Tongue Tie Treatment

Tongue Tie is a medical condition caused by a short frenum, which restricts tongue movement. Tongue-tied babies can be breastfed or bottle-fed, but the condition may interfere with the baby’s ability to feed. This medical condition, known as ankyloglossia, is treatable.

Understanding Frenula

Frenula are small tissue strings found in various parts of the mouth, such as:
- Inside the cheeks
- Near the back molars
- Under the top lip
- Underneath the tongue
During the embryo stage, frenula guide the growth of mouth structures. After birth, they have little importance, though they might play a role in the positioning of baby teeth.

Treatment in Southwest Sydney

The lingual frenum under the tongue, if short, can restrict tongue movement.
Individuals with this condition may have difficulty:
- Licking around their lips
- Raising the tongue tip inside their mouth
This can lead to challenges in:
- Eating
- Pronouncing certain letters
In some cases, the condition resolves in early childhood as the frenum loosens naturally. If not, surgery may be required.
Frenectomy is the surgical procedure used to release the tongue.

Symptoms

Symptoms of tongue-tie may include:

The tongue cannot poke out beyond the lips.
The tongue tip cannot touch the roof of the mouth.
The tongue cannot be moved sideways to the corners of the mouth.
The tongue tip may look flat or square instead of pointy when extended.
The tongue tip may appear notched or heart-shaped.
A tongue-tied baby may have difficulties breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
There may be a gap between the front teeth in the lower jaw.

Causes of Tongue-Tie

The two major causes of tongue-tie are:

Too Short and Tight Frenum: Restricts tongue movement.
Failure to Recede: The frenum does not move back down the tongue during development, attaching to the tongue tip. A heart-shaped tongue tip is an obvious symptom of this cause.

It is unclear whether the condition is hereditary or not.
Diagnosing tongue-tie in newborns can be challenging without expert help.

Tongue-Tie and Speech Problems

Toddlers do not exhibit tongue-tie as commonly as babies, suggesting the frenum may normalize as the child grows.
If the condition persists, children with tongue-tie may struggle to pronounce certain letters.

Treatment for Tongue Tie

Past Approach: The Dentist at Align Dentistry & Medical Centre used to routinely cut the frenum under the tongue.
Current Approach: Dentists prefer to wait and see if the frenum grows to normal size as the child matures.

Frenectomy

Frenectomy is the surgical procedure to cut the lingual or labial tissues.
Technique:
- A soft tissue LASER is used to excise and reposition the frenum attachment.
- The procedure involves no bleeding or stitches.
- Healing occurs through the formation of granulation tissue.
- The child or individual can resume day-to-day activities immediately, such as returning to school or work.