Albertville, AL
Having a child born with a lip or tongue tie is a helpless feeling for parents. But lip and tongue ties are common, especially for newborns and young children. Unfortunately, they can affect feeding, speech, dental health and even facial development, but many parents don’t know what to look for to check for an oral tie, and they don’t initially realize that a tie is what’s causing their infant to be uncomfortable and fussy.
What are tongue and lip ties?
- A lip tie is when the piece of tissue (called the frenulum) that connects the upper lip to the gums is unusually tight, which limits the movement of the upper lip.
- A tongue tie, on the other hand, is also known as ankyloglossia and is when the frenulum under the tongue is shorter or tighter than usual, restricting the tongue’s movement.
Both lip and tongue ties can be mild, moderate or severe, and the level of restriction plays a significant role in determining whether treatment is necessary. While these ties are often diagnosed during infancy, usually when a baby has trouble breastfeeding, some mild cases can go unnoticed until speech or dental problems arise later in childhood.
What are symptoms of lip or tongue tie?
- Difficulty latching during breastfeeding
- Frequent and/or prolonged feeding times
- Failure to thrive
- Gas or colic
- Noises like clicking that indicate improper suction while feeding
- Gagging or choking during feeding
- Speech difficulties in older children; they may speak with a lisp
- Difficulty eating certain foods
- Chronic dental health issues
- Sleep and breathing problems
Will tongue or lip ties resolve themselves naturally?
Unfortunately, no. Tethered oral tissue doesn’t resolve itself. But the good news is that our pediatric dentist in Albertville can intervene and correct the oral tie in as little as one visit to our office!
How are lip and tongue ties treated?
Our family dentist in Albertville can treat tethered oral tissue with a simple, minimally invasive procedure called a frenectomy, in which the frenulum is released to allow for greater movement of the lip or tongue. This procedure is generally completed in mere minutes and allows your child to immediately begin healing.
Tongue-tie release in Albertville, Alabama
If your child is demonstrating any of the symptoms of a lip or tongue tie, we know you must feel frustrated and exhausted. The good news is that help could be as close as your Albertville family dental office at Wall Street Dentistry. Give us a call at (256) 400-2783, or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment today.