Lingual Frenectomy

Tongue-tie occurs when the membrane connecting the floor of the mouth to the underside of the tongue (lingual frenum) is abnormally shaped or too short. As a result of this abnormality, patients can develop a range of issues, including difficulty speaking and eating and are at an increased risk of developing periodontal disease and other oral health issues. Fortunately, these issues can easily be prevented or corrected by a simple lingual frenectomy procedure, which involves removing the frenum using a scalpel or laser. A lingual frenectomy is most commonly performed on newborns who are unable to nurse properly because the limitation of tongue movement inhibits their ability to latch properly.

Common Issues Associated With Tongue-Tie

• Impaired speech: Impaired speech is the most common issue associated with tongue-tie among adults. In particular, lingual sounds and sibilants are especially difficult for someone with tongue-tie. While having tongue-tie as a child can impede their ability to speak, there is no correlation between having tongue-tie and language acquisition. Following a lingual frenectomy, most children experience an immediate or very sudden improvement in their ability to pronounce certain words and syllables.
• Latching: The most common and earliest indicator that tongue-tie is present is children who are not able to latch while nursing, or whose latching causes such intense pain to the mother that nursing is avoided, resulting in the child not receiving the necessary nutrients and failing to thrive. Following a lingual frenectomy, most newborns’ ability to nurse improves almost immediately. If a lingual frenectomy is not performed, research indicates that although having tongue-tie can inhibit a child’s ability to nurse, this issue does not generally apply to bottle feeding.
• Increased risk of periodontal disease and other oral health issues: Patients who have tongue-tie that do not have a lingual frenectomy performed are at an increased risk of developing periodontal disease and other oral health issues such as periodontal disease, bruxism, TMJ, and tooth crowding, deterioration of the teeth, severe malocclusion, and tooth loss. Performing a lingual frenectomy will restore the mobility of the tongue and improve an individual’s ability to swipe food debris away.
• Overcompensation: The restriction of the tongue can result in overworking muscles in the neck and jaw, which can lead to muscle tightness, poor posture, teeth grinding, and other related issues.
• Mouth breathing: For patients who do not have tongue-tie, the tongue naturally rests at the roof of the mouth, which enables optimal nasal breathing. Individuals with tongue tie do not have the same natural resting posture, which can inhibit nasal breathing and cause a range of issues to develop, such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids, ear infections, and/or sleep apnea and other sleep-disordered breathing issues.
• Mechanical/Social Effects: In addition to the potential health consequences of untreated tongue-tie, there are a number of daily activities that can be difficult or inaccessible to someone with tongue tie, including things like the ability to lick an ice cream cone, kiss, play a woodwind instrument, or whistle. Reduced mobility can also cause mild to moderate discomfort.

More on Frenectomy : The Frenectomy Procedure