Does the tongue tie need to be treated?
Tongue tie treatment is not always necessary but may be recommended if the issue is causing feeding difficulties.
A tongue tie is a condition that restricts the tongue’s range of motion. Present from birth, a tongue tie occurs when the band of tissue that connects the bottom of the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth is unusually tight, short, or thick. Although the condition sometimes resolves on its own without causing any issues, it often leads to restricted movement of the tongue, which in turn leads to feeding difficulties. Read on to find out more about tongue tie in babies, when it should be treated, and how it can be resolved…
What are the signs of a tongue tie?
Tongue tie can be difficult to diagnose, but one of the most common symptoms is an inability to open the mouth wide enough to properly latch onto the breast when breastfeeding. To feed properly, a baby must be able to latch on to both the breast tissue and nipple. The tongue should cover the lower gum to avoid damage to the nipple.
If your baby has trouble attaching to the breast or staying attached for the duration of a full feed, it could be a sign of tongue tie. You might also notice that your baby appears hungry all the time or doesn’t gain weight as it should.
Tongue ties can also affect a breastfeeding mother. Possible issues include sore nipples, low milk supply, and recurring mastitis.
If you have noticed any of these issues, it is best to consult with a certified lactation consultant or a dentist with relevant training and experience.
Should a tongue tie be treated?
If your baby can feed without any problems, it may not be necessary for them to undergo treatment. If, however, they are struggling to feed and are not gaining weight, your practitioner will probably recommend that the issue be resolved.
The good news is that tongue treatment is quick and virtually painless. Laser treatment can be performed on patients of all ages but is particularly easy in newborn babies up to six months and children over the age of six years old.
In some cases, an untreated tongue tie does not cause problems in older children, as the tightness often resolves naturally over time. It is possible, however, for tongue ties to contribute to issues like speech and eating difficulties later in life.
What are the signs of tongue tie?
Tongue tie can be difficult to identify, but one of the most common signs of the issue is an inability to open the mouth wide enough to properly latch onto the breast when feeding. To feed properly, a baby must be able to latch onto both the breast tissue and nipple. The tongue should cover the lower gum to avoid damage to the nipple.
If your baby has trouble attaching to the breast or staying attached for the duration of a full feed, it could be a sign of tongue tie. You might also notice that your baby appears hungry all the time or doesn’t gain weight as it should.
Tongue ties can also affect a breastfeeding mother. Possible issues include sore nipples, low milk supply, and recurring mastitis.
If you have noticed any of these issues, it is best to consult with a certified lactation consultant or a dentist with relevant training and experience.
What problems can tongue ties cause?
Tongue ties can have an impact on a baby’s oral development. It can also affect a baby’s ability to eat, speak, and swallow.
In some cases, tongue tie causes problems with breastfeeding. For a baby to breastfeed successfully, it must be able to keep its tongue over the lower gum while sucking. If they can’t move their tongue or keep it in the correct position, they might chew instead of sucking. This can cause considerable pain for the feeding mother and inhibit the baby’s ability to get enough breast milk. Breastfeeding problems can lead to some issues, including inadequate nutrition and weight gain.
Our greatest concern for tongue (ankyloglossia) is the failure of the hard palate to widen naturally and become shallower because the tongue cannot exert the normal pressure on the palate.
This often results in Mouth Breathing, a potential lifetime problem with significant health implications.
Tongue ties can also lead to speech difficulties at a later stage. Children with an untreated tongue tie might find it difficult to say certain sounds. These include ‘t’; ‘d’; ‘z’; ‘s’; ‘th’; ‘r’; and ‘l’.
In the case of older children and adults, tongue ties can contribute to poor oral hygiene. This is because the issue can make it difficult to remove food debris from the teeth. When food particles and other debris are left in the mouth, some oral health issues, including tooth decay and gum disease, can occur.
When should you seek professional help?
If your baby is having trouble breastfeeding and you suspect that it might have a tongue tie, you should consult with your doctor or dentist. Generally, however, an IBCLC, or Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant is often the very best way of diagnosing Tongue Tie. Some paediatrically trained chiropractors will be able to diagnose the issue for you and let you know if treatment is necessary. Regrettably most GP doctors and most Dentists do not have enough exposure to these problems for accurate diagnosis.
You should also consider seeking professional help if your child’s speech is affected by a tongue tie or if your child says that their tongue is interfering with actions like eating and speaking.
How can we help?
At Future Dental, we offer treatments for both lip and tie tongues. Thanks to advances in modern medicine and the use of lasers, it is now possible to treat these issues at all ages.
If your doctor, midwife, or lactation consultant has diagnosed a tongue tie in your baby, we encourage you to come in and see us. Our dentist, Dr. Gibbins, has been treating these problems by laser since 2001 and is highly experienced when it comes to the procedure.
We use the Waterlase Laser, which is the most efficient tool to surgically treat lip, cheek, and tongue ties. The treatment is both gentle and safe — it is virtually painless and doesn’t cause any bleeding or post-operative swelling. The laser also sterilises the surgical site, which means that post-operative infection is very rare.
To find out more about lip and tongue tie treatments at Future Dental, please have a look here.
If your baby is suffering from a tongue tie, we invite you to download our free guide. In our comprehensive guide, you will find out what exactly tongue and lip ties are; what the possible symptoms are; how to tell if your baby has a tongue tie; and what treatment options are available. Download the guide here.
We also offer a range of other services, including preventative, restorative, medical, and cosmetic dentistry, as well as orthodontics. No matter which treatment you need, we will provide you with the world’s latest techniques in our modern and advanced practice.
To find out about the full range of treatments that we offer at Future Dental, please have a look here.
If you would like to come in for a consultation, please contact us here or give us a call at (07) 4051 4580.
