Tongue Ties

A tongue tie, medically known as ankyloglossia, is an abnormality caused by a lingual frenulum that either extends too far towards the tip of the tongue, or is too short, thus restricting normal movement. The lingual frenulum is the small string of tissue that extends from the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. When a baby has ankyloglossia, it can make breastfeeding and even bottle feeding difficult. If left untreated, this tiny string can cause many other oral problems as baby grows, such as speech difficulty, feeding issues, neck and back pain, and temporomandibular disorder (TMD). A quick, effective treatment from Mississippi Tongue Tie Center can release the frenulum and help give you and your child the best foundation for health.

A frenectomy is a procedure in which the frenulum is released, allowing the previously restricted tissues their normal range of motion. At Mississippi Tongue Tie Center, this procedure is both quick and gentle.

Tongue tie symptoms in infancy include:

• Shallow latch
• Clicking noise while feeding
• Excessively long feeds
• Slides or pops on and off the nipple
• Gagging/choking/coughing when eating
• Spits up often
• Poor weight gain
• Lip curls under when nursing/taking bottle
• Baby is frustrated at the breast or bottle
• Excessive gassiness
• Milk dribbles out of mouth during feeding

• Creased/flattened/blanched nipples after feeds
• Lipstick shaped nipples
• Blistered/cut nipples
• Poor or incomplete breast drainage
• Baby prefers one side over the other
• Pain upon latching
• Pain during feeds
• Nipple thrush
• Having to use a nipple shield
• Infected nipples or breasts
• Plugged ducts/engorgement/mastitis

Children with tongue ties may have struggled as infants to feed well. They may also have struggled when transitioning to solids. Oftentimes a child who has been labeled a “picky eater” and struggles with textures simply has an undiagnosed tie! Language also may be an issue, as a tongue tie lends itself to speech difficulties. And lastly, tongue ties can impede the normal resting posture of the tongue (against the palate), and can cause the tongue to fall back during sleep, compromising the airway. This can lead to sleep disordered breathing.

Common symptoms in children include:

• Picky eating
• Packing food in cheeks
• Difficulty with some textures
• Mouth breathing
• Large tonsils and adenoids
• Tooth grinding
• Frequent waking
• Multiple ear infections
• Snoring
• Speech or language delay
• Increased effort when speaking
• Difficulty with sounds L, R, T, D, N, TH, SH, and Z

Left untreated into adulthood, tongue ties can lead to the following problems:

• Sleep disordered breathing (SDB)
• Sleep apnea
• Neck, back, and shoulder pain
• Jaw joint pain (TMD/TMJ)
• Chronic headaches or migraines

If you are suffering from these issues, call Mississippi Tongue Tie Center today for a consult, and find a solution to discomfort and pain.