TONGUE TIE RELEASE

At Inspira Advanced Dentistry, our dentists strive to provide the absolute best family dental care and the best foundation of good health for all of our patients, including our youngest. For some infants, a frenectomy might be required to give them the best chance at living a happy, healthy life.

While many parents are unfamiliar with the frenectomy procedure, the anatomical concerns that necessitate it — tongue-tie and lip-tie — are fairly common, affecting about 10% of all infants.

What are Lip-Ties and Tongue-Ties?

Commonly referred to as lip-tie or tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) are anatomical abnormalities that impact the oral frenula. A frenulum is a band of soft, connective tissue, and we have several throughout the body. Inside the mouth, we have:

• a labial frenulum that connects the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth,
• an upper labial frenulum that connects the upper lip to the upper gum tissues,
• a lower labial frenulum that connects the lower lip to the lower gum tissues,
• and buccal frenula, which connect the cheeks to the gum tissues.

When any of the oral frenula are shorter, thicker, or tighter than normal, they are referred to as lip-tie, tongue-tie, or cheek-tie. (Problems with the buccal frenula are much less common than issues with the lingual and labial frenula.)

The Impact on Infants and Mothers: Signs and Symptoms of Infant Tongue-Ties and Lip-Ties

When an infant has a lip tie or tongue tie, it can impact both the baby and the nursing mother.

Signs and symptoms in infants include:

• Difficulty latching (onto the breast or the nipple of a bottle)
• Clicking noises during feeding
• Poor suction
• Gulping or choking during feeding
• Excessive gas
• Colic
• Reflux
• Irritability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Weight loss or slow weight gain

Signs and symptoms in nursing mothers include:

• Pain during nursing
• Difficulties with mastitis or thrush
• Bleeding or cracked nipples
• Low milk supply or too much milk supply
• Experiencing frustration or feelings of discouragement due to challenges with nursing

The Future Impact of Untreated Lip-Tie and/or Tongue-Tie

Not every child with a lip-tie or tongue-tie experiences problems. However, lip-tie and tongue-tie can lead to developmental concerns as your child grows, such as:

• Speech delay and speech problems
• Eating and chewing difficulties
• Trouble swallowing
• Frequent choking and gagging
• Mouth breathing and irregular sinus development
• Snoring and sleep apnea
• Oral health problems (persistent bad breath and increased risk of tooth decay, cavities, and periodontal disease)
• Narrow, high palate with incomplete jaw development and crowded teeth
• Gum recession
• Limited range of tongue motion (unable to lift or stick out the tongue)
• TMJ issues
• Teeth clenching
• Neck tension

When lip-tie or tongue-tie is diagnosed in infants, most doctors recommend resolving the issue and preventing any potential problems with an infant frenectomy.

What Is an Infant Frenectomy?

An infant frenectomy is a minor oral surgical procedure that removes a frenulum to resolve lip-tie or tongue-tie. A similar procedure (called a frenotomy) is designed to sever and release an overly tight frenulum. Of the two procedures, frenectomy is the most commonly recommended and performed.

There are three basic types of frenectomy procedures:

• Lingual Frenectomy - Removes an abnormal lingual frenum
• Labial Frenectomy - Removes an abnormal labial frenum (most commonly the upper labial frenum)
• Buccal Frenectomy - Removes an abnormal buccal frenum (least common of the three procedures)

What to Expect: How an Infant Frenectomy Is Performed

We take every available precaution to ensure our patients have safe and comfortable experiences during their treatments. For an infant in need of a frenectomy we may use age and weight appropriate doses of local anesthetic, but many times this is not necessary. Additionally, we use gentle infant treatment techniques to ensure your precious child's safety and comfort throughout.

Performed with a highly precise, soft tissue laser, the frenectomy procedure is completed in seconds. Additionally, using a soft tissue laser to remove a frenulum, instead of a scalpel, provides an overall safer and more pleasant treatment and recovery for our patients. Surgical lasers reduce bleeding, swelling, and pain during recovery in addition to minimizing the risk of infection.

We typically recommend feeding or nursing infants immediately after a frenectomy procedure to increase comfort and encourage nursing. Following the frenectomy, your infant might go through a period of adjustment where they experience temporary feeding challenges while learning the capabilities of their newly released frenulum and better feeding methods.

We recommend that our patients work closely with their pediatricians and/or certified lactation consultants throughout the process of preparing for frenulum release, frenectomy treatment, and frenectomy recovery to ensure optimal results.

Infant Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie Treatment in Campbell, California

If your infant requires treatment to address an abnormal frenulum, improve breastfeeding, and prevent developmental problems, we encourage you to contact Inspira Advanced Dentistry. Our team has extensive experience addressing infant tongue-tie and lip-tie with laser frenectomy treatment, and we are here to help you every step of the way.

To learn more about infant frenectomy or to request a consultation, we welcome you to contact our office in Campbell today.

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