What Are Tongue Ties and Lip Ties?

Being “tongue-tied” is a common expression in the English language, but it’s also a real medical condition.

Being lip-tied is another, and both are caused by thin pieces of tissue called frenula. One frenulum connects the upper lip to the upper gums, and another connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. We have other frenula, but these are the two we’re going to focus on.

Normal and Abnormal Frenula

For most people, these frenula are thin and very stretchy, allowing plenty of mobility for the lips and tongue. This is important, because it lets us talk, chew, and swallow normally. Sometimes, however, the upper lip or tongue frenulum is unusually thick or tight, restricting movement. This is what we call a tongue tie or a lip tie.

Tongue ties can make it impossible to lift the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth, which creates significant difficulties for pronouncing words and being able to properly chew and swallow food. Lip ties can cause a large gap between the upper front teeth, increase the risk of gum recession, and even prevent an infant from latching effectively while breastfeeding.

Treating Lip and Tongue Ties

There is an easy solution to the problems of lip and tongue ties: a simple surgery called a frenectomy, which removes or reduces an abnormal frenulum. The procedure is definitely worth considering in cases of restricted lip or tongue movement, especially if it’s causing discomfort or pain.

A frenectomy can be done quickly and the recovery time is short. Typically, they are performed by periodontists and oral surgeons. The doctor numbs the area and makes a small incision in the frenulum in question in order to make it smaller or simply remove it. Sometimes the doctor uses laser surgery to remove it, which shortens recovery time and reduces the (already small) risk of complications. Be sure to follow any post-operation instructions carefully to ensure the best results and quickest recovery.

Video Transcript

so now we’ve snipped that little band another time right there and you’re gonna have a little open wide area the mouth as it heals is always very ugly it’s gonna be a little white yellow gray brown it’s always gonna look like a little bomb went off under there that’s completely normal that’s the way the mouth heals don’t worry about it now as it’s healing we want to keep the tongue moving around so it doesn’t completely reattach so one way to think about it if we snip it here tongues moving around a lot it’s always gonna reattach a little bit here but if we don’t move the tongue at all and we keep it like this the whole time it will completely reattach so we do want to make sure the tongue keeps moving and older kids are adults it’s simply doing a little wiggly stretchy exercises in kids you can make it into a game adults is pretty straight forward generally four or five times a day it’s kind of lift maybe stick out now sticking out it may hit your teeth a little bit be uncomfortable but really we’re working on range of motion once that’s completely read lined with pink skin again you can stop that

for newborns and tiny kids who aren’t gonna follow instructions the easiest thing to do is for somebody to reach a finger in there and either lift up or swipe side to side that’s gonna simulate that little lift or separation again we’re shooting for four or five times a day in newborns it might be easier to do those little stretching exercises with every feed as opposed to four or five times a day you’re usually stressed out enough about keeping track of feeding schedules sleep schedules when was the last PD woman’s last pillow it’s the last diaper change it might be easier just to do it before every feed but what you’re gonna shoot for is at least four or five times a day

in small children under six months old you almost never need any medication the older you get the more likely you are teeny little Tylenol or motrin you’d never need anything stronger than that

for older kids and adults you generally want to avoid salty peppery spicy acidic things that may irritate the area and burn if you do a shot at the Keela for example it’s not gonna be fun ultimately whatever you put in the mouth it may be uncomfortable but the mouth will still heal okay in newborns there’s nothing remotely irritating about breast milk or formula so I wouldn’t worry about it

for newborns snipping that little band instantly allows the baby to move the tongue better but it doesn’t change any other variables like muscle tone motor control breast anatomy milk supply so if you’re still struggling afterwards please see a lactation consultant and they can help you with those other issues

for older kids where the reason for doing it is for speech you’re likely will still need to work with your speech therapist even after the tongue is able to move better because the kid has a few years of kind of unlearning and Retraining to do for that tongue

other than the stretching exercises that really isn’t anything to look out for or do we don’t even schedule a follow-up visit because there are anything medically that we have specific concerns about obviously if you have additional concerns feel free to contact the office

The Dentist Can Diagnose a Tongue or Lip Tie

Most of us will never have to think about our frenula because they are thin and elastic enough never to be in the way, but if you think yours or your child’s might be unusual and causing difficulties, schedule a dental appointment to find out. The dentist can take a look and determine if a frenectomy is necessary and recommend the best next steps.

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