Ankyloglossia, more commonly referred to as tongue tie, is a common condition in young children. This congenital problem causes tightness or shortness of the lingual frenulum, which is a thin fold of tissue underneath the tongue that can cause issues with mobility.

Children with a tongue tie may not be able to eat properly or speak clearly until a dentist fixes the problem. A tongue tie is often more serious among infants who cannot latch onto the breast or a bottle nipple properly when eating. Here are some other symptoms that parents of infants and young children with a tongue tie might notice:

• Infants appear malnourished or receive a diagnosis of failure to thrive
• Children cannot move the tongue sideways, toward the upper teeth, or stick their tongue out past the lower front teeth.
• Children struggle to produce certain speech sounds, especially d, l, r, n, t, th, and z.
• Breastfeeding mothers complain of pain because babies bite rather than suck.

Tongue tie surgery in Seminole, FL is just one of the many services we provide at Luce Tooth Pediatric Dentistry.

Our Approaches to Tongue Tie Surgery

During a frenotomy, your child’s dentist makes a small cut in the lingual frenulum to free the tongue to make all types of movements. Babies can begin feeding normally immediately after the procedure. Parents should also stretch their infant’s tongue tissue for up to four weeks to make sure that the skin does not grow back too tight.

The dental team reserves the frenuloplasty for more severe cases of tongue tie when the lingual frenulum is too thick for a simple cut. Children will need anesthesia for a frenuloplasty because it is plastic surgery.

We encourage parents not to let a tongue tie go uncorrected indefinitely as it could lead to significant problems for their child. Please contact our pediatric dental practice in Seminole, FL to learn more about these two procedures today.