CO2 Laser Tongue & Lip Tie Release in Walnut Creek

Laser tongue tie and lip tie release in Walnut Creek

Tooth + Tongue in Walnut Creek diagnoses and releases tongue ties and lip ties in infants, children, and teens using a precise CO2 laser. Care is led by Dr. Niki Boloorchi, DDS, a dentist and dental anesthesiologist with advanced training in tethered oral tissues, so every release starts with a functional evaluation and, for children who need it, safe in-office sedation. Families come to us from across the East Bay, including Lafayette, Alamo, Danville, Pleasant Hill, and Concord.

A tongue tie (ankyloglossia) or lip tie happens when the band of tissue under the tongue or behind the upper lip is tighter than it should be. In babies it can make nursing, bottle feeding, and latching harder. As children grow, it can play a role in speech, chewing, oral development, and breathing. A frenectomy gently releases the tight tissue so the tongue and lips can move the way they should.

Not sure whether your child has a tie? Take our free 2-minute tongue tie symptom check.

Tongue tie release for infants

In newborns and babies, a tie usually shows up at feeding time. Signs to watch for:

Difficulty latching or staying latched while breastfeeding
Clicking sounds or milk dribbling during feeds
Long, tiring feeds or poor weight gain
Nipple pain for the breastfeeding parent
Reflux, gassiness, or fussiness

Infant releases are usually quick and are typically done with topical or local anesthesia only. Because rebuilding a strong latch after a release often benefits from hands-on support, we coordinate with lactation consultants as part of infant care. Read more about tongue tie and breastfeeding latch problems and lip tie in babies.

Tongue tie release for toddlers and children

In toddlers and school-age children, signs often include:

Delayed or unclear speech, especially l, r, t, d, th, and s sounds
Difficulty chewing or a preference for soft foods
Mouth breathing or an open-mouth resting posture
A gap between the upper front teeth
Trouble sticking the tongue out or lifting it

Older children have more developed tissue, so they may need local anesthesia and a more involved stretching routine afterward. For young children who cannot sit still or who feel anxious, Dr. Boloorchi can provide sedation in our office. We often work alongside speech and feeding therapists. See the tongue tie signs parents shouldn't ignore.

Tongue tie release for teens

Some ties are not identified until the teen years. A restricted tongue can affect resting tongue posture, speech clarity, and breathing, and it can be connected to a narrow palate or bite changes. For older children and teens, Dr. Boloorchi focuses on airway health, proper tongue posture, and myofunctional therapy alongside the release, and coordinates with palatal expander and orthodontic care when needed. Learn about the benefits of a frenectomy at every age and what happens if a tongue tie is never treated.

Why families choose Tooth + Tongue for tongue tie treatment

CO2 laser precision: minimal bleeding, reduced infection risk, and faster healing than scissors or scalpel methods.
Led by a dentist-anesthesiologist: for infants, anxious children, or complex cases, we can offer safe sedation options that many tongue tie providers cannot.
Functional, not just structural: we assess feeding, speech, breathing, and tongue movement, and recommend a release only when it will genuinely help.
Full aftercare support: clear stretching instructions, a follow-up visit, and coordination with lactation consultants, feeding therapists, and speech-language pathologists.

Meet Dr. Niki Boloorchi, DDS

Dr. Boloorchi is the practice's Dental and Anesthesia Director, focusing on airway, tongue tie, and anesthesia care. She earned her DDS with honors from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at USC, completed a dental anesthesiology residency at Loma Linda University, and trained in laser dentistry under Dr. Richard Baxter and in airway-focused care through the Breathe Institute. She is a Fellow of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology, a laser-certified dentist, and a member of the International Affiliation of Tongue-Tie Professionals and the Academy of Laser Dentistry.

Her approach is conservative: the decision to release is based on how the tongue functions, not just how it looks, and some children improve with therapy alone. Read Dr. Boloorchi's full bio.

What's included?

1. Functional evaluation

Every visit starts with a consultation. Dr. Boloorchi assesses tongue and lip mobility, reviews feeding history for infants and speech and oral development for older children, and looks for structural effects of the restriction such as palate narrowing or bite changes. You leave with a clear recommendation, whether that is a release, therapy first, or simply monitoring.

2. The CO2 laser release

Depending on where the restriction is, the procedure is one or both of the following:

Lingual frenectomy: releases the tissue between the tongue and the floor of the mouth to improve tongue movement.
Labial frenectomy: releases the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gums, which can improve feeding, speech, and dental alignment.

Infants and cooperative older children are usually treated with topical or local anesthesia. For children who need more support, laughing gas or IV sedation can be planned and monitored by our in-house dental anesthesiologist. Learn more about sedation dentistry for kids in Walnut Creek.

3. Recovery and aftercare

Healing normally takes a few days, and the area is completely healed within a few weeks. Your child will do gentle daily stretches to keep the tissue from reattaching, and you will receive step-by-step instructions to follow at home. A follow-up visit around the 10-day mark lets us check healing and whether the original symptoms have improved. When it helps, we coordinate with lactation consultants, feeding therapists, speech-language pathologists, and myofunctional therapists.

Tongue tie release cost and insurance

The cost of a tongue tie release depends on the type and severity of the restriction, your child's age, whether sedation is needed, and what the care plan includes, so we give an exact quote after the consultation. A complete frenectomy case includes the consultation and functional evaluation, the laser procedure, aftercare and stretching guidance, and follow-up.

Frenectomy can be billed as a dental or a medical procedure. Dental plans may cover it under a dental procedure code, usually subject to the annual maximum, and medical plans may cover it when it is documented as medically necessary. We submit claims with the coding that best reflects your child's situation and handle prior authorization when it is required. We accept Delta Dental and most major PPO plans; see our insurance page and our guide to how much a tongue tie release costs in Walnut Creek.

When should a frenectomy be done?

When a tie is affecting function. If a baby is struggling to breastfeed, a release can be done soon after the evaluation, and babies tend to heal very quickly. For older children and teens, we recommend a release when the tie is affecting speech, eating, tongue posture, or breathing.

Is a laser frenectomy painful for a child?

The procedure is quick and does not cause significant pain when the CO2 laser is used. Infants and cooperative children are treated with topical or local anesthesia, and children who need more support can have sedation managed by our dental anesthesiologist.

How long is recovery from a frenectomy?

Healing normally takes a few days, and the area completely heals within a few weeks. Your child will do daily stretches to keep the tissue from healing back into its original position, and we see you for a follow-up visit around the 10-day mark.

Does insurance cover a tongue tie release?

It depends on your plan. Frenectomy can be billed to dental insurance or, when it is medically necessary, to medical insurance. Our team verifies your benefits, handles prior authorization when needed, and explains any out-of-pocket cost before treatment.