Tongue-Tie & Lip-Tie Treatment in Staten Island
If feeding has become stressful — a shallow latch, clicking sounds, long feeds, or pain for mom — a tongue-tie or lip-tie may be the cause. At Staten Island Pediatric Dentistry, we gently release these restrictions with the Solea® laser, a quick and comfortable procedure that requires no sutures and allows your baby to heal fast. Many parents notice an easier latch the same day.
A frenectomy (the clinical term for releasing a tongue-tie or lip-tie) takes only a few minutes. Because the Solea laser produces no heat, pressure, or vibration, it's far gentler than traditional methods — and your little one is back in your arms almost immediately.
Could It Be a Tongue-Tie or Lip-Tie? Signs to Look For
Tongue-ties and lip-ties (known clinically as tethered oral tissues) don't always cause problems — but when they do, the signs often show up at feeding time, and not just for your baby. Here's what to watch for.
Signs in your baby
- Difficulty latching, or a latch that slips and has to be re-set
- Clicking or smacking sounds while feeding
- Falling asleep quickly at the breast or bottle, then waking hungry
- Long, frequent feeds that never seem to satisfy
- Poor weight gain
- Excessive gassiness, reflux, hiccups, or colic-like fussiness
- A heart-shaped or notched tongue tip when crying
Signs in mom (with breastfeeding)
- Cracked, pinched, or painful nipples
- A latch that feels shallow or "chompy"
- Incomplete breast drainage or clogged ducts and mastitis
- Low milk supply from inefficient transfer
- Exhaustion from feeds that take far too long
Signs in toddlers and older children
- Trouble with certain speech sounds (often t, d, l, r, th)
- A noticeable gap between the upper front teeth (with lip-tie)
- Difficulty eating certain textures, or messy/slow eating
- Trouble licking lips or moving the tongue side to side
- Mouth breathing or disrupted sleep
If several of these sound familiar, an evaluation is the best next step. Not every tie needs treatment — we'll assess function first and only recommend a release if it will genuinely help.
What Is a Tongue-Tie?
A tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) happens when the small band of tissue under the tongue — the lingual frenulum — is too tight or attached too far forward, limiting how freely the tongue can move. Every baby is born with this tissue; the issue is only when it restricts movement enough to interfere with feeding, speech, or eating. Tongue-ties range from mild to severe and are thought to run in families.
What Is a Lip-Tie?
A lip-tie occurs when the frenulum connecting the upper lip to the gums is too tight, keeping the upper lip from flanging outward the way it needs to for a deep latch. Lip-ties frequently appear alongside tongue-ties and can contribute to the same feeding difficulties, as well as a gap between the upper front teeth as a child grows.
Gentle Laser Treatment with the Solea® Laser
When a release is needed, we use the Solea® CO₂ laser — one of the most advanced dental lasers available. It's a meaningful step up from traditional scissors or scalpel methods:
- No sutures. The laser seals as it works, so there are typically no stitches.
- No heat, pressure, or vibration. The procedure is minimally invasive and far more comfortable.
- Minimal bleeding. The laser cauterizes as it releases the tissue.
- Fast healing. Most children recover quickly, often with an easier latch the same day.
- Lower infection risk. The laser sterilizes the area as it treats.
The entire release usually takes just a few minutes.
What to Expect During the Visit
We know bringing in an infant or young child can feel nerve-wracking. Here's how a typical visit goes so there are no surprises:
- Functional evaluation. Before anything else, we assess how your child's tongue and lip actually move and how the restriction is affecting feeding, speech, or eating. If a release won't help, we'll tell you.
- Comfort and safety first. Infants are gently swaddled to keep them secure and still.
- The release. Using the Solea laser, the restriction is released in just a few minutes.
- Right back to you. Your child is returned to your arms immediately, and we encourage feeding right away — many moms notice a difference in the latch on the spot.
Aftercare and Healing
Healing is usually quick, but the stretches matter — they keep the tissue from reattaching as it heals.
- Stretching exercises. We'll show you simple stretches to do at home for a short period after the procedure. These are the single most important part of recovery, and we'll make sure you feel confident doing them before you leave.
- Feeding. Nurse or bottle-feed right away and on demand. Comfort feeding soothes your baby and helps the tongue learn its new range of motion.
- Soreness. Some mild fussiness or tenderness for a day or two is normal. We'll review safe comfort measures for your child's age.
- Follow-up. We'll check healing and function and coordinate any next steps.
Recovery is usually gentler than parents expect — but it helps to know what's normal before you go home. Dr. Michelle Flanigan walks through the full timeline, including the harmless white healing patch and how to do the stretches, in her guide on what to expect after a laser frenectomy.
We're available if you have questions during recovery — just call.
We Work With Your Whole Care Team
A successful outcome is often about more than the procedure itself. We coordinate with the other providers supporting your child — lactation consultants, speech-language pathologists, myofunctional therapists, and your pediatrician — before and after treatment, so everyone is working from the same plan. If you're already working with an IBCLC or therapist, bring them into the conversation; if you're not sure where to start, we can help point you in the right direction.
Schedule Your Evaluation
If feeding, speech, or eating has you worried, don't wait it out. The first step is a simple evaluation to find out whether a tongue-tie or lip-tie is the cause — and whether a gentle Solea laser release can help.
Call Staten Island Pediatric Dentistry at (718) 761-7316 or request an appointment online. We welcome families from Staten Island and the surrounding communities, including Brooklyn, NY, and Bayonne, NJ.
