Tongue and lip ties are a fairly common condition and can be diagnosed as early as a few days old. Some children are able to function with their tongue or lip ties while others will require a correction to aid in relatively “simple” activities such as breastfeeding, speaking and eating.
Everyone has a “tie” or frenum that connects their tongue to their floor of the mouth and lip to their upper jaw bone. This tissue is usually thin and will continue to thin as an individual grows. Occasionally the tissue is so thick that it restricts an individual’s movement leading to more severe problems. Take a look at the photos below to get a better idea of what these common conditions look like.
Infants:
For many mothers breastfeeding can be extremely difficult, painful, and frustrating. Though many factors play into successful breastfeeding, numerous breast feeding specialist note tongue and lip ties as the frequent cause of breastfeeding difficulties. Releasing the restrictive tissue can allow an infant the ability to properly latch. This greatly increases their efficiency of feeding and greatly decreases a mother’s discomfort.
Though a tongue and/or lip tie correction will greatly improve the infant’s ability to nurse our office strongly encourages a mother and infant to work closely with a lactation consultant. Kitsap County has numerous wonderful resources to help new mothers and infants achieve successful breast feeding. We encourage moms to visit the Kitsap County Health Department for more information on these services.
Children Over the age of 2:
Tongue and lip ties in children over 2 can lead to a child’s inability to articulate certain sounds, affect their tooth alignment and can lead to an increase in cavities. The release of these tissues can greatly help in a child’s ability to properly articulate words, help correct mal-alignment of teeth and decrease in cavities (particularly on the upper front teeth). Our office works closely with speech therapists and pediatricians to help provide support for children suffering from a tongue and/or lip tie.
Our office is pleased to offer this service to infants and children. With the use of a laser this procedure is only a few minutes long and relatively painless. If you have any questions or would like your child to be evaluated by Dr. Neste and her team please contact us at 360-692-9560 or info@silverdaledentalcenter.com.
