co-sleeping and even prolonged nocturnal urination. Poor restorative stages of sleep negatively affect Growth Hormone Release which impacts your child's overall ability to grow and function properly day-to-day.
Collaborative Care for Optimal Results
We are also strong advocates for bodywork that helps your child’s muscles and fascia adapt after release. Families often benefit from care provided by professionals such as:
• Osteopaths
• Craniosacral therapists
• Physical therapists
• Chiropractors
This collaborative approach supports better feeding, breathing, speech, and overall oral function while helping your child heal more comfortably.
The Shine Pediatric Dental Co. Approach: Expertise and Compassion
Our practice is equipped with state-of-the-art laser technology, allowing us to perform frenectomies using the latest techniques that minimize discomfort and promote faster healing. Most babies can feed immediately after the procedure with minimal discomfort.
Older Child & Adult Frenuloplasties
A frenuloplasty is a tongue-tie release performed with precise suture placement to support optimal healing and improved tongue mobility. While tongue-tie procedures are often associated with infants, older children and adults can also benefit when a tight or restrictive lingual frenulum affects everyday function or overall health.
Potential Benefits:
- Improved Airway & Breathing: Greater tongue mobility can help address airway-related concerns such as mouth breathing, teeth grinding (bruxism), snoring, and other signs of sleep-disordered breathing.
- Relief from Jaw & Neck Tension: Many adults experience chronic TMJ discomfort, jaw clenching, or cervical (neck) tightness linked to tongue restriction. Releasing the tongue tie and repositioning tissue with sutures can reduce strain and improve comfort.
- Support for Long-Term Oral Health: By improving tongue posture and muscle balance, frenuloplasty can help limit grinding and clenching habits that lead to tooth wear and jaw pain.
Our team evaluates each case carefully to ensure that a frenuloplasty is the right step and may recommend pre- and post-procedure exercises, physical therapy, or myofunctional therapy to achieve the best outcome.
Call Shine Pediatric Dental Co. Today
At Shine Pediatric Dental Co., Dr. Sarah focuses on your child's entire oral development rather than just their teeth. Everything from their airway to tongue placement plays a role in your child's jaw growth and tooth placement. For expert care or a frenectomy consultation in Round Rock, call our office today.
Call Shine Pediatric Now
