What Is a Tongue or Lip Tie?
When the connective tissue, or frenulum, that connects the lip or tongue to a child’s mouth is too short, a lip or tongue tie occurs. When a child exhibits a lip or tongue tie, parents may notice issues with speech or mobility while speaking or problems with breastfeeding. Most of the time, tongue or lip ties happen at birth and can be diagnosed just as early. Using laser technology, a tongue or lip tie can be fixed easily through a frenectomy right in our office.
Tongue Tie
A tongue tie occurs when the frenulum under the tongue is attached too close to the tip of the tongue, shortening the mobility and range of motion of the tongue. Moms who suspect their child may have a tongue tie may notice:
- Issues with breastfeeding
- Trouble speaking
- Inability to stick tongue out
- Gap between bottom two teeth
- Personal or social issues related to the restricted tongue movement
Your pediatrician or dentist can help you diagnose a tongue tie and assist you in figuring out the appropriate path to take for resolving the tongue tie. Through a physical exam and evaluating symptoms, the pediatrician or dentist will help you determine if treatment is necessary or if it may go away on its own.
Lip Tie
A lip tie occurs when the soft tissue connecting the lip to the upper teeth is too short or too thick, limiting the movement of the lip. A lip tie can occur on both the top and bottom lip, but unlike a tongue tie, a lip tie will not resolve itself.
Breastfeeding mothers may notice these symptoms if their child has a lip tie:
- Inability to latch during feeding or difficulty staying latched
- Making a clicking sound while feeding
- Choking or sputtering on milk
- Poor weight gain
- Jaundice
- Cluster feeding
To treat the lip tie, the dentists at Dentistry for Children utilize top of the line laser technology to safely eliminate the lip tie. This procedure is virtually painless and completed right in our office. If a lip tie is a concern, please talk to your pediatrician or dentist and discuss your options.
Why Does My Child Need a Tongue or Lip Tie Correction?
Lip ties and tongue ties can affect children’s ability to speak and eat, as well as their confidence. Correcting a lip tie or tongue tie helps your child be able to eat and speak better, but also allows for their baby teeth and adult teeth to develop properly with the correct placement. Frenectomies are highly effective, and will have your child feeding, speaking and feeling better.
The Frenectomy Procedure for Children
At Dentistry for Children, we laser technology to make your child’s frenectomy as safe and painless as possible. A frenectomy procedure simply makes a small cut in your child’s lip or tongue tie to release the tissue. Using a laser, this minimizes any bleeding, eliminates the need for stitches and greatly lowers the risk of infection.
A frenectomy is done as an out-patient procedure right in our office. Our dentist will numb the area with an analgesic gel, then with their specialized laser, create a small slit that will release the lip or tongue tie. This procedure is done with the safety and comfortability of your child in mind.
The Benefits of Tongue or Lip Tie Correction
Correcting a tongue or lip tie can improve your child’s overall quality of life. By releasing the tongue or lip tie, you may notice these improvements:
- Better latching while breastfeeding in infants
- Improved breathing
- Alleviate indigestion and reflux
- Increase confidence in your child
If you have any questions regarding tongue ties, lip ties or frenectomies, contact Dentistry for Children to schedule an appointment at any of our 22 greater Atlanta-area locations!
Find Us