Tongue restricted by a tight frenulum before release

Tongue & Lip Tie Centre

Dr. Mandeep Johal has performed thousands of laser tongue tie and lip tie releases, from newborns in their first weeks to adults who have compensated for decades. Families travel to Family Dental Centre in Guelph from across Ontario for the assessment and laser release.

Symptoms of a Tongue Tie
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Tongue Tie Releases in Ontario

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Oral Surgeon

Dr. Mandeep Johal DMD

Dr. Johal is certified to perform laser surgery by the American Board of Laser Surgery. She has performed hundreds of functional tongue tie releases and is training others on this amazing procedure to help more patients.

Myofunctional Therapists

Our orofacial myofunctional therapy team will support training the tongue on how to get into a natural position on the roof of the mouth and further correct any improper positioning or swallowing that may have developed. In addition, this supports breathing through the nose instead of the mouth.

Lactation Specialists

A tongue-tie can interfere with a baby’s ability to properly nurse and/or bottle feed. In unaddressed, a tongue-tie can impact an individual through their whole life. Our lactation specialists provide guidance and support specific to your situation.

Craniosacral Therapists

Since tongue ties are fascia, this specific fascia connects from the tongue to the toes! Because of this, craniosacral therapy is great for tongue ties, before and after a frenectomy. It is beneficial for other latch or breastfeeding difficulties as well. Our craniosacral therapists specialize in supporting tongue tie procedures.

Body Work Practitioners

Our body work therapist referral is selected on a case by case basis specifically tailored to each client’s needs. We recommend osteopathic doctors, chiropractors, and registered massage therapists.

Food Texture issues: If infants with tongue-ties encounter solid foods, issues may begin to present themselves. It may seem like picky eating, or the child will gag on food as they try to eat it or they won’t eat it at all because of how it feels in their mouth. The child may also show signs of loud or messy eating. The tongue is designed to help move food around the mouth as well as to clean food out of the mouth.

When someone is tongue-tied, the tongue isn’t able to perform these functions. When someone can’t chew food properly one of two things can happen: indigestion because food that isn’t adequately chewed cannot be digested properly, or the person avoids those foods altogether. Neither of these solutions is great for our long-term health.

Speech issues: In order to properly form sounds, the movement and position of the tongue need to be functioning as they should. If tongue-tied, it may not be possible to form the sounds as they should. Sometimes people are able to compensate for the lack of mobility, but this isn’t the case for everyone. In those situations, the only way to properly produce the sound is to release the tongue enabling it to move.

Having the tongue in the correct position allows for optimal facial growth and allows for proper nasal breathing.

Dr. Johal used Co2 laser by Light Scalpel, for painless and quick release. She was the first one to buy this amazing laser, that does not cause any bleeding or burning like other lasers on the market. She released her own two boys with the same laser, at the ages of 4 and 6.

She has great mentors she has been learning from, Dr. Larry Kotlow, Dr. Bobby Ghaheri, Dr, Richard Baxter, and Dr. James Thomas.

To further understand the connection of tongue ties and the whole body, her collaboration with fascia and cranial therapist gives her a further understanding on how it is all connected.

Infant tongue tie, before and after a gentle laser release

Tongue Ties in Infants

The painless CO2 laser used by Dr. Mandeep Johal, DMD is the gold standard for an infant frenectomy. The procedure is only about a minute long. It allows for no or minimal bleeding at the treatment site which results in better visualization of the posterior tongue tie and quicker healing times for the baby.

Lactation consultant and body work therapy before and after is strongly recommended for optimal results. We work with midwives, and lactation specialists from all over Ontario. We are lucky to have our very own Michelle Buckley, BHSc, IBCLC, in Guelph to help mothers if they need help after the procedure.

Is Your Baby Tongue Tied?

A mother and her son with healthy, freely moving tongues after a tongue tie release

Tongue Ties in Children & Adults

The functional Frenuloplasty technique is based on precision: releasing the appropriate extent of tissue for maximal relief.

Dr. Johal uses the painless CO2 laser on children and, for adults, a combination of CO2 laser and scissors depending on the situation. Dr. Johal has had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Soroush Zaghi (ENT), who is pioneering the way for a standard in delivering of tongue-tie release surgery. Dr. Zaghi has also developed The functional frenuloplasty technique.

How To Know If You or Your Child Is Tongue Tied