A tongue tie is one of the most consequential and most underdiagnosed structural issues in dentistry. It can disrupt breastfeeding from the first hours of life, contribute to poor jaw and airway development throughout childhood, and drive speech, sleep, and breathing difficulties that follow patients into adulthood – all because of a small band of tissue that most people never think to look for. According to a 2022 prospective cohort study published in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics, lingual laser frenotomy in newborns produced significant breastfeeding improvement with low intraoperative pain and no significant complications, with all treated sites fully healed by the thirtieth postoperative day.
At Airway Dental & More, Dr. Neil K. Stevenson, DMD evaluates and treats tongue ties, lip ties, and other tethered oral tissues for patients of all ages in Jacksonville, FL. As part of our broader commitment to pediatric airway and sleep health, we approach every tethered tissue case as a whole-person issue. Our assessment considers how the restriction affects feeding, breathing, facial development, sleep, and oral function, and our treatment integrates laser frenectomy with the myofunctional and developmental support needed to ensure the release lasts.
Comprehensive airway treatments and family dental care with flexible financing to improve your health and smile.
Untreated tongue and lip ties do not simply stay the same over time – their effects compound as development progresses. For infants, continued feeding difficulties and poor weight gain can affect growth and the nursing relationship before a tie is ever identified. As children grow, the structural consequences become increasingly embedded in the bones and muscles of the face. A tongue that cannot rest against the palate fails to provide the upward pressure that drives palate width, resulting in a high arched palate, narrowed dental arches, and crowded teeth that become more difficult and costly to correct with every passing year.
The airway is directly affected by this pattern. A narrow palate narrows the nasal passages above it, reducing nasal airflow and pushing children toward chronic mouth breathing, which further drives the downward facial growth pattern that makes the airway smaller still. Poor facial development tied to tongue restriction can ultimately contribute to sleep-disordered breathing that persists into adulthood. For adults who were never treated, compensatory muscle strain throughout the jaw, neck, and shoulders becomes chronic, gum recession along the lower front teeth progresses, and the airway and sleep consequences of a lifetime of mouth breathing accumulate.
Upper lip ties left unaddressed can contribute to a gap between the front teeth, difficulty maintaining resting lip seal, and gum recession near the upper front teeth over time. The earlier these issues are addressed, the better – but it is never too late to seek evaluation and treatment.
What makes Airway Dental & More a trusted destination for tongue tie treatment in Jacksonville is the same thing that defines every service we offer: we treat the whole person, not just the tissue. Dr. Stevenson’s interest in tethered oral tissues is inseparable from his broader philosophy about the airway. He understands that a tongue that cannot elevate is a tongue that cannot support the palate, guide jaw development, or maintain nasal breathing – and that treating the restriction without addressing those downstream consequences leaves the work incomplete.
We serve patients of all ages throughout Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, from newborns whose mothers are struggling to nurse to adults who have carried an undiagnosed tie for decades. Our practice is built on genuine relationships with the families we care for, honest evaluations, and a commitment to treatment that gets to the root of the problem rather than managing its surface effects. Flexible financing is available, and our team is happy to help patients navigate their options regardless of where they are starting from.
At Airway Dental & More, our approach to tethered oral tissues begins before the procedure and extends well beyond it. We do not release and discharge. We evaluate thoroughly, treat precisely, and support functional recovery so that the release produces lasting results.
Our preferred method for releasing tethered oral tissues is soft-tissue laser therapy, and the reason is straightforward: laser frenectomy is more precise, more comfortable, and produces superior healing outcomes compared to traditional scissor or scalpel techniques. The laser delivers controlled energy directly to the targeted tissue, vaporizing the restricting frenum with minimal trauma to the surrounding area. It simultaneously sterilizes the treatment site as it works, meaningfully reducing infection risk. There is minimal to no bleeding during or after the procedure – which is especially important for infant patients – and post-procedure discomfort is typically mild and short-lived.
The procedure itself is brief. Most releases are completed in under fifteen minutes from preparation to finish. For infants, a topical numbing agent is applied before the procedure begins, and infants can typically resume feeding shortly after. For older children and adults, a local anesthetic ensures full comfort throughout. Dr. Stevenson performs each release carefully and completely, addressing the full functional extent of the restriction rather than only the surface portion visible on inspection.
Understanding what to expect during healing helps patients and families prepare and ensures post-operative care is done correctly. The treatment site will appear white or yellowish after the procedure – this is a normal healing response. For infants, mild discomfort typically resolves within the first day or two, and the site reaches full surface healing by the thirtieth postoperative day. Post-operative stretching exercises begin within the first 24 hours for patients old enough to participate, and they are essential for preventing the tissue from reattaching during the initial healing phase. Most surface healing is complete within the first month. Full functional healing – including the tongue’s adaptation to its new range of motion – continues over the weeks and months that follow, particularly for patients simultaneously participating in myofunctional therapy.
A frenectomy removes the structural barrier restricting the tongue. Myofunctional therapy addresses the compensatory muscle habits that developed because of that restriction. Without targeted retraining, the tongue often continues to rest incorrectly and swallow improperly even after the frenum is released, because those patterns became the default over months or years of compensation. Our team builds myofunctional therapy into the treatment protocol for every patient who can participate in it, both before the procedure to prepare the muscles and after to retrain them toward correct posture, nasal breathing, and mature swallowing mechanics.
Every tongue tie evaluation at Airway Dental & More considers the role the restriction is playing in the patient’s broader airway health and development. For children, this means assessing how the tie is affecting jaw width, palate shape, and the trajectory of facial development – and coordinating with early orthodontic care when structural intervention is also indicated. For adults, it means evaluating the connection between tongue restriction and airway and sleep concerns that may have been present for years without a clear diagnosis. We also coordinate with lactation consultants and pediatricians when appropriate, so that our evaluation is informed by the full clinical picture surrounding each patient.
Our team provides clear, specific post-operative instructions for every patient and family, including guidance on stretching exercises, appropriate comfort measures, what normal healing looks like, and what to watch for. We are available to address questions between visits and we monitor healing progress at follow-up appointments to ensure recovery is proceeding well.
A tongue tie – also called ankyloglossia – is a congenital condition where a band of tissue called the lingual frenum restricts the tongue’s range of motion. It is present from birth and ranges widely in severity, from a barely visible restriction to a complete tethering of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Many tongue ties are not obvious on visual inspection, particularly posterior tongue ties, which lie further back and are only identifiable through functional assessment. At Airway Dental & More in Jacksonville, we evaluate tongue ties based on what the tongue can and cannot do – not just on what the frenum looks like. Signs in infants include feeding difficulty, poor latch, clicking sounds during nursing, and poor weight gain. Signs in children include speech delays, mouth breathing, narrow dental arches, and crowded teeth. Signs in adults include chronic jaw and neck tension, speech difficulties, and poor sleep. If you suspect a tongue tie at any age, we recommend scheduling an evaluation rather than waiting to see if symptoms resolve on their own.
A laser frenectomy uses focused soft-tissue laser energy to release the restrictive frenum rather than scissors or a scalpel. At Airway Dental & More in Jacksonville, we use laser as our preferred technique because it offers several meaningful advantages over traditional methods. The laser is precise, which allows for a complete and controlled release of the tissue along its full functional extent. It produces minimal to no bleeding during the procedure, which is especially beneficial for infant patients. The laser simultaneously sterilizes the treatment site as it works, reducing infection risk. Recovery is typically more comfortable than after scissor-based releases, and healing tends to be faster. The procedure itself is brief – most releases are completed in under fifteen minutes – and infants can usually resume feeding shortly afterward. For infants, only a topical numbing agent is needed. For older children and adults, a local anesthetic is used to ensure full comfort throughout.
Recovery after laser frenectomy at Airway Dental & More is generally straightforward and well-tolerated across all ages. In the first day or two, the treatment site will appear white or yellowish – this is a normal part of healing and not a sign of infection. Mild discomfort is common and typically manageable with appropriate over-the-counter pain relief. Infants can usually return to feeding the same day. For children and adults, post-operative stretching exercises begin within the first 24 hours and continue for several weeks. These exercises are a critical part of recovery because they prevent the tissue from reattaching during the initial healing phase. Most surface healing is complete by the end of the first month. Full functional healing – including the tongue adapting to its new range of motion and building proper muscle habits – continues over a longer period, particularly for patients who are participating in myofunctional therapy alongside their recovery.
This is one of the most common questions Jacksonville families bring to us, and the answer depends on whether the tie is causing meaningful functional impairment. Some tongue ties are mild and do not significantly affect feeding, development, or breathing. Others are causing real harm in the form of nursing difficulties, poor weight gain, or downstream developmental consequences. At Airway Dental & More, we do not recommend treatment unless a thorough assessment indicates that the restriction is creating functional problems that outweigh the straightforward risks of the procedure. We also coordinate with lactation consultants and pediatricians when appropriate so that our evaluation is informed by the full clinical picture. If a release is indicated, the laser procedure is brief, well-tolerated even in newborns, and produces benefits that extend well beyond the feeding relationship – including better jaw development, improved airway function, and reduced risk of the speech and structural problems that untreated ties create over time.
A frenectomy removes the structural barrier that was restricting the tongue. Myofunctional therapy addresses the compensatory muscle habits that developed because of that restriction – and without that retraining, the tongue often continues to function as if the tie were still there. For patients who have had a tongue tie for months or years, the muscles of the tongue, lips, and throat have adapted around the restriction. The tongue rests incorrectly, swallowing happens with a thrust rather than an upward press, and breathing patterns may have defaulted to mouth breathing. Removing the frenum does not automatically correct these patterns. Myofunctional therapy at Airway Dental & More provides the structured retraining that converts a structural release into a genuine functional improvement. For children, it supports better palate development and orthodontic stability. For adults, it improves tongue posture, airway function, and sleep quality in ways that the frenectomy alone cannot achieve. We build myofunctional therapy into our protocol for every tongue tie patient who can participate – because the release is the beginning, not the end.
Dr. Stevenson and our Jacksonville team are here to give you or your child a thorough, compassionate evaluation and a clear path forward. Whether you are concerned about your infant’s feeding, your child’s speech and development, or your own health and breathing, we will assess the full picture and tell you honestly what we find and what we recommend. Learn more about Dr. Stevenson’s approach and training on our doctor’s page.
Do not wait for a tongue tie to cause more damage than it already has. A brief evaluation can change the trajectory of your child’s development or finally provide answers you have been looking for. Contact Airway Dental & More today at (904) 268-4466 or complete our contact form to schedule your consultation and discover how our team can make your smile shine.
