Frequently Asked Questions

Lip tie

I am happy to perform an assessment of lip tie upon request only. I do not support or provide lip tie release for newborns. Older infants should be assessed by a dentist.

A lip tie or maxillary frenulum is a common anatomical finding, and it can be a concern for parents.

A preliminary study from the Breathe Institute in 1993 revealed that 93% of newborns are born with a grade 3-4 lip tie. This naturally suggests that lip ties are basically normal anatomical findings in newborn babies.

27% of newborns will have a grade 4 lip tie. These are considered the most severe. Only 2.4% of 3-year-olds were found to have a grade 4 lip tie.

The anatomy of a lip tie changes with growth. The insertion point of the frenulum migrates upward with growth.

The main dental concern around a lip tie is difficulty brushing in between the front incisors. There is also a risk of a diastema, a gap in the front teeth.

There is no published evidence to support the release of lip tie to help with breast or bottle feeding.

There is a lot of misinformation being provided to parents in relation to lip tie. This information is often not evidenced based. I personally believe that unregulated social media has contributed to this pool of misinformation.

If you remain concerned about lip tie, then I would advise an assessment with your local dentist or nearest paediatric dentist.

The American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry

“Paediatric dentists and orthodontists generally agree that most diastemas in the primary and mixed dentitions are normal, are multifactorial, and tend to close with maturity; therefore, any surgical manipulation of the frenulum is not recommended before the permanent canines erupt and only following orthodontic closure of the space or in conjunction with orthodontic treatment. This was recently affirmed in a systematic review. Certain surgical interventions, when performed too early, may result in orthodontic relapse due to scarring.”

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

“The practice of surgically treating other intraoral or perioral tissue beyond the sublingual frenulum has no published evidence of improving milk transfer or of reducing maternal nipple trauma in breastfeeding dyads. The upper labial frenulum specifically is a normal structure with poor evidence for intervention improving breastfeeding and therefore cannot be recommended. Additionally, surgery to release a ‘‘buccal tie’’ should not be performed.”

Health insurance

Insurance claims can be discussed directly with your insurance company. There are many different insurance policies and levels of cover.

Unfortunately, health insurance customer service often advise parents to make the claim through our clinic. We are not registered with the insurance companies, so this is not possible. They should know this.

The claim can be made directly through the insurance company.

Medical Card

There is no assessment fee for mothers with a valid medical card. Please bring your medical card to your appointment.

Urgent appointments

I will do my best to create an urgent appointment for babies less than 2 weeks old and have been diagnosed with an anterior tongue tie. Please phone 01 4536636 or email dralanoreilly@gmail.com.