Tongue-tie also called lingual frenum occurs due to the presence of Tethered tissues which are a thick band of tissue affecting the tongue. This has the potential to interfere with nursing in infants. It’s usually identified if the problem is severe otherwise dismissed or misdiagnosed restricts the range of movement of the tongue. This condition is present at birth and can have a plethora of problems that affect the child at various stages of life starting with infancy -include but is not limited to:

  • Interfering with nursing
  • Failure to thrive due to acid reflux, colic
  • Interference with speech
  • Affect swallowing, breathing, eating
  • Direct cause of malocclusion
  • Higher prevalence of decay
  • Poor sleep results in behavioral problems
  • Poor academics as a result of poor sleep

Lip-tie

  • Can affect the newborn’s ability to latch while nursing
  • Large diastema(space) between the upper anterior teeth
  • Direct cause of malposition of upper anterior teeth
  • Direct cause of decay on the facial surface of the anterior primary teeth when the baby is nursing or drinking from the bottle (on demand)

Treatment to correct lip tie/tongue tie

Soft tissue laser – a fast and effective way to treat this condition that is bloodless and suture-free.

Stretching exercises are critical to the success of this treatment. A detailed handout is provided with Instructions on post-operative care, pain management, and stretching and massaging exercises