What Are Tongue-Ties And Lip Ties?
Tongue-ties and lip ties occur when small pieces of soft tissue under the tongue and lip are present due to a failure of this tissue to resorb during development. This resorption process is supposed to happen around week 12 in utero, but when it fails to happen, it can cause significant restrictions in the movement of the tongue and lip. These restrictions can present themselves soon after birth as nursing difficulties for mother or difficult weight gain for baby.
If not treated as an infant, symptoms of a tongue-tie and/or lip tie as a child, teenager, and adult can include difficulty with speech development, feeding struggles and trouble getting good sleep at night.
Symptoms Of Tongue-Ties And Lip Ties
Many children with a tongue-tie or lip tie have learned to compensate for the restriction and have little to no symptoms. In order for a baby or child to benefit from a tongue or lip tie frenectomy, the child must show symptoms along with an anatomical variation when examined. Symptoms of tongue-tie and lip ties can often be blamed for other factors such as, “He’s a lazy nurser,” or “He’s a picky eater,” or “He snores like his daddy.” We want children not just to survive through these symptoms, but to thrive and live without having to adapt to nursing, feeding, speech or sleeping challenges.
Even if your baby is gaining weight, if you and/or your baby have multiple symptoms listed below, they should be evaluated for a tongue-tie or lip tie:
Baby’s Symptoms
Mother’s Symptoms
Diagnosing Tongue-Ties And Lip Ties
Before we jump right into a frenectomy, our team will make sure that your child will benefit from this procedure. First, we will go over your baby’s medical history including any neurological disorder or heart conditions that may affect that airway. One of our dentists will then perform a thorough physical exam to assess your baby’s tongue anatomy. It is important to note that just because your baby’s lingual frenulum is shorter or tighter does not necessarily mean they have a tongue-tie.
Frenectomy Procedure
At Richmond Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we perform lingual and labial frenectomy procedures with a CO2 laser (LightScalpel) to correct tongue-ties and lip ties. Our doctor will use the laser to make a small incision to your baby’s lingual frenulum–the piece of tissue that connects their tongue to the bottom of the mouth. That’s it! As a result, your baby is able to move about their tongue without restriction. Most infants do just fine and are rewarded after with a feeding. More often than not, infants don’t require any anesthesia, but toddlers may benefit from sedation. Your doctor will go over all the options prior to your child’s procedure.
Benefits of Frenectomy For Tongue-Ties And Lip Ties
There are many advantages to this surgical procedure for tongue-ties and lip ties with a CO2 laser including:
Helping Richmond Smile
Comprehensive Pediatric Dental and Orthodontic Care
At Richmond Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we strive to deliver radiant, healthy smiles to families across Richmond, VA. Our kind and caring team is committed to providing professional, high quality service in an environment that is relaxing and fun. Our goal is to make your dental and orthodontic journey with us an amazing experience. Get started today!
