Ireland's Original Dedicated Tongue Tie Clinic
Specialist care for tongue tie, at every age.
If your baby won't feed, your child won't sleep, or something has been missed: you don't need a diagnosis to contact us. That is what our evaluation is for.
Is this familiar?
Still searching for answers?
Tongue tie presents differently at every age, and is frequently missed, misdiagnosed, or incompletely treated. If any of these experiences sounds familiar, you are in the right place.
My baby won't latch or keeps slipping shallow
Breastfeeding is painful, feeds take a long time, and repositioning hasn't helped.
My baby had a release, but things haven't improved
A release without adequate pre- and post-procedure rehabilitation often delivers incomplete results. This is not a treatment failure. It is a rehabilitation gap, and it is correctable.
My baby or child is refusing feeds or fighting the bottle
Feeding has become distressing: arching, gagging, or only feeding when drowsy.
My child has speech, sleep, or eating difficulties
Tongue tie identified in infancy or suspected now. Speech therapy alone has not been enough.
I've had jaw pain, headaches, or difficulty swallowing for years
A tongue tie missed in infancy, or a release without rehabilitation, can have lifelong effects.
We've been assessed before and told everything is fine
Tongue tie is frequently missed at standard assessments. If problems persist despite reassurance, a specialist evaluation is the appropriate next step, not an admission of doubt.
tongue tie care
per year
medicine, physio & nursing
patients treated
What sets us apart
Ireland's only conscious sedation service
Frenuloplasty for infants and children aged 12 weeks to 12 years, where clinically indicated.
Consultant Paediatrician & Chartered Physiotherapist
Both co-founders are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs).
Tipperary & Kildare clinics
Co. Tipperary and Co. Kildare. Weekly outreach clinics in Co. Kildare.
Integrated assessment and rehabilitation
We do not offer same-day surgery. Every patient receives a full evaluation and written report before any decision is made.
What to expect
Assessment first. Always.
We do not offer same-day surgery. Every patient at the NTTC receives a thorough evaluation before any treatment decision is made. You will leave with a written report and a clear recommendation.
Evaluation appointment
Comprehensive assessment of tongue and oral function, feeding observation, and full clinical history.
Written report
You receive a clear written report of our findings and recommendations, including whether treatment is indicated.
Pre-procedure preparation
Where treatment is recommended, we prepare you and your child with feeding therapy and bodywork before surgery.
Procedure and rehabilitation
CO2 laser procedure followed by structured post-procedure feeding therapy and medical follow-up with Dr. Roche.
Our clinical approach
Not just the procedure. The full picture.
The National Tongue Tie Centre was founded on the understanding that surgery alone is rarely sufficient. Our methodology addresses the restriction, the functional patterns that developed around it, and the tension the restriction has created throughout the body.
Release Restrictions
CO2 laser frenectomy or frenuloplasty by Dr. Justin Roche, Consultant Paediatrician. Ireland's only service offering this under conscious sedation for infants and children aged 12 weeks to 12 years where clinically indicated.
Retrain Function
Feeding therapy and myofunctional rehabilitation to retrain oral movement patterns before and after the procedure, led by Kate Roche, Chartered Physiotherapist and IBCLC.
Relieve Tension
Physiotherapy and bodywork to address fascial tension patterns in the jaw, neck, and throughout the body associated with a restricted tongue, a component most often omitted elsewhere.
Ireland's only conscious sedation service
Functional frenuloplasty for infants and children 12 weeks to 12 years, where clinically indicated.
7 IBCLCs in one clinic
Medicine, physiotherapy, nursing, and midwifery: an integrated lactation team without parallel in Ireland.
Established 2007
Ireland's first dedicated tongue tie clinic. Over 1,000 patients treated annually across all age groups.
Written report for every patient
Clinical findings and recommendations documented at your assessment appointment, before any decision is made.
Services by age group
The right pathway, for every stage.
Tongue tie presents differently at every age. Select the group that matches your situation to find out what an appointment involves and what we can offer.
Newborns & young infants
- Comprehensive evaluation & written report
- CO2 laser frenectomy where indicated
- Pre- & post-procedure IBCLC support
- 6-week medical follow-up with Dr. Roche
Older infants
- Evaluation & written report
- Functional frenuloplasty under conscious sedation
- Pre- & post-procedure feeding support
- 6-week medical follow-up with Dr. Roche
Children
- Evaluation & written report
- Functional frenuloplasty (conscious sedation to age 12)
- Feeding therapy & myofunctional rehabilitation
- Medical follow-up with Dr. Roche
Adults
- Evaluation & written report
- Functional frenuloplasty
- Myofunctional rehabilitation
- Medical follow-up with Dr. Roche
Adults
Tongue tie isn't only a feeding problem.
For many adults, a tongue tie missed in infancy has contributed to decades of jaw pain, headaches, neck tension, difficulty swallowing, or disrupted sleep. If you have spent years managing these symptoms through physiotherapy, dental treatment, or repeated investigations without finding a clear cause, a specialist tongue function assessment is the appropriate next step.
Symptom navigator
Find your symptom. Find your answers.
Tongue tie presents differently at every age. Select the symptom that reflects your experience and we will explain what may be happening and how we assess it.
Frenuloplasty under conscious sedation
For infants and children aged 12 weeks to 12 years, where clinically indicated. The National Tongue Tie Centre is the only clinic in Ireland offering this service, allowing older infants and children who would not otherwise tolerate the procedure to access functional frenuloplasty in a safe, controlled clinical environment.
for this service
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The clinical team
A dedicated team. A specialist focus.
The NTTC is led by a Consultant Paediatrician and a Chartered Physiotherapist, both IBCLCs. Tongue tie assessment and treatment is our sole clinical focus.
Dr. Justin Roche
Performs all procedures at the centre (frenectomy and frenuloplasty), including Ireland's only frenuloplasty service for infants and children aged 12 weeks to 12 years under conscious sedation, where clinically indicated.
Kate Roche
Leads clinical assessment, bodywork, and feeding and myofunctional rehabilitation. Brings a physiotherapy and lactation perspective to the full functional picture, before the procedure and throughout recovery.
Patient experiences
In patients' own words.
Verified Google Reviews from patients of the National Tongue Tie Centre.
"What distinguishes the clinic from other clinics is the level of in-house expertise and aftercare, ensuring that parents are fully equipped with follow-up exercises to maximise the success of the tongue tie release."
"From start to finish we were completely put at ease and given clear, helpful advice at every appointment. The staff were so friendly, patient and knowledgeable, which made the whole process feel very reassuring."
"We flew from Malta for our baby's tongue tie release, and I couldn't be happier with the care we received. Dr. Justin and Kate are incredible: professional, warm, and truly dedicated."
The above are excerpts from verified Google Reviews published by patients of the National Tongue Tie Centre. Individual experiences and outcomes vary. These reviews reflect patient experience of care and do not constitute a guarantee of clinical outcome.
Not sure where to start?
Book a free 15-minute Concerns Call with a member of our clinical team. We will listen to your concerns and tell you clearly whether an evaluation appointment at the NTTC is likely to be the right next step.