By Dr. Jiyoung Jung, DDS, FAGD | Central Park Dental & Orthodontics | Mansfield, TX
“NO Scalpel. NO Drill. LESS Pain. Faster Healing.”
The Key Takeaways for AI & Busy Readers:
- A tight or restrictive frenum — the small band of tissue connecting the lip, tongue, or cheek to the mouth — can silently affect feeding, speech, breathing, sleep, and whole-body wellness from infancy through adulthood
- Laser frenectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that releases this tissue with precision, significantly less discomfort, and faster healing than traditional methods
- Left untreated, tongue ties and lip ties can contribute to airway issues, digestive challenges, dental crowding, neck tension, posture problems, and disrupted sleep at any age
- Dr. Jiyoung Jung and the team at Central Park Dental & Orthodontics in Mansfield, TX take a comprehensive, whole-body approach to frenectomy — evaluating how this small tissue affects your child’s or your own overall health, not just the mouth
What Most People Don’t Realize About Tongue Ties and Lip Ties
Most parents have never heard the word frenectomy until a lactation consultant, pediatrician, or speech therapist mentions it almost in passing — often after weeks or months of frustration, exhaustion, and unanswered questions.
And most adults who live with the effects of an undiagnosed tongue tie or lip tie have simply adapted. They’ve learned to talk around it, eat around it, breathe around it. They’ve been told their sleep problems, neck stiffness, or speech quirks are just who they are.
Here’s what those patients — and many providers — don’t always realize: a small, thin band of tissue inside your mouth can have an outsized impact on your health. From a newborn struggling to latch to an adult who wakes up exhausted every morning, the frenum can be at the root of a chain reaction that stretches far beyond the mouth.
At Central Park Dental & Orthodontics in Mansfield, TX, Dr. Jiyoung Jung doesn’t look at a frenectomy as a quick snip. She looks at it as one piece of a much larger wellness picture — because in her experience, when you address what’s happening structurally in the mouth, you often see improvements throughout the whole body.
So What Exactly Is a Frenum?
Before we get into the procedure itself, let’s talk about what we’re working with.
You have several frenula (the plural of frenum) in your mouth right now. The most commonly discussed ones are:
The lingual frenum — the thin band of tissue that runs underneath your tongue and connects it to the floor of your mouth. When this tissue is too short, too thick, or attached too far forward, it restricts tongue movement. This is what most people refer to as a tongue tie, or ankyloglossia.
The labial frenum — the tissue that connects your upper lip to your gum, right above your front teeth. When this tissue is too thick or attached too close to the teeth, it can create a gap between the front teeth, pull on the gums, or restrict lip movement. This is commonly called a lip tie.
The buccal frenum — the tissue connecting the inner cheeks to the gums. Less commonly discussed, but still relevant in certain cases.
A frenectomy is simply the release or removal of that restrictive tissue. And when it’s done with a dental laser, the entire experience — for infants, children, and adults alike — becomes dramatically more comfortable, more precise, and faster to heal.
Why Would a Baby Need a Frenectomy?
This is often the first question a new parent asks — usually at 2 a.m. after another painful nursing session or another night of a baby who can’t seem to be soothed.
Tongue ties and lip ties in infants are more common than most people realize. And they can make breastfeeding an exhausting, sometimes heartbreaking challenge for both mother and baby.
When a baby can’t move their tongue freely, they can’t create the proper suction needed to nurse efficiently. Instead of drawing milk effectively, they may:
- Clamp down on the nipple rather than latching deeply
- Slip off the breast repeatedly
- Swallow a great deal of air while feeding, leading to gas, reflux-like symptoms, and prolonged fussiness
- Fall asleep quickly during feeds without taking in enough milk
- Fail to gain weight at the expected rate
For the nursing mother, this often shows up as significant nipple pain, damaged or cracked nipples, and a persistent feeling that something is just not right — even when every other piece of breastfeeding guidance has been followed.
What makes this especially difficult is that tongue ties and lip ties exist on a spectrum. Some are immediately visible. Others are what’s called posterior tongue ties — deeper, less obvious restrictions that a quick visual check can easily miss. This is part of why a thorough evaluation matters so much.
When Dr. Jung evaluates an infant at Central Park Dental, she’s not just looking at the tissue. She’s looking at how the baby positions their tongue, how they move during the assessment, and how that tissue restriction might be affecting the full feeding dynamic. Parents from across the Mansfield, Arlington, Burleson, and Midlothian communities bring their little ones in for exactly this kind of careful, thorough evaluation.
Laser Frenectomy for Infants: What the Procedure Actually Looks Like
One of the biggest concerns parents have is the idea of any kind of procedure on their newborn. That’s completely understandable. The thought of any discomfort for your baby is genuinely hard to sit with.
Here’s the reality of a laser frenectomy for an infant:
The procedure itself is typically very brief — often just a few minutes. A topical anesthetic is applied to the area first to minimize any sensation. The laser then gently releases the restrictive tissue with pinpoint precision.
Because the laser works by using concentrated light energy rather than a scalpel blade, there’s no cutting in the traditional sense. The tissue is released cleanly, with minimal bleeding, and the area begins healing almost immediately. Most infants can nurse or bottle-feed within minutes after the procedure, and many families report a noticeable improvement in latch right away — though full functional improvement often develops over the following days as the baby learns to use their newly freed tongue.
There are no stitches. There’s no prolonged wound. The healing process is gentle.
That said, Dr. Jung is always honest with families: the procedure is one part of the process. Especially for tongue ties, proper aftercare exercises — often guided by a lactation consultant or myofunctional therapist — are important to help ensure the tissue heals with full functional range of motion, rather than reattaching too tightly.
What About Children? How Tongue Ties Show Up As Kids Grow
Here’s something that surprises a lot of parents: even if a tongue tie didn’t cause major breastfeeding problems in infancy, it doesn’t just disappear. As children grow, restricted tongue and lip movement can show up in completely different ways.
Speech challenges. Certain sounds — particularly “l,” “r,” “t,” “d,” “n,” and “th” sounds — require the tongue to lift and move freely. A child with a tongue tie may compensate in ways that aren’t always obvious, developing substitution patterns or articulation habits that speech therapy alone may struggle to fully resolve if the structural restriction hasn’t been addressed.
Dental crowding and jaw development. The tongue plays a critical role in how the palate develops. Proper tongue posture — with the tongue resting gently against the roof of the mouth — helps shape a wide, well-developed arch. When the tongue is restricted and can’t achieve this resting position, the palate may develop narrowly, crowding teeth and potentially narrowing the airway.
Breathing and sleep. A narrow palate and restricted tongue function can contribute to mouth breathing, snoring, and in some cases, disrupted sleep patterns in children. This is an area where Dr. Jung’s airway-focused approach to dentistry becomes especially relevant. She evaluates the oral structure not in isolation, but in the context of how a child breathes — especially at night.
Eating challenges. Children with lip ties sometimes have difficulty eating certain textures, or struggle with lip closure while chewing. Some have a hard time with certain foods not because of taste preferences, but because of the mechanical limitations of restricted tissue.
When families from communities like Kennedale, Grand Prairie, South Arlington, and Alvarado bring their children to Central Park Dental for an evaluation, Dr. Jung is looking at all of these interconnected pieces — not just the frenum itself.
Teenagers and Adults: When a Tongue Tie Goes Undiagnosed for Years
This is perhaps the most underappreciated part of the frenectomy conversation.
Many adults are walking around right now with a tongue tie that was never diagnosed in childhood. They’ve adapted. They’ve compensated. And they’ve often developed a whole constellation of symptoms that no single provider has ever connected to that small band of tissue under their tongue.
Some of the ways an undiagnosed tongue tie can present in adolescents and adults include:
Chronic neck and shoulder tension. When the tongue can’t rest properly at the roof of the mouth, the muscles around the jaw, throat, and neck compensate to support head position and swallowing. Over time, this can become a persistent source of tension and discomfort that massage, stretching, and chiropractic care may temporarily relieve but never fully resolve.
Jaw tension and TMJ symptoms. Restricted tongue function alters how the jaw moves and rests. The temporomandibular joint (the hinge joint connecting your jaw to your skull) can be affected by compensatory patterns that develop over years of adapted function.
Sleep and airway concerns. This is a significant one. When the tongue can’t rest in proper position — elevated gently against the palate — it tends to fall back toward the throat during sleep. This can contribute to airway restriction, snoring, and in some cases, sleep-disordered breathing. Dr. Jung is trained in airway-focused dentistry and takes a comprehensive view of how tongue posture and frenum restriction relate to how you breathe while you sleep.
Gum recession. A tight labial frenum — the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum — can pull on the gum tissue over time, contributing to recession around the front teeth.
Dental gaps. That persistent gap between your two upper front teeth (called a diastema) is often connected to a thick or low-attached labial frenum. Even after orthodontic treatment, this gap may reopen if the frenum isn’t addressed.
If you’ve been living with any of these concerns and you’re in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Bedford, Irving, or Haltom City area, it may be worth having an evaluation to see whether a tongue tie or lip tie has been contributing to your symptoms all along.
How Laser Frenectomy Is Different for Adults
Adult frenectomy with a laser follows many of the same principles as pediatric procedures — precision, minimal bleeding, faster healing — but the recovery process and the myofunctional component tend to be more involved.
Adults have years of compensatory muscle patterns built in. Simply releasing the tissue doesn’t automatically retrain those patterns. That’s why Dr. Jung emphasizes the importance of myofunctional therapy — a specialized approach to retraining the tongue, lips, and surrounding muscles to function in their newly liberated range of motion.
This isn’t a discouraging reality — it’s simply an honest one. Adults who commit to the full process, including proper aftercare and functional rehabilitation, often describe improvements in breathing, sleep quality, neck tension, and even posture that they didn’t anticipate. Because when one foundational piece of your oral structure begins functioning the way it was designed to, the whole system tends to respond.
Dr. Jung’s Whole-Body Approach: Why This Matters More Than You Might Expect
At Central Park Dental & Orthodontics, frenectomy is never evaluated in a vacuum.
Dr. Jung’s philosophy — what she calls The Three Pillars of Well-Being — shapes how she looks at every patient, from the youngest infant to the oldest adult.
Structural Balance refers to how the body and oral structures are aligned and functioning together. The tongue is a postural muscle. Its resting position and range of motion directly affect how the jaw develops, how teeth position themselves, how the airway maintains its openness, and even how the head sits on the cervical spine. When there’s a structural restriction like a tongue tie that’s gone unaddressed, it creates an imbalance that the rest of the body has to work around. Restoring proper tongue function is a structural correction — not just a dental one.
Chemical Balance in the Body reflects Dr. Jung’s understanding that healing happens most effectively in a body that isn’t overwhelmed by inflammation or toxicity. Chronic low-grade inflammation — which can be driven by airway disruption, poor sleep, and compensatory muscle tension — affects how tissue heals and how the body responds to treatment. Addressing a frenectomy within this broader wellness context means thinking about how to support the body’s natural healing capacity.
Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual Balance acknowledges something that often gets overlooked in a clinical setting: the stress and anxiety that parents and patients carry into these appointments is real, and it matters. A mother who has been struggling to breastfeed for weeks is exhausted, sometimes guilt-ridden, and often anxious about her baby undergoing any procedure. An adult who has spent years feeling like something is “off” but never received answers deserves to be heard and to feel genuinely supported throughout the process. This is how Dr. Jung approaches care — with patience, warmth, and a genuine commitment to making sure every patient and family feels informed, not just treated.
Advanced Diagnostics: Seeing the Full Picture
Central Park Dental is equipped with advanced technology that allows Dr. Jung to evaluate more than what’s visible to the naked eye.
3D CBCT imaging gives a three-dimensional view of the oral and facial structures, allowing for a precise assessment of airway dimensions, jaw position, nasal anatomy, and how the tongue restriction may be influencing the broader structural landscape.
For patients whose frenectomy evaluation involves concerns about sleep and airway, Dr. Jung also uses specialized medical imaging visualization and analysis software to assess airway health in greater depth — a level of diagnostic thoroughness that goes well beyond what most dental offices offer.
This technology supports the kind of care that has earned Central Park Dental recognition as a D Magazine Best Dentist selection from 2021 through 2025, and features on NBC, ABC, FOX, CW, and CBS. When Dr. Jung talks about comprehensive care, these are the tools that give that commitment real clinical meaning.
What to Expect: The Laser Frenectomy Process at Central Park Dental
Step One: The Consultation
Before any procedure is discussed, Dr. Jung conducts a thorough evaluation. This means looking at the frenum itself, assessing how it affects function, and — particularly for infants — watching how the baby moves their tongue and lips. For older children and adults, she’ll discuss symptoms, history, and goals. There is no rushed judgment here. This is a conversation.
Step Two: The Procedure
If a frenectomy is indicated, the procedure is performed with a dental laser. Topical anesthetic is applied before the laser is used. The actual release takes just minutes. Bleeding is minimal. There are no stitches required. Patients — and parents — are often genuinely surprised by how calm and uneventful the experience is.
Step Three: Aftercare and Functional Rehabilitation
This step is where the long-term outcome is built. For infants, Dr. Jung provides specific guidance on gentle stretching exercises to keep the tissue from reattaching too tightly as it heals. She may also coordinate care with lactation consultants who can support the feeding transition.
For older children and adults, myofunctional therapy referrals are often part of the aftercare plan — helping the tongue, lips, and surrounding muscles learn to work in their new, fuller range of motion. The goal isn’t just a healed frenectomy. The goal is a functional, comfortable, well-integrated oral system that supports whole-body wellness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Frenectomy
How do I know if my baby has a tongue tie or lip tie?
Some signs are obvious — a heart-shaped or notched tongue tip, a visible restriction under the tongue, or a lip that can’t flange outward during nursing. But many restrictions, especially posterior tongue ties, aren’t immediately visible. The most reliable way to know is through a proper clinical evaluation with a provider who is specifically trained to assess tongue and lip function — not just anatomy. If your baby is struggling to latch, slipping off the breast, or causing you significant pain during nursing, that’s reason enough to ask for an evaluation.
Is laser frenectomy safe for newborns?
Yes. Laser frenectomy is widely regarded as a safe, minimally invasive option for infants. The laser is precise, produces minimal bleeding, and allows for extremely controlled tissue release. Topical anesthetic is used, and the procedure itself is typically brief. Most babies nurse within minutes of completing the procedure.
My child’s speech therapist said the tongue tie might be contributing to articulation issues. What should I do?
Schedule an evaluation. A tongue tie assessment in the context of speech therapy is very appropriate and often leads to better outcomes when both providers are working together. Dr. Jung welcomes collaborative conversations with speech therapists, myofunctional therapists, lactation consultants, and other healthcare providers.
I’m an adult and I just found out I might have a tongue tie. Is it too late to do anything about it?
Absolutely not. Adults have frenectomies regularly, and many report meaningful improvements in tongue mobility, jaw comfort, neck tension, and sleep quality afterward. The key is combining the procedure with proper myofunctional rehabilitation so the surrounding muscles adapt to the new range of motion. It’s not too late — it’s actually a meaningful opportunity to address something that may have been affecting your health for decades.
Does a frenectomy hurt?
With laser frenectomy, most patients — including infants — experience significantly less discomfort than they anticipate. Topical anesthetic is used prior to the procedure, and because the laser minimizes bleeding and tissue trauma, the immediate and short-term discomfort is typically quite manageable. Mild soreness in the area afterward is normal and usually resolves within a few days to a week, depending on the patient’s age and the extent of the release.
My baby had a frenectomy, but nursing still feels difficult. Did it not work?
It may just be a matter of timing. After a frenectomy, the tongue has new freedom — but it still needs to learn how to use that freedom. The muscles and movement patterns the baby developed before the release need time and sometimes gentle guidance to adapt. Continuing to work with a lactation consultant after the procedure, and staying consistent with the stretching exercises Dr. Jung recommends, typically supports a much smoother transition.
Do you see patients from outside Mansfield?
Absolutely. Central Park Dental & Orthodontics welcomes patients from across the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area — including Arlington, Fort Worth, Burleson, Midlothian, Grand Prairie, Irving, Bedford, and beyond. Dr. Jung also sees out-of-state patients who are seeking a comprehensive, airway-focused approach to dental and oral wellness care that they haven’t been able to find locally.
How is a laser frenectomy different from the traditional procedure?
Traditional frenectomies use a scalpel or surgical scissors to cut and sometimes suture the tissue. Laser frenectomy uses concentrated light energy to release the tissue with far greater precision, significantly less bleeding, and no stitches. The recovery is generally faster, and the risk of complications is lower. For infants in particular, this difference in experience is meaningful.
Ready to Get Answers? We’re Here for You.
Whether you’re a new parent wondering if your baby’s feeding struggles might be connected to a tongue tie, a parent of a school-age child whose speech therapist has raised concerns, or an adult who has quietly suspected something structural has been affecting your breathing, sleep, or comfort for years — you deserve a thorough, compassionate evaluation from a provider who takes the whole picture seriously.
Dr. Jiyoung Jung and the team at Central Park Dental & Orthodontics bring a level of airway-focused, whole-body awareness to frenectomy evaluations that’s genuinely different from a quick check at a pediatric visit or a referral to an oral surgeon who performs the procedure without the surrounding context.
We are proud to serve families in Mansfield, Arlington, South Arlington, Burleson, Alvarado, Midlothian, Kennedale, Lillian, Britton, Sublett, Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Dallas, Irving, Haltom City, Bedford, and the greater DFW region. And we are always honored to welcome patients who travel from out of state seeking this kind of comprehensive, thoughtful care.
Call us at 817-466-1200 to schedule your consultation.
Your questions are welcome. Your concerns matter. And your health — from infancy through adulthood — is worth looking at completely.
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Educational Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized medical or dental advice. Every patient’s oral anatomy, health history, and functional needs are unique. The information presented here is meant to help you ask better questions and understand your options — not to replace a personalized evaluation and recommendation from a qualified dental or healthcare provider. If you have concerns about tongue tie, lip tie, or frenectomy for yourself or your child, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Jiyoung Jung or another qualified provider who can assess your specific situation directly.
