Don't Get Tongue Tied!

Frenectomy

Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a condition where the frenum attachment under the tongue is too tight and creates tension that restricts the normal movements of the tongue. This can adversely affect sucking, swallowing, and the ability of the tongue to self clean the teeth and mouth. Untreated tongue-tie may also lead to poor tongue position during breathing which leads to narrow vaulted palate development, dental crowding, crossbite, and sleep disordered breathing.

When an infant is born with tongue-tie, it may cause difficulty with breastfeeding leading to pain for the mother and decreased ability for the infant to get enough milk. A poor latch may also lead to a gassy tummy for the baby and trains the oral muscles to move abnormally.

A correct diagnosis of tongue-tie includes more than simple visual identification. It includes a triad of signs and symptoms:

1. Visual identification and classification of the tethered lingual frenum
2. Palpation of the frenum to identify how significant the tension is under the tongue
3. Identification of dysfunction (abnormal breathing, swallowing, sucking pattern, low muscle tone, and inability of the tongue to rest in the roof of the mouth during breathing are a few examples of dysfunction)

At Orchard Hills Pediatric Dentistry we take great care in properly diagnosing the need to release the tongue-tie with a procedure called a frenectomy. Not all children who have a visible tongue-tie need a frenectomy but many do so let us help guide the treatment decision with you. A frenectomy is a surgical procedure that releases the tension of the tethered frenum allowing the tongue to move more freely and allows for better sucking, swallowing, and ideal positioning of the tongue during nasal breathing. Success of the procedure is increased when myofunctional therapy exercises are also done during the healing phase after the procedure.