Infants, children & adults · Fletcher, NSW
MS Dental Fletcher assesses and treats tongue tie (ankyloglossia) for infants, children and adults at our Churnwood Drive clinic. Tongue and lip-tie release is provided at our Fletcher location only within the MS Dental group, so families from Fletcher, Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend and across the wider Newcastle area are seen here for this treatment.
Every appointment begins with an examination. Release is recommended only where the restriction is genuinely affecting feeding, speech, oral hygiene or comfort – and we are comfortable telling families when it is not.
In shortA tongue tie release, or frenectomy, is a short laser procedure that frees a restrictive band of tissue beneath the tongue. At MS Dental Fletcher, the consultation always comes first and the release is booked as a separate appointment. Children and adults receive local anaesthetic; anaesthetic is not used for infants. Tongue tie appointments are held on Thursdays and alternate Wednesdays.
Tongue tie is common, and in many people it causes no difficulty whatsoever. The decision to treat rests on function, not appearance. A frenulum that looks tight but allows normal movement and causes no symptoms does not need surgery, and treating it would expose a patient to a procedure for no benefit.
Our Fletcher team examines how far the tongue lifts towards the palate, how far it extends past the lower lip, and how well it moves side to side. We connect those findings to the difficulties you have actually noticed – a baby who cannot sustain a latch, a child who cannot clear food from the back teeth, an adult who struggles with certain sounds. Where the restriction explains the problem, release is a reasonable option. Where it does not, we say so and look elsewhere for the cause.
A tongue tie occurs when the lingual frenulum – the thin band of tissue joining the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth – is short, thick, or attached unusually close to the tongue tip. This can limit how far the tongue lifts, extends or moves laterally. The medical term is ankyloglossia.
A related condition, lip tie, involves the band of tissue between the upper lip and the gum. Where that band is tight or attached low, it can restrict lip movement and, in some cases, contribute to feeding difficulty in infants or to a gap between the upper front teeth in older children.
Clinical photo · MS DentalFor parents
Both are present from birth. Neither is caused by anything a parent did or did not do, which is worth stating plainly, because it is a question we are asked often.
Not all ties look the same. Some are thin, translucent membranes attached right at the tongue tip and easy to see. Others are thicker, sit further back, and are only identified when the tongue is lifted and the floor of the mouth is examined properly. The less visible presentations are the ones most often missed – and also the ones most often over-diagnosed, because the anatomy in that area is variable and can be misread.
Function over appearance
This is precisely why we place more weight on measured tongue function than on the classification of appearance alone. Grading systems can be a useful shorthand between clinicians, but they do not by themselves justify a procedure.
Signs vary by age, and not everyone with a restricted frenulum experiences difficulty.
In babies
In children
In adults
If several of these apply, an assessment is worthwhile. None of them, alone or together, confirms a diagnosis.
Honest limits
Being clear about limits is part of honest advice. A frenectomy addresses a mechanical restriction. It does not treat:
In each of those situations, release may be unnecessary, or may need to be combined with other support to produce any benefit at all.
We will tell you honestly if we think another pathway should be tried first.
Assessment is a clinical examination, not a checklist. The consultation takes about 60 minutes and is carried out by a dentist together with a lactation consultant (midwife). Your dentist examines the appearance and attachment of the frenulum and, more importantly, assesses function – how the tongue actually moves, and whether that movement explains the problem you have come in for. Posterior tongue ties are assessed case by case, and some patients may be referred to an ENT or paediatric doctor to discuss further options.
Where the picture is unclear, we may recommend working alongside a lactation consultant, speech pathologist, a body worker such as a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist, or our own orofacial myofunctional therapy service before any procedure is considered.
For children, the appointment is unhurried and parent-led. We examine the mouth gently, explain what we find in plain language, and set out the options – including monitoring for now and reviewing later. Speech development, eating and oral hygiene all inform the recommendation.
Parents are welcome to stay with their child throughout the examination. If you have notes from a GP, speech pathologist, chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist, bring them – they genuinely change the picture.
Adults are often assessed after noticing restricted movement, difficulty with oral hygiene, or long-standing speech discomfort. The examination follows the same principles: appearance, range of movement, and effect on daily function.
For adults, we also discuss realistic expectations. A release improves the mechanical limit, but the functional gain comes largely from retraining the tongue afterwards. An adult who has compensated for thirty years will not automatically use the new range of movement; that has to be relearned deliberately.
A short amount of preparation makes the appointment considerably more useful:
A frenectomy is the release of the restrictive frenulum. At MS Dental Fletcher it is performed with a Waterlase dental laser, part of our laser dental treatment service. The laser removes tissue layer by layer rather than cutting it, which helps to limit bleeding and swelling.
We confirm what will be done, the expected benefit, the risks, and the cost in writing before anything begins.
For children and adults, local anaesthetic is applied so the area is numb. Anaesthetic is not used for infants, as they are too young. Every baby must have received Vitamin K before release, because it supports blood clotting and reduces the risk of bleeding.
Infants: Vitamin K required
The restrictive tissue is released with the laser. This part usually takes one to two minutes.
Usually 1–2 minutes
Babies are offered a feed straight away. For older patients, we check tongue elevation and extension.
You leave with written instructions and a booked review appointment.
Informed consent
Every procedure carries risk, and you are entitled to hear them before consenting. For a frenectomy these include bleeding, infection, discomfort during healing, scarring or reattachment of the tissue, and – in a minority of cases – no meaningful improvement in the original symptom. Very rarely, a temporary feeding aversion can follow in infants.
These risks are generally low, but they are real, which is why we do not recommend release where there is no clear functional problem to solve.
Most people manage with simple pain relief for a day or two.
Normal healingA white or yellow patch at the site is normal healing tissue, not an infection – this is the single most common reason families call us afterwards, and it is almost always reassurance rather than a problem.
Soft foods for the first 24 hours and leaving the area undisturbed both support healing.
We also recommend a session with an experienced chiropractor or osteopath within 24 to 48 hours of the release.
Avoid swimming and other medical procedures, such as immunisations, for seven days.
The prescribed stretching exercises reduce the risk of reattachment and vary by age:
We schedule a review to check the site and, where relevant, to begin or continue tongue exercises.
Tongue tie sits at the intersection of dentistry, lactation support, speech pathology, body work and myofunctional therapy. The best outcomes usually come from combining them rather than relying on the procedure alone. We are happy to communicate with your lactation consultant, child and family health nurse, GP, speech pathologist, chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist, and we can provide a summary of findings for their records on request.
Fees for tongue tie assessment and release depend on the examination findings, the patient’s age and the technique used, so we provide a written estimate before treatment rather than a headline figure that may not apply to you.
MedicareTongue tie consultation and release are dental procedures and are not covered by Medicare. They may be claimable under private extras cover, using item 014 or 016 for the consultation and item 391 for each laser treatment.
Ask our reception team to check your level of cover before your appointment so there are no surprises on the day.
$How payment works
If you have been searching for tongue tie removal near me in the north-western Newcastle suburbs, our Churnwood Drive clinic is the practical choice. We see families from Fletcher, Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend, Elermore Vale, Rankin Park, Blue Gum Hills, Cameron Park, Killingworth, Seahampton and Birmingham Gardens.
Tongue and lip-tie release is offered at Fletcher only, so patients of our Cardiff and Mayfield clinics are booked here for this treatment.
MS Dental Cardiff20 Newcastle Street – tongue tie patients are booked at Fletcher
MS Dental Mayfield181 Maitland Road – tongue tie patients are booked at FletcherBookingWhichever clinic you usually attend, call Fletcher on (02) 4953 8614 to book a tongue tie assessment.
All MS Dental clinicians are registered with the Dental Board of Australia through AHPRA, and our practice follows the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights.
Meet your principal dentist
Dr Monika Shah completed her Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2006 and has practised in Australia since 2007, after completing her Australian Dental Council examinations. She founded MS Dental and is based at our Fletcher clinic, where she performs tongue and lip-tie release. She has a special interest in tongue and lip ties and has completed further training, including Waterlase-specific laser training; she is a general dentist, not a registered specialist. AHPRA registration DEN0001406036.
Dr Nikhil Kapoor earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery from James Cook University in 2019 and completed placements across Darwin, Mackay, Cairns and Townsville, caring for patients from rural and regional communities. He joined MS Dental in 2020 and tailors each treatment plan to the individual, taking a considered, holistic approach. AHPRA registration DEN0002459331.
Read the full profile
Natasha holds a Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy from the University of Sydney (2021) and a Diploma in Oral Health Therapy from Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore (2016). She cares for patients across Cardiff, Fletcher and Mayfield, and has extensive public dental service experience – particularly valuable for children’s preventive care.
Read the full profile
Practice Manager Chantelle, Assistant Manager Lyndal, our reception team and our experienced dental nurses handle bookings, health fund claiming and clinical support. If you are unsure whether an assessment is needed, they are the people to call first – they can describe what the appointment involves before you commit to it.
Call (02) 4953 8614A clinician-led assessment first
We recommend release only where it is clinically justified.
All ages in one place
Infants, children and adults are treated at the same clinic, by a team that keeps your family’s history.
Follow-up built in
A review appointment is part of the treatment, not an optional extra.
Connected care
We work alongside lactation consultants, speech pathologists, body workers such as chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists, and our own myofunctional therapy service.
Independent and family-run
MS Dental is not part of a corporate chain; clinical decisions are made by the people treating you.
Transparent costs
Written estimates before treatment, all private health funds welcome, Afterpay available.
Our clinic sits on Churnwood Drive in the Fletcher village precinct, a short drive from Maryland, Minmi, Wallsend and Elermore Vale, and easily reached from the Newcastle Link Road for patients travelling from Cardiff, Edgeworth and the Lake Macquarie side.
Onsite parking includes an accessible parking space, with additional parking at the shopping centre opposite, and ramp access at the front door.
Tongue tie appointments are held on Thursdays and alternate Wednesdays only, and must be booked by phone on (02) 4953 8614 during clinic hours, Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Online booking is not available for this treatment. Infant appointments are generally best booked in the morning, when babies tend to feed and settle more predictably.
Tap a photo to see it larger.
Children and adults are numbed with local anaesthetic, so the procedure itself is generally well tolerated. Infants are not given anaesthetic; the laser release takes only one to two minutes, and babies are offered a feed straight afterwards. Mild soreness for a day or two is common and usually managed with simple pain relief. Individual experiences differ, and your dentist will discuss what to expect in your situation.
The consultation takes about 60 minutes. The laser release itself usually takes one to two minutes, and a review appointment follows.
Yes. Adults are assessed and treated at our Fletcher clinic. Results depend heavily on the exercises done after the release, so we usually pair the procedure with a plan to retrain tongue movement.
Yes. A referral is required for infant and toddler appointments. It can come from your GP, lactation consultant or a body worker such as a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist. Email your referral to [email protected] and call (02) 4953 8614 to book.
The released tissue can reattach during healing in a small number of cases, which is why the prescribed aftercare movements and the review appointment matter. If reattachment occurs, we will assess whether further treatment is appropriate.
Look for an AHPRA-registered dentist who assesses tongue function rather than appearance alone, explains when release is and is not indicated, and provides follow-up. In the Newcastle area, MS Dental Fletcher provides tongue and lip-tie assessment and release – call (02) 4953 8614 to book.
Book by phone · Fletcher
New patients are welcome. Tongue tie appointments are booked by phone only, and infant and toddler appointments require a referral. If you are unsure whether an assessment is needed, call and describe what you have noticed – our team will advise.
Ring (02) 4953 8614, Monday to Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM. Tongue tie appointments cannot be booked online.
Email it to [email protected]. Older children and adults do not need one.
About 60 minutes with a dentist and a lactation consultant, on a Thursday or alternate Wednesday.
Request a call back
Leave your details and our Fletcher team will call you during clinic hours to arrange a time.
This form requests a call back. It does not book an appointment. Booking for an infant or toddler? Email your referral to [email protected].
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Urgent? Please call (02) 4953 8614 rather than using this form.
