Lip & Tongue Tie Release
Gentle, precise care to help babies feed, speak, and grow comfortably.
A simple lip or tongue tie release can make a big difference in feeding, early speech, and oral development. At Starlight Dental, we use careful, paediatric-friendly techniques and take our time to keep little ones calm and secure. We support both child and parent through every step, so your baby can eat, talk, and smile with more ease.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Serena Yu, Lead Paediatric Dentist at Starlight Dental. A.B. Brown University (USA), DMD Tufts University (USA), Paediatric Dentistry NYU Langone (USA)
Why It’s Important
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Supports Development
Improves your child’s ability to feed, speak, and move their tongue naturally as they grow. Early care supports better oral function and overall growth.
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Gentle & Precise
Performed with careful, child-friendly techniques designed to reduce discomfort and encourage quick, calm healing.
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Ideal for Young Kids
Enhances oral function and confidence, helping children thrive in everyday activities like eating, talking, and smiling with ease.
Signs of tongue tie or lip tie in a baby
Difficulty latching or feeding as a baby, clicking sounds while feeding, a tongue that can’t lift or stick out fully, speech sounds that are hard to form (like ‘t’, ‘d’, or ‘l’), or a gap developing between the front teeth can all point to a tight lip or tongue tie. Not every case needs treatment, we assess function, not just appearance, so there’s no need to worry if you’ve noticed one of these, we’ll simply talk it through with you at the visit.
What tongue tie release involves
A release (frenectomy) is quick, often just a few minutes, using either a laser or fine scissors depending on the tie and your child’s age. For infants, it’s frequently done with little to no anaesthetic and minimal fuss. Older children may have a local anaesthetic and, if needed, some simple aftercare stretches to help prevent the tissue reattaching.
Recovery after tongue tie release
Most children feed or eat again within hours. Mild discomfort for a day or two is normal, nothing to be alarmed by, and we’ll walk you through simple aftercare stretches if your child’s case needs them, to keep the site from healing tight again.
FAQs
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It can, particularly with sounds like ‘t’, ‘d’, and ‘l’. Release is often considered when speech is affected.
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It can be done at any age, but earlier release for feeding issues, and treatment before speech therapy for older children, tends to give the smoothest results.
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Many parents notice an easier latch within a feed or two.
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No, many ties don’t affect feeding or speech and don’t need treatment.