Tongue-Tie Treatment

Nurse Without Pain or Discomfort

Expect faster healing with our advanced treatment
Ensure their comfort with an easy, stress-free procedure
Prevent future speech, eating, & oral development issues

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Improve Feeding & Speech With Tongue-Tie Treatment in San Jose

A simple procedure can make a world of difference for your child’s oral function and development. At Destination Smiles, we provide gentle, precise tongue-tie treatment in San Jose to help babies, children, and even teens overcome the challenges caused by a restricted frenum. Whether your child is struggling with breastfeeding, speech development, or oral mobility, our team ensures quick, comfortable treatment with minimal discomfort and downtime.

With a tongue-tie procedure, your child can:

Improve feeding abilities for a better breastfeeding or bottle-feeding experience
Enhance speech development by increasing tongue mobility and function
Experience a quicker, more precise procedure with Bovie electrocautery technology
Heal faster and more comfortably with minimal discomfort and downtime
Breathe, eat, and speak with greater ease for improved long-term oral health

Call 408-212-0625 today to schedule a consultation. If a tongue or lip tie is affecting your child’s ability to eat, speak, or breathe comfortably, we can help.

Restore Comfort & Function With Expert Tongue-Tie Care

Support Your Baby’s Feeding & Development

A tongue- or lip-tie can make breastfeeding or bottle-feeding difficult for infants, leading to frustration for both baby and parent.

When left untreated, these restrictions can also affect speech, swallowing, and overall oral development as your child grows.

At Destination Smiles, Dr. Ligh specializes in gentle frenectomy procedures to correct tongue- and lip-ties in infants and young children.

We collaborate with lactation consultants and myofunctional therapists to ensure the best outcomes for feeding, speech, and long-term oral function. By addressing the issue early, we help mothers experience less pain while nursing and give babies a better ability to latch, suck, and swallow effectively.

Experience a Quick & Precise Frenectomy With Advanced Technology

Our office uses Bovie electrocautery, a specialized surgical technique that allows for a fast, precise, and minimally invasive frenectomy.

Unlike traditional scalpel methods, the advanced technology cauterizes the tissue as it releases the restriction. This reduces bleeding and promotes faster healing.

The procedure itself takes just a few minutes. Most babies and children returning to normal feeding or speech movements shortly after treatment.

We also provide private care rooms for young patients undergoing the procedure, ensuring a calm and comfortable setting for families.

Keep Your Child Comfortable Every Step of the Way

We know that any procedure involving your child can feel overwhelming, which is why we focus on creating a stress-free experience from start to finish.

For infants, the procedure is quick and well-tolerated. Older children may receive mild sedation to keep them relaxed. We also provide blankets and pillows upon request to keep your little one cozy.

After the procedure, we’ll guide you through post-care exercises to ensure proper healing and improved function. Our team is always available to answer questions and support you throughout your child’s recovery.

Call 408-212-0625 today to schedule a consultation for tongue-tie treatment in San Jose. You can also request an appointment online.

A Closer Look at How Your Baby Feeds

Our practice is among the first to evaluate the Latchability System, an investigational medical device that measures an infant’s sucking patterns in under a minute. Feeding assessments have traditionally relied on a clinician’s observation and examination with a gloved finger. The Latchability System adds objective measurements that may help clinicians better understand an infant’s sucking function during breastfeeding. We are proud to help evaluate this promising technology and contribute to its future use in patient care.

What This Means for Your Family

The assessment is quick, comfortable, and fits into your regular visit. Your baby uses a small, single-use sensor for less than a minute while we gather an objective look at their sucking. There’s nothing to prepare and nothing extra to schedule — if it’s a fit for your visit, we’ll offer it and walk you through it.

Latchability is an investigational technology under evaluation and is not yet cleared by the FDA. It is not used to diagnose or treat any condition. Participation is optional and part of our early work with this new tool.

The Science Behind It

This new technology will allow us to gather qualitative & quantitative measurements of suck parameters:

Suck frequency
Vacuum (suck) strength
Burst Duration
Pause frequency & duration between burst
Variability & organization of suck pattern
Overall suck rhythm & coordination

The technology has been studied and published in peer-reviewed literature. If you’d like to read further:

Truong P, Walsh E, Scott VP, Coleman T, Tilvawala G, Friend J. Non-Nutritive Suckling System for Real-Time Characterization of Intraoral Vacuum Profile in Full Term Neonates. IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med. 2022 Dec 23;11:107-115. doi: 10.1109/JTEHM.2022.3231788. PMID: 36619906; PMCID: PMC9815562.

Truong P, Walsh E, Scott VP, Leff M, Chen A, Friend J. Application of Statistical Analysis and Machine Learning to Identify Infants’ Abnormal Suckling Behavior. IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med. 2024 Apr 17;12:435-447. doi: 10.1109/JTEHM.2024.3390589. PMID: 38765888; PMCID: PMC11100863.

Latchability is an early-stage medical technology company working to make infant feeding measurable. Learn more at latchability.com. Caution: Investigational device. Limited by United States law to investigational use.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Tongue-Tie Treatment

How do I know if my baby has a tongue-tie?

Signs of a tongue- or lip-tie in infants include difficulty latching, prolonged feeding times, clicking sounds while nursing, and frustration during feedings. Some babies may also have trouble gaining weight. If you’re concerned, our team can evaluate your baby and determine if a frenectomy is the right solution.

What happens during tongue-tie treatment?

Dr. Ligh uses a specialized technique called Bovie electrocautery to gently release the restrictive tissue, allowing for better tongue or lip mobility. The procedure is quick, with minimal discomfort and bleeding. Most babies and children return to normal feeding or speech movements shortly afterward.

Will my child need special care after a frenectomy?

After a frenectomy, we provide gentle post-care exercises to prevent reattachment and improve function. Babies can breastfeed or bottle-feed immediately, and older children typically resume normal eating and speaking within a day or two. Our team is always available for follow-up support.

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