Lip and tongue ties
What Is A Lip or Tongue Tie?
Lip and tongue ties are common conditions where the natural attachments in the mouth are shorter and thicker than usual, restricting the range of motion of the tongue and lip.
This can cause issues with oral function such as feeding or speech difficulty. If left untreated for long periods of time, the tongue’s restricted range of motion leads to abnormal development of the jaws and improper tooth alignment. Often times, babies need a functional frenuloplasty to correct this issue.
Breastfeeding Infant with Lip and Tongue Tie
Benefits of Lip and Tongue Tie Release
Better Feeding
Releasing a lip or tongue tie can improve feeding difficulties, decreasing feeding stress for both parent and child and promoting better growth.
Better Sleep
Sleeping with a closed mouth and breathing through one’s nose relies on having a tongue in the proper position on the palate. Releasing a tongue tie can lead to improved tongue position, less mouth breathing, and better sleep as a result.
Enhanced Speech Development
Resolving lip and tongue ties can also help with speech development, allowing your child to express themselves clearly and with confidence.
Prevention
Addressing lip and tongue ties early can prevent potential dental and orthodontic issues down the road like overcrowding.
Understanding when to treat a tongue tie
A tongue tie diagnosis, and any recommendation for treatment, should be based on how the frenulum is affecting your baby’s ability to function, not just on how it looks. It’s completely normal to see a frenulum under the tongue, and in many cases, it doesn’t interfere with movement or development.
What matters most is whether the tongue can move freely for essential activities like feeding, swallowing, and, later, speaking. That’s why thorough feeding assessments by trained specialists are so important.
These evaluations help us understand how your baby is using their tongue and whether any restriction is impacting their ability to feed or breathe well. Because tongue tie can vary widely in how it presents, it takes an experienced provider to carefully examine both the anatomy and any related symptoms before making a diagnosis or recommending treatment.
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