What is
tongue-tied?
Tongue tie is a minor defect of the mouth which limits tongue
mobility. There is a band of tissue
located under your tongue, attaching the tongue to the floor of the mouth,
which is called the frenulum. Tongue tie occurs when the frenulum is
too tight. If the frenulum is
too tight or short, the tongue is unable to touch the roof of the mouth. The condition is present from
birth. The medical term for tongue
tie is ankyloglossia.
The tongue is one of the most important muscles for speech and
swallowing. For this reason your child may have difficutly with feeding or
speech problems. For less severe
situations, the frenulum gradually stretches and there is no problem.
Does my
child need Treatment?
Infants-
A baby with a tongue tie can have difficulty feeding and sucking
and may have poor weight gain. If
this is the case, treatment is needed immediately.
In Toddlers
and Older Children-
Some children with tongue tie may have a speech impediment. Around the age of three, speech problems
may become noticeable, especially articulation of the sounds - l, r, t, d, n,
th, sh, and z (which require tongue mobility). It becomes frustrating to children when
they are not being understood outside of the family. Although, there is no
obvious way to tell in infancy which children will have speech difficulties
later, the following characteristics are common:
·
V-shaped notch at the tip of the tongue
·
Inability to stick out the tongue past the lower lip
·
Inability to touch the roof of the mouth
·
Difficulty moving the tongue from side to side
How is
Tongue-tie Treated?
Tongue-tie surgery is a quick and painless procedure and is called
a frenuloplasty or frenulectomy. It
consists of releasing the frenulum
in order to allow tongue mobility.
There are rarely any complications. For very young infants (less than
six-weeks-old), it may be done at the bedside in hospitals or in the
otolaryngology office. Older children will have the procedure done under
general anesthesia in the operating room. While frenulectomy is relatively
simple, it can yield big results with feeding in infancy and restoring ease of
speech and self-esteem in toddlers and older children.
If you ever have questions
or concerns, we would be happy to talk to you or see your child at any
time. (203) 245-0496