Laser Frenectomy in Brooklyn

Tongue, lip or buccal ties can have many negative consequences in infants, children, adolescents and adults. A tethered oral tissue can cause issues in nursing, feeding, speech, airway, sleeping behavior and many other problems. We take time to address any functional issues a patient may have specifically in relation to a tongue, lip or buccal tie and never push for unnecessary treatment.

For treatment, the state of the art laser Dr. Idelchik utilizes, allows for excellent visualization and precision for a full release of fibers that does not happen with scissors. If a tie is not fully released, then the issues it causes can continue to persist. The procedure can be performed in as little as a few days after birth and into adulthood. The sooner it is addressed the less issues a child or adult will have.

The procedure can be performed in our office with numbing jelly. Older children who understand the procedure receive some numbing medicine and laughing gas and report no pain at all. Younger children and babies usually cry more due to us working in their mouths rather than pain.

The laser removes the tight tissue with minimal bleeding, no stitches, no sedation and no general anesthesia. Most of the time the release procedure takes under a minute.

One of the most important things to understand when your child has a lip and/or tongue tie released is that improvement is a team effort. The release of a frenum is just one piece of the puzzle. Your child will need some time to figure out what to do with the new mobility of the tongue/lip so support from other professionals like lactation consultants, speech therapists, bodyworkers and myofunctional therapists is key to the success of the treatment.

Tongue and Lip Tie release is a simple procedure with minimal complications when using a laser and good technique. Dr. Idelchik, who is a pediatric dentist, graduated dental school from NYU in the top 2% of her class and went on to complete 2 additional years of training at the highly competitive Columbia Medical Center. She then completed further education specifically focused on tethered oral tissues (TOTS) after residency when her own son had a battle with a lip tie that was released.

The state of the art laser Dr. Idelchik utilizes, allows for excellent visualization and precision for a full release of fibers that does not happen with scissors. If a tie is not fully released, like she sees in many revision cases, then the issues it causes can continue to persist. The procedure can be performed in as little as a few days after birth and into adulthood. The sooner it is addressed the less issues a child will have.

The procedure can be performed in our office with numbing jelly. Older children who understand the procedure receive some numbing medicine and laughing gas and report no pain at all. Younger children and babies usually cry more due to us working in their mouths rather than pain.

The laser removes the tight tissue with minimal bleeding, no stitches, no sedation and no general anesthesia. Most of the time the release procedure takes under a minute. The baby is allowed to nurse immediately after the procedure and older children often notice an immediate difference in the mobility of the tongue. Often speech is improved within a few minutes to a few weeks, but it is important to work with a speech therapist to achieve optimal results.

One of the most important things to understand when your child has a lip and/or tongue tie released is that improvement is a team effort. The release of a frenum is just one piece of the puzzle. Your child will need some time to figure out what to do with the new mobility of the tongue/lip so support from other professionals like lactation consultants, speech therapists and myofunctional therapists is key to the success of the treatment.

The tongue is a muscle and becomes used to functioning a certain way just like any other muscle in the body. When tongue function is restricted by a tongue-tie, the body adapts to work around the obstacle. It takes time for the brain to figure out how to use the tongue effectively once the tie is released.

For infants, often the mother notices a difference immediately, but it is also normal not to notice a huge difference in nursing right away. Sometimes there may even be a little regression in sucking things for a day or two as your child’s brain sorts out how to use their tongue now that the restriction is gone. Some babies need chiropractic care, physical therapy or occupational therapy to address other issues like torticolllis (tight neck muscles) that can affect nursing.

If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us at 845-364-9400.