What Is a Tongue Tie?

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The front of a child’s tongue has a small piece of connective tissue that ties the tongue to the floor of the mouth. This tissue should be fairly loose, allowing the tongue to move freely. For some kids, there is too much tissue, and the tongue stays too tightly connected to the bottom of the mouth. This condition is known as a tongue-tie.

Why Do Tongue Ties Matter?

Tongue ties can lead to developmental, speech, and breathing concerns. It can also cause problems with feeding from both the breast or the bottle, and with breast-fed babies, it can create soreness for the mother as well.

Many families do not discover that their baby has a tongue tie when they are tiny. If the child grows without fixing the issue, then they can struggle to learn to pronounce specific speech sounds, including “s” and “th.” The condition can also lead to dental problems, orthodontic concerns, sleep disturbances, and increased issues with anxiety.

What Should I Do for My Child’s Tongue Tie

If you discover that your child has a tongue tie, you will want to get an evaluation from a dentist in Seminole, FL. There is a simple procedure that releases the tie using sterile scissors. While this can cause some discomfort, it can eliminate the problems connected to a tongue tie and allow your child’s speech and development to progress.

If you suspect a tongue tie, make an appointment with Luce Tooth Pediatric Dentistry. Our team can evaluate your child’s mouth and provide treatment if a tongue tie is present. Schedule your evaluation appointment with our tongue tie center today.

Untreated Tongue Tie Can Cause Many Problems

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Ankyloglossia, more commonly known astongue-tie in Seminole FL, is a medical condition that causes a piece of the tongue called the lingual frenulum to remain attached to the roof of the mouth. Children who have a tongue-tie are born with it. Infants born with a tongue-tie struggle to receive proper nutrition through breastfeeding or formula feeding because they cannot position their tongue to suck properly.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Tongue-Tie

As children get older, the symptoms of tongue-tie can become difficult to distinguish from other conditions. Nevertheless, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with them and contact Luce Tooth Pediatric Dentistry right away if you recognize that your child has a tongue-tie.

  • Cannot move the tongue sideways or touch the upper front teeth with tongue.
  • Chewing and eating challenges, including not being able to wipe off chewed food from the teeth.
  • Inability to stick their tongue out past the front two teeth.
  • Speech may be unintelligible.
  • Tongue has an unusual appearance.

Mothers who breastfeed may find their nipples sore or flattened more than usual if their infant has a tongue-tie.

Tongue-Tie Surgery

Frenotomy is a quick surgery that involves Dr. Amy Luce or Dr. Aaron Scheps cutting the lingual frenulum attached to the underside of the tongue. Your baby does not even need anesthesia for this procedure and can begin feeding normally right away. The dentist who performed the surgery will instruct you on how to stretch the tissues under your baby’s tongue for the first few weeks to prevent the tongue-tie from recurring.

Your child will need anesthesia and longer surgery if the lingual frenulum is too thick to cut with a single snip. We will explain more about how this works during your consultation to learn more abouttongue-tie in St. Petersburg FL.

What is Tongue Tie?

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In the womb, a baby’s tongue is tethered to the floor of the mouth with a thick band of tissue called the lingual frenulum. As the baby develops, this band of tissue thins and moves from the front to the back of the tongue as the tongue elongates. By the time the baby is born, the lingual frenulum is a small, thin connection of tissue between the back of the tongue and the floor of the mouth.

What is Tongue Tie?

Sometimes, a baby is born with tongue tie. This condition occurs when the lingual frenulum remains thick and short, continuing to tether the tongue to the floor of the baby’s mouth. Tongue tie is always congenital, meaning that some babies are born with the condition. Today, babies with tongue tie in Seminole, FL, and other areas can be successfully treated.

Complications of Tongue Tie

Tongue tie causes a host of complications, particularly in developing babies. It’s important to be aware of these complications since the symptoms can mimic common problems with infant development. Mistaking tongue tie for something else can delay treatment and prolong the often serious ramifications.

Symptoms of Tongue Tie

  • Inability to latch on to the breast for feeding – this is due to the inability to suckle
  • Chronic crying and distress – due to constant hunger
  • Malnutrition – due to inability to suck nipple or bottle
  • Delayed speech – due to the inability to form sounds
  • Delayed social development – due to inability to keep up with peers

The parent may attribute these symptoms to common infant and early childhood developmental delays if tongue tie is not diagnosed. Time and money could be wasted with speech pathologists, doctor visits to treat chronic distress, hospitalization for malnutrition, and more.

A simple visit to your dentist in Seminole, FL, can help determine quickly if tongue tie is the cause of a baby’s symptoms. Contact us to learn more.