Frenectomy (Tongue Tie & Lip Tie Release) in Ottawa

What Is a Frenectomy?

A frenectomy (also called a frenotomy or frenulectomy) is a simple surgical procedure that removes or releases a frenum—a small fold of tissue that connects moveable structures in the mouth. There are several frenums in the mouth, but the two most commonly treated in children are the lingual frenum (connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) and the labial frenum (connecting the upper lip to the gums above the front teeth).

When these tissue bands are too thick, too tight, or attached too close to critical areas, they restrict normal movement and function. This restriction is what we call being "tied"—hence the common terms tongue tie (ankyloglossia) and lip tie.

Tongue Tie (Ankyloglossia): The lingual frenum is too short or tight, restricting the tongue's range of motion. This can prevent the tongue from reaching the roof of the mouth, extending past the lower front teeth, or moving freely side to side. Tongue ties range from mild to severe and can significantly impact feeding, speech, and oral function.

Lip Tie: The labial frenum attaching the upper lip to the gums is too thick, too low, or too tight, restricting the upper lip's ability to lift naturally. This can interfere with breastfeeding in infants and cause gaps between the front teeth (diastema) in older children.

Frenectomy is a quick, straightforward procedure—often taking just 5-15 minutes—that immediately releases the restriction and restores normal tissue mobility. While the procedure itself is brief, the benefits can be life-changing, especially for infants struggling to feed or children dealing with speech difficulties.

Making Frenectomy Stress-Free for Your Child

At Dental Sedation Ottawa, we understand that the idea of oral surgery—even a minor procedure—can feel frightening for parents and children. That's why we offer comprehensive sedation options tailored to your child's age, anxiety level, and specific needs.

Combined Treatment Approach: If your child needs other dental work along with frenectomy—fillings, crowns, extractions, or cleanings—we can complete everything in one sedated appointment. This comprehensive approach reduces overall stress, requires only one recovery period, and means fewer appointments for your family.

Understanding the Symptoms

Infant Feeding Problems Suggesting Tongue Tie:

• Difficulty latching or maintaining latch during breastfeeding
• Clicking or smacking sounds while nursing
• Frequent breaking of suction and needing to re-latch
• Infant tiring quickly during feeds or falling asleep early
• Poor weight gain or "failure to thrive"
• Mother experiencing nipple pain, damage, or repeated infections
• Prolonged feeding times (over 45 minutes)
• Frequent gas, reflux, or colic symptoms
• Inability to form proper seal around bottle nipples

Speech and Oral Function Signs (Toddlers and Children):

• Difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, especially "l," "r," "t," "d," "n," "th," "s," and "z"
• Speech that sounds muffled or unclear
• Tongue cannot reach the roof of the mouth or stick out past the lower lip
• Heart-shaped tongue tip when extended
• Difficulty licking lips, ice cream cones, or popsicles
• Problems chewing and moving food around the mouth
• Messy eating with food frequently falling out of mouth

Lip Tie Symptoms:

• Upper lip cannot flip up easily
• Gap (diastema) between upper front teeth that doesn't close naturally
• Difficulty flanging lip during breastfeeding
• Food or milk trapped under upper lip after eating
• Difficulty brushing upper front teeth effectively
• Gum recession or inflammation where frenum attaches too low

Other Associated Issues:

• Mouth breathing instead of nose breathing
• Sleep-disordered breathing or snoring
• Chronic digestive issues (some research suggests tongue tie affects swallowing patterns)
• Social anxiety about speech or appearance in older children

Not every child with these symptoms has a significant tongue or lip tie—proper evaluation by experienced professionals is essential. Some minor frenums don't cause functional problems and don't require treatment.

Addressing Different Restrictions

What Happens During Treatment

Before the procedure, we conduct thorough evaluation including visual examination of the frenum's attachment and thickness, functional assessment of tongue or lip movement, discussion of symptoms and how they impact feeding, speech, or oral health, and review of your child's medical history.

For infants with feeding difficulties, we often coordinate with lactation consultants to ensure comprehensive support both before and after the procedure.

Procedure Process

On the day of the frenectomy, we begin by administering the chosen sedation option. For very young infants, we typically use only topical numbing gel. For older children, appropriate sedation ensures complete comfort. Once your child is relaxed (or asleep), we ensure complete numbness of the treatment area.

For traditional surgical frenectomy, the surgeon uses surgical scissors or a scalpel to carefully cut the frenum, releasing the restriction. The tissue is thin and contains relatively few blood vessels, so bleeding is typically minimal. For simple releases, no stitches are needed—the tissue heals on its own within days. More extensive releases may require 1-3 dissolvable stitches.

Some practitioners use laser technology for frenectomies, which can reduce bleeding and potentially speed healing. We discuss all options during your consultation.

After the release, we apply gentle pressure with gauze to control any bleeding (usually stops within 1-2 minutes), provide detailed aftercare instructions, and for infants, encourage immediate breastfeeding or bottle feeding to comfort the baby.

Time Required: Simple frenectomy takes 5-15 minutes from start to finish. If performed under general anesthesia with other procedures, total appointment time extends accordingly.

Healing After Frenectomy

Immediate Recovery (First 24-48 Hours)

Discomfort is typically minimal with frenectomy—most infants and children need only children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen for 1-2 days. The surgical site may appear white or yellowish as it heals (this is normal granulation tissue, not infection). Minor bleeding can occur if the area is disturbed, but this stops quickly with gentle pressure.

For Infants

• Nurse or bottle feed frequently—the sucking motion helps with healing and comfort
• Expect some fussiness for 24-48 hours, especially right before feedings
• You may notice improved latch and feeding efficiency within days
• Some infants experience brief nursing strike (1-2 days) while adjusting to new tongue mobility
• Follow up with lactation consultant within 1-2 weeks to optimize feeding

For Children

• Stick to soft, cool foods for 2-3 days
• Avoid hard, crunchy, spicy, or acidic foods that might irritate the healing site
• Gentle oral hygiene, avoiding direct brushing of the surgical area for first few days
• Some children need speech therapy to learn to use their newly mobile tongue effectively

Stretching Exercises (Essential)

To prevent the frenum from reattaching during healing (which happens in about 5-10% of cases without exercises), we teach you specific stretching exercises. These involve gently lifting the tongue or lip several times daily for 2-4 weeks. While this seems uncomfortable, it's essential for a successful long-term outcome. We demonstrate these exercises thoroughly and provide written instructions.

Long-Term Healing

The frenectomy site heals completely within 2-3 weeks. Full functional improvement—especially for speech—may take several months as the child learns to use the tongue's new mobility. Many children benefit from short-term speech therapy (4-8 sessions) or myofunctional therapy to retrain oral muscle patterns.

For children with gaps between front teeth due to lip tie, the gap often begins closing naturally within 6-12 months after frenectomy, especially in children under age 10. Older children or those with other spacing issues may still need orthodontic treatment, but the frenectomy removes one contributing factor.

Call us at (613) 482-0501 if:

• Heavy bleeding that doesn't stop with 10 minutes of gentle pressure
• Signs of infection (increasing pain after day 3, fever, pus, foul odor)
• Severe pain not controlled by recommended pain medication
• Difficulty feeding or drinking fluids
• White tissue appears to be reattaching despite stretching exercises

Life-Changing Improvements

For Families:

• Reduced stress around feeding difficulties
• Elimination of chronic nipple pain and infections for nursing mothers
• Avoidance of supplemental feeding needs
• Prevention of expensive, extensive speech therapy
• Potential reduction in orthodontic treatment needs
• Overall improved quality of life

Affordable Investment in Your Child's Development

Frenectomy costs typically start at $300-500 for simple procedures performed with local anesthesia only. More complex frenectomies or those requiring sedation range $500-1,200 depending on sedation type and procedure complexity.

Many dental insurance plans cover frenectomy at 50-80% when deemed medically necessary due to feeding difficulties, speech problems, or dental health concerns (like gum recession or diastema). Some provincial health plans provide coverage for infant frenectomy when feeding difficulties are documented.

We provide direct billing to major insurance carriers and accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Our team reviews your insurance coverage and direct billing during consultation.

Real Experiences from Ottawa Families

Read more patient testimonials

Expert Frenectomy with Comprehensive Sedation Options

Dentist Referrals Welcome: We collaborate with referring dentists, pediatricians, lactation consultants, and speech therapists throughout Ottawa and Eastern Ontario for frenectomy referrals. Learn more about our referral process.

Serving Families Across the Region

We welcome patients from throughout Ottawa including Kanata, Nepean, Orléans, Stittsville, Manotick, and Greely, as well as Eastern Ontario communities (Rockland, Embrun, Russell, Winchester, Kemptville, Carleton Place, Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Cornwall, Hawkesbury) and West Quebec (Gatineau, Aylmer, Hull, Chelsea, Wakefield, Buckingham).