1. Services
2. Lip and Tongue Tie

Queensland's Frenectomy Clinic for Lip and Tongue Tie Procedures

If you are having trouble feeding your newborn, we may be able to assist through investigation to whether a tongue-tie or lip-tie affects you and your baby.

The Team at DentalCareXtra care for newborns, children and adults in our Marian and Moranbah Practices from across the entire Isaac and Mackay region also covering Rockhampton and Townsville.  

Symptoms such as...

• Poor latch/inability to latch, sliding off the nipple
• Fatigue during feeds, clicking during a feed, poor weight gain
• Nipple/breast infections, maternal nipple pain/damage
• Digestive issues (increased gassiness and reflux due to extra air being swallowed)
• Problems with baby bottle feeding

... may relate to your infant having a restricted frenum, commonly known as a lip and tongue-ties, which occurs in approximately 5% of newborns.

´ Symptoms affect feeding and digestion
´ A simple frenectomy can fix the problem*
´ Come in to see us for an assessment

You will find additional information about feeding issues related to Lip and Tongue Ties at the Australian Breast Feeding Association site

A fraenum (or frenulum) is a small fold of tissue that checks or limits the movements of an organ part. 'Lip and Tongue' tied procedures are commonly undertaken to help all the family.

What causes lip and tongue tie?

Tongue-tie is caused by the restricted mobility of the tongue resulting from a tight frenulum and an upper lip-tied occurs whenever the frenulum under the baby's upper lip is very short or thick and is pinned too tightly to the upper gum.

At DentalCareXtra, we are able to perform a procedure called a frenectomy* which helps to improve your baby's lip and/or tongue mobility and functionality and allow them to properly latch on and draw milk from the breast.

The procedure is done in-office, doesn't require any sedation during early infancy and is, therefore, less traumatic and non-memorable for your child.

We love to see infants and families in our clinic, and we will do our very best to fit you in as quickly as possible.

Contact Us to book in for a consultation for frenectomy of the lip or tongue tie. 

We are able to undertake your lip and tongue-tie treatment in our practice based our new Practice KIDS  in Mackay along with limited availability at our Moranbah Practice.  Here we are able to take total care of you and your baby.

Booking Fee and Cancellations.

At the time of booking, we will take a booking fee of $130 to secure the appointment time. This booking fee will be credited toward the fee at the end of the treatment. This is not an additional fee.

The booking fee can be collected using your credit card at the time you are making the appointment.

To ensure we provide the best possible care to our patients, we require 2 business days notice should you be unable to keep your appointment. This allows us to give adequate notice to others who would like that time. Cancellations within the 2 business day notice period will result in the loss of your booking fee.

Tongue-Tie & Lip-Tie LASER Treatment - Laser Tongue Tie

Dr Hany is the only LASER user who is fully qualified and licensed to perform this procedure in the Mackay, Isaac, Rockhampton and Central Highlands region and surroundings. Dr Hany has been treating tongue-tie and lip-tie in adults, children and infants using laser surgery for over 7 years.

Dr Hany is one of very few providers of LASER surgery in our region who performs frenectomy surgery on infants. Due to the unique skill, there has been a huge increase in demand from Lactation Consultants, Speech Therapists and Chiropractors for parents for such a service.

Other health professionals such as registered nurses or medical personnel can perform this procedure. However, Dr Hany is specialized in using LASER to enhance the outcomes of treatment. Using LASER allows the operator to perform frenectomies on infants from few hours old up to 24 months old without the need for hospitalisation.

Why LASER?  It is very safe; near nil risk of collateral damage compared to scalpel or scissors. There is also less risk of reattachment and bleeding. Precision is the key to using LASER.

Tongue and Lip Tie FAQ

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions that may help

Q. How can I tell if my child has a tongue or lip tie?

A. Commonly diagnosed by Lactation Consultants who are experienced in this area. Addition to the symptoms of nipple pain and damage - loss of suction on the nipple (and subsequent air-intake, leading to gassiness), poor breast milk intake and clicking sounds, you may notice that your baby's tongue cannot protrude beyond his or her lips.  Other indications are: if the tongue cannot be moved sideways; the tongue tip is notched or heart-shaped; or if when the tongue is extended, the tongue tip may look flat or square instead of pointed. In older children and adolescents, an upper lip-tie can be associated with a gap between the front teeth.

                Lip Tie                                         Tongue Tie

Q. How is the procedure performed?

A. Small incision with scissors is made under your baby's tongue where it connects to the floor of the mouth. Laser Light energy is used to incise tissue, Laser has a distinct advantage such as precision, control of bleeding, bactericidal (kills bacteria as it ablates), reduces oedema, swelling and inflammation and therefore allows for better healing. The frenulum is not well supplied with nerves or blood, therefore the procedure causes only slight pain and little bleeding.  We find that babies show minor distress at being held firmly for the procedure rather than the procedure itself. Nursing or feeding immediately afterwards, made easier by improved tongue extension, is the best way to soothe your child. Infants respond to the procedure in different ways such as screaming and putting on a show or become limp and sleepy due to exhaustion.

Q. What is the follow-up/aftercare?

A. There will be a small white diamond-shaped mark from the procedure, which should heal within two weeks. A Lactation Consultant, if needed, may recommend gentle massaging or other exercises. We undertake the aftercare follow up consultation, for tongue-tie Mackay region patients, in our office.

Q. Will you use any local anaesthetic? Can this be done on older babies?

A. For newborns, anaesthetic is not necessary. Babies over 5 months old may require treatment under general anaesthesia, depending on the extent of the tongue or lip tie.

To allow the tongue and lip to fully function post-treatment to allow for breast or bottle feeding, we do not anaesthetise infants or toddlers.  It also allows us to see how the mouth functions pre and post procedure to ensure the form and function are performing in the best possible manner. By numbing the area within the tongue cavity, the infant will not be able to feed properly. This approach has been endorsed by the Australian Breast Feeding Association.

Q. Is there a chance of complications or that the frenum will re-attach?

A. Possible complications of the procedure are bleeding or infection, but the incidence of these occurring are extremely rare, as is re-attachment.

Q. What other positives are there to having frenectomy?

A. Some children with tongue-tie are messy eaters due to a restricted ability to tidy up inside and outside of their mouths while they are having a meal. Dental cavities can occur due to food debris not being removed by the tongue's action of sweeping the teeth and spreading saliva. It is unclear as to whether tongue-tied affects speech development, however health issues alone justify treatment.

Q Why do we recommend the services of a Lactation Consultant?
A Lactation Consultant plays a critical role in the entire process of identification, care and re-education of mother and child before, during and after the procedure. Some of the issues that the Lactation Consultant can assist with include:
• Latch on Problems
• Slow weight gain of the infant
• Insufficient breast milk
• Retraining child and mother how to feed
We work cooperatively with Lactation Consultants to ensure your child gets the optimal long-term outcome for a healthy life.

Q How long will it take before we see the results of lip & tongue tie treatment?

Every patient treatment outcome is different depending on a range of factors.  Some patients will latch straight away and start feeding, others will take longer based on the type and nature of the restriction along with the requirement to re-educate both Mother and patient to be able to re-learn established feeding habits. For this reason, we strongly recommend the advice and support that Chiropractors and Lactation Consultants provide to get the optimal results as soon as possible.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We are able to look after your child's lip and tongue-tie surgery in Marian and surrounding areas (including Moranbah and the wider Isaac Region, Rockhampton and Townsville)

Contact Us to book in for a consultation for your Lip and Tongue tied procedure.

* Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.