A tongue-tie can diminish a person's ability to brush food debris off their teeth, and to swallow completely. An inability to keep the mouth clean can result in tooth decay, gum inflammation (gingivitis), and other oral problems.
Anyone can develop tongue-tie. In some cases, tongue-tie is hereditary (runs in the family). The condition occurs up to 10 percent of children (depending on the study and definition of tongue-tie). Tongue-tie mostly affects infants and younger children, but older children and adults may also live with the condition.
Treatment is not always needed, if your baby has tongue-tie but can feed without any problems. If their feeding is affected, treatment involves a simple procedure called tongue-tie division.
Tongue-tie will not affect a child's ability to learn speech and will not cause speech delay, but it may cause issues with articulation, or the way the words are pronounced.
The entire procedure takes less than 15 seconds and does not require anesthesia. The frenulum is very thin and has few nerves, meaning there is very little pain associated with the procedure. Baby can breastfeed immediately after the procedure, and mothers often notice improvement with the first feed.
Tongue-tie can interfere with activities such as licking an ice cream cone, licking the lips, kissing or playing a wind instrument.
Tongue ties don't “grow back”, but they may reattach if you aren't diligent about keeping up with post-surgery exercises.
For the day, you can expect the tongue tie opening to look like a beefy red diamond shaped opening but it will quickly start to fill in with healing grayish/whitish/yellowish tissue.
Small injuries may often heal on their own. If the injury is long or deep, it may need stitches that dissolve over time. If a piece of your tongue was cut off or bitten off, it may have been reattached.
Signs and symptomsNot being able to poke their tongue out past their lips when their mouth is open. Not being able to lift their tongue up towards the roof of their mouth. Having trouble moving their tongue side to side. A 'V shape' or 'heart shape' tongue tip.
Tongue tie can negatively affect the growth of the lower jaw due to the position of the tongue. At the same time, tongue tie may lead to problems with the growth of the upper jaw as it will not receive sufficient tongue stimulation, working as a natural expander, due to limited movement.
Frenotomy (also called frenulotomy) is a minor surgery or procedure for babies with a tongue-tie. Essentially, it entails snipping the frenulum under your child's tongue to allow the tongue a greater range of motion. The doctor can use local anesthesia, but many newborns can handle it without any anesthesia.
If tongue-ties remain untreated, they can lead to structural and functional changes in the craniofacial-respiratory complex and can impact sleep throughout the lifespan. Tongue-ties and low tongue resting postures often lead to or exacerbate mouth breathing.
If your child habitually has a low tongue position (as in mouth breathing or tongue tie), the upper teeth will not have enough space, and the lower jaw will be forced back and down, affecting the way the face grows.
A healthy tongue should be pink in color with small nodules called papillae over the surface. Certain medical disorders may cause your tongue to change in appearance, and a color-changing tongue could be your first indication of a severe underlying issue.
How is tongue-tie treated? Your healthcare provider might not recommend any treatment if your child doesn't have any symptoms, or if your child's symptoms are mild. In some children, many or all symptoms go away with time. Between ages 6 months and 6 years, the frenulum naturally moves backward.
Between 4% and 11% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia. It can mean babies aren't able to open their mouths widely enough to breastfeed. A simple procedure called a frenulectomy, where the tongue-tie is snipped, can be offered. In very young babies, it can even be done under local anaesthetic.
Gagging, choking, and tongue-thrusting motions are common with tongue-tied babies attempting to eat solids. Dental issues are very common with tongue-tied children, though these usually aren't obvious until much later.
The tongue-thrust reflex that babies are born with includes sticking the tongue out. This helps facilitate breast or bottle feeding. While this reflex typically disappears between 4 to 6 months of age, some babies continue to stick their tongues out from habit. They may also simply think it feels funny or interesting.
Laser Reduces Bleeding and PainFor your safety, you won't be able to stay in the room during tongue tie surgery. (We have to follow laser safety guidelines.) However, you can feel peace of mind knowing that the tongue tie procedure typically only takes 1 to 2 minutes.
Tongue-tie can affect both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. For some babies, the effects will be quite mild. For others, tongue-tie can make feeding extremely challenging or even impossible.
If necessary, tongue-tie can be treated with a surgical cut to release the frenulum (frenotomy). If additional repair is needed or the lingual frenulum is too thick for a frenotomy, a more extensive procedure known as a frenuloplasty might be an option.
Mild tongue tie is when the tongue is connected to the bottom of the mouth by a thin strip of tissue called a mucous membrane. In severe cases, the tongue can be fused to the bottom of the mouth. Tongue tie can be diagnosed during the routine check done after a baby is born, but it can be difficult to spot.
Frenotomy—dividing the tongue tie—can dramatically improve breastfeeding comfort and efficiency for both mother and baby. Dividing a tongue tie is a quick and simple procedure. No anaesthetic is needed for a baby under six months of age.
