Tongue & Lip Ties
A tongue tie (ankyloglossia) is a band of tissue connected to the floor of the mouth that is too short, restricting the movement of the tongue. A lip tie is a band of tissue that connects the lip to the gum tissue and if it’s too short it can restrict the proper lip movement for nursing or bottle-feeding or restricted speech in the future.
Tongue & Lip tie symptoms
Baby’s Symptoms
Colic and/or irritability
Coughing and choking, or gulping during feeds
Difficulty latching
Excessive drooling
Gassy
Gradual sliding off the breast
Gumming, chewing, or clamping down on nipple
Makes clicking noises while sucking (poor suction)
Poor weight gain or weight loss
Reflux
Lip blisters
Mama’s Symptoms:
Cracked, blister, and/or bleeding
Nipples looked pinched, creased, bruised, or abraded after feeds
White stripe at the end of the nipple
Discomfort while nursing
Low milk supply
Plugged ducts
Thrush and/or mastitis
Long Term Effects Of An Untreated Lip & Tongue Tie:
Restricted airway leading to snoring, grinding teeth, and sleep apnea
Difficulties with speech
Difficulty eating with an increased risk of choking
Child may avoid crunchy foods
How to treat it?
The release of a tongue and lip tie is a simple frenectomy procedure using a laser or sterile scissors to free the tethered tissues. In most cases, our Waterlase Laser can be used to minimize bleeding and healing time.
Dr. Bontrager recommends a baby to be examined for tongue and lip tie at the early age of 2 weeks old or sooner. The earlier the problem is caught, the easier it is for mom to accomplish her feeding goals and the easier it is for baby to learn how to use their muscles correctly when feeding. However, it's never too late. A tie release can be beneficial at any age in life and can be taken care of at our office.
Recovery
Thankfully the mouth is one of the fastest healing parts of the body. We will guide you through what to expect for babys first days after release. Most babies do well with extra snuggles for comfort but, sometimes Tylenol is needed. We will also give you some exercises to use to prevent the site from retightening.
The Importance of Team Approach
We believe that the best approach to a tongue or lip tie release is a team approach. A lactation consultant provides full feeding observation, latch/position adjustment, suck assessment, pre and post feeding weight checks and strategies for correcting problems and managing breastfeeding. A myofunction therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist or speech therapist can assist with helping baby relearn and strengthen muscle movements. And finally, a chiropractor or craniosacral therapist can help your baby relive tight muscles that have compensated for an improper suck.
We do a full evaluation on each patient and determine the patient’s individual needs before deciding the option of treatment. We are pleased to address any additional questions you may have. Please feel free to stop by our office, contact us, or send us an email if you have any questions about this procedure or to schedule an appointment
260-463-2111 | 612 South Detroit Street, Lagrange Indiana, 46761 | smile@lagrangefamilydentistry.com