Tongue & Lip Tie Treatment in Wichita & Derby, KS
Helping Little Mouths Function Their Best
Lip and tongue ties can sometimes interfere with the way a child feeds, eats, speaks, or moves their tongue and lips. At ICTeeth Pediatric Dentistry in Wichita and our Smile Safari Pediatric Dentistry office in Derby, we take a thoughtful, individualized approach to evaluating these oral restrictions and determining whether treatment, such as a frenectomy, may be beneficial.
Our goal is never simply to “fix a tie.” We look at the whole child—including symptoms, oral function, age, development, feeding history, and input from other healthcare professionals—to determine the most appropriate next step.
Why Choose Us
- We have six talented pediatric dentists
- We have an amazing team who love small faces and big smiles
- Parents love the fun and positive experience for their kids
What Is a Tongue or Lip Tie?
Inside the mouth are small bands of tissue called frena or frenula. One connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, while another connects the upper lip to the gums.
When one of these tissues limits normal movement and contributes to functional problems, it may be described as a:
- Tongue tie (ankyloglossia)
- Lip tie
- Tethered oral tissue
Having a visible or prominent frenulum does not automatically mean treatment is needed. What matters most is whether the restriction is affecting your child’s function.
Dr. Stephen P. Moore
Dr. David J. Brown
Dr. Trey K. Anderson
Dr. Amrita Khemka
Dr. Kristal Raya
Dr. Kelsey Martinez
How Can a Tongue or Lip Tie Affect My Child?
Symptoms can look different depending on your child’s age.
Signs of a Tongue or Lip Tie in Infants
Possible signs of an oral restriction may include:
- Difficulty achieving or maintaining a deep latch
- Lip curls under when nursing or taking a bottle
- Clicking or losing suction while nursing or bottle feeding
- Frequent or prolonged feedings
- Milk leaking from the mouth
- Difficulty transferring milk efficiently
- Poor weight gain or feeding fatigue
- Excessive swallowing of air or gassiness
- Reflux symptoms
- Maternal nipple pain or trauma during breastfeeding
Because feeding concerns can have many causes, we strongly value evaluation by an experienced lactation professional when breastfeeding difficulties are present. We are more than happy to help refer you and your baby to lactation professionals in the Wichita area.
Signs in Toddlers & Young Children
As children grow, possible concerns may include:
- Difficulty moving the tongue normally
- Challenges transitioning between food textures
- Difficulty chewing/manipulating food, slow eater
- Gagging or selective eating
- Oral hygiene challenges related to restricted lip movement
- Speech concerns
- Difficulty with normal oral movements
- Gap between front teeth
Not every symptom is caused by a tongue or lip tie. For this reason, treatment decisions are based on your child’s symptoms and function rather than appearance alone.
Signs in Older Children
For older children, tongue restrictions may sometimes contribute to concerns involving:
- Speech articulation or delay
- Tongue mobility
- Frustration when eating, difficulty transitioning to solid foods
- Slow eater, spits out food
- Reflux
- Oral resting posture
- Grinding teeth while sleeping
- Sleeps with mouth open, snoring
- Bedwetting
- Wakes easily
- Sleeps restlessly, kicks, moves a lot
- Gap between front teeth
- Oral hygiene challenges related to restricted lip movement
For children with speech, swallowing, or oral-motor concerns, evaluation and therapy with a speech-language pathologist, myofunctional therapist, or feeding therapist can be an important part of determining whether a frenectomy is appropriate.
What Is a Frenectomy?
A frenectomy is a procedure that releases restrictive frenulum tissue so the tongue or lip can move more freely.
The procedure itself is only one part of treatment. The goal is improved function, and the tongue or lip may need time and therapy to learn how to use its new range of motion after a release.
For this reason, we frequently collaborate with:
- Lactation consultants
- Chiropractors
- Speech-language pathologists
- Feeding therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Myofunctional therapists
- Pediatricians and other healthcare professionals
This team-based approach helps us determine when a release is appropriate and gives children the best opportunity to benefit from treatment.
Our Frenectomy Approach by Age
Babies 6 Months and Younger
For our youngest patients, we begin by carefully evaluating your baby’s oral anatomy, tongue and lip movement, symptoms, and feeding history.
When breastfeeding concerns are present, we strongly encourage families to work with a lactation consultant and/or chiropractor before and after treatment.
Vitamin K
For infants 6 months of age and younger, Vitamin K administration is recommended prior to a frenectomy procedure.
If your baby has not received Vitamin K or you are unsure of their Vitamin K status, please let our team know when scheduling.
Babies Up to 1 Year of Age
Children under 1 year of age may be evaluated specifically for tongue and/or lip restrictions.
These visits are typically scheduled as a dedicated frenectomy evaluation so we have plenty of time to:
- Discuss your concerns
- Review feeding history
- Evaluate oral anatomy and function
- Determine whether a restriction is contributing to symptoms
- Discuss treatment options
- Review what to expect before and after treatment
- Discuss collaborative care with a lactation consultant or chiropractor as needed
When appropriate, treatment may be completed during the same visit.
Children Ages 1–4
During the toddler and preschool years, we take a particularly conservative approach to tongue-tie release.
Children at this age are rapidly developing speech, feeding skills, and oral coordination, and they may not yet be developmentally ready to participate in the therapy and exercises that can be important before and after a tongue release.
Every child is different, and our pediatric dentists will help determine whether treatment, observation, or referral is the best option.
Children 4 Years and Older
For older children considering a tongue-tie release, treatment works best when we address both the restriction and how the tongue functions.
Before performing a lingual frenectomy, we generally require evaluation and treatment with a qualified speech-language pathologist, feeding therapist, or myofunctional therapist.
This allows your child to:
- Learn appropriate tongue movements
- Improve oral-motor coordination
- Establish goals for treatment
- Prepare for the procedure
- Retrain the tongue after the release
If your child is already working with a therapist, we may ask for their evaluation or recommendations before scheduling treatment.
The frenectomy consultation for an older child is typically a separate visit from the procedure so we can evaluate your child thoroughly and coordinate care appropriately.
What Should We Expect After a Frenectomy?
Healing is usually straightforward, but the treated area may look different while it heals.
Parents may notice:
- A white or yellow appearance over the healing area
- Mild tenderness
- Temporary changes in eating or feeding
- Gradual improvement in tongue or lip mobility
The white or yellow healing tissue is typically part of the body’s normal healing process and does not necessarily represent infection.
Depending on your child’s age and the type of procedure, we may recommend specific post-treatment exercises or therapy.
Most importantly, improved mobility does not always mean immediate improvement in function. Children often need time to learn how to use their newly available range of motion.
A Frenectomy Is Only Recommended When It Makes Sense for Your Child
We understand that parents can receive conflicting information about lip and tongue ties.
Some children clearly benefit from treatment. Others have visible frenula that are completely normal and require no intervention at all.
At ICTeeth Pediatric Dentistry, we will never recommend a frenectomy based on appearance alone.
We consider:
- Your child’s symptoms
- Feeding or speech concerns
- Tongue and lip mobility
- Age and developmental readiness
- Previous therapy
- Functional limitations
- Expected benefit from treatment
If we believe therapy, observation, another specialist, or simply more time is the better choice, we will tell you.
Tongue & Lip Tie FAQs
No. Many children have visible frenula without experiencing any functional problems. Treatment is considered when restriction is contributing to meaningful symptoms or limitations.
A restrictive lingual frenulum can affect tongue movement, but speech concerns have many possible causes. For older children, we often collaborate with a speech-language pathologist or myofunctional therapist before considering release.
Some families notice improvement quickly, while others see gradual improvement. Breastfeeding is complex, which is why lactation support before and after treatment can be extremely valuable.
It depends on age and symptoms. Older children undergoing a tongue release generally benefit from—and may be required to complete—speech, feeding, or myofunctional therapy before treatment.
We are generally conservative with lingual frenectomies during approximately ages 1–4 because children may not yet be developmentally ready for the preparation and post-treatment therapy necessary for the best functional outcome. We are always happy to evaluate your child and discuss the most appropriate plan.
If your child is over 1 year old and also has dental concerns such as cavities, we typically recommend scheduling a comprehensive new-patient dental examination first. This allows us to evaluate your child’s complete oral health and develop the most appropriate treatment plan.
Not Sure Whether Your Child Has a Tongue or Lip Tie?
You don’t have to figure it out on your own.
Whether you visit us in Wichita or at Smile Safari in Derby, our pediatric dental team can evaluate your child’s oral anatomy and, more importantly, how their tongue and lips are actually functioning. From there, we’ll help you understand whether treatment, therapy, observation, or another referral makes the most sense.
Thoughtful evaluation. Collaborative care. Treatment only when it helps.
–“Squirtlechu”.
