Tongue-ties develop in the womb and restrict the movement of the tongue.
The first sign of a tongue tie can actually present with the mother in the form of nipple pain or trauma. For this reason, paediatricians, lactation consultants, and pediatric Dentists might be the first to diagnose these issues.
Infant Symptoms include:
- Poor weight gain
- Noisy eating
- Poor latch
- Long feeding
- Spillage of milk
After being diagnosed, a thorough evaluation will determine whether to intervene surgically or monitor. A Frenotomy is the surgical procedure to release the lingual soft tissue attachment (or frenum). These procedures are quick and only take a few minutes to perform. We provide this service at our office with no need to go to the hospital. We use a laser in the office to minimize bleeding which is the most common side effect of the procedure. The laser cuts as well as cauterizes.
While the procedure is simple in the office, the parents are required to physically stretch the tongue away from the floor of the mouth everyday for a month to prevent the tissue to regrow too tightly during the healing process.
Tongue-Ties usually require a team approach with speech pathologists if the child is older and occupational therapists.
If tongue-ties are left untreated they can cause dental issues with misalignment of the teeth and require orthodontic treatment
Here are some signs and symptoms to look for in children:
- Mouth-breathing
- Delay or poor speech and pronunciation
- Snores and/or grinds at night
- Eats slow
- Chokes or gages on food often
If you suspect a tongue-tie, have your dentist evaluate it. In some, as the child grows, other oral functions compensate for the restricted movement of the tongue and no treatment is necessary, but this is not the case for everybody.
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