San Francisco and Marin CA
If someone has a tongue tie, this means their tongue does not move as it should, potentially impacting the way a person eats, breathes and speaks, as well as the development of their face and jaws. A tongue tie manifests from birth, and while today many tongue ties are detected and treated when a person is still an infant, this condition can and does affect people of any age, up to and including adults. Glen Park Dental offers tongue-tie release services – a procedure known as a frenectomy – for our patients in San Francisco, Marin, and the surrounding locations in California. Through the years, our patients have had many questions about tongue ties and the frenectomy procedure. This page contains the answers to our most frequently asked questions.
What is a frenulum?
Your body contains several frenulum. Also known as frenum, this term is used for any band of tissue that connects two structures within the human body. This includes the lingual frenum, connecting the bottom of the tongue with the floor of the mouth.
What is a tongue tie?
A tongue tie occurs when the lingual frenum is too short, which constricts the range of motion in the tongue. This condition clinically is known as ankyloglossia. As mentioned earlier, someone with a tongue tie is born with it. Not long before birth, the frenulum tissue attaching the tongue to the mouth naturally goes through a thinning and shrinking process. A tongue tie occurs when the lingual frenum does not thin and shrink as much as it needs to prior to birth.
What issues does someone with a tongue tie face?
A tongue tie has different impacts, depending on the stage of life for the patient. Infants, children and adults each experience a different set of issues stemming from the tongue’s limited range of motion. However, it should be noted that the overall negative effects of a tongue tie magnify as time passes. An adult living with an undiagnosed tongue tie is likely to have a host of significant issues, formed due to years of living with the restricted movement of the tongue.
How can I tell if I have a tongue tie?
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of a tongue tie, find the nearest mirror and stick out your tongue. Does the end look heart-shaped? If so, there is a high likelihood that you have a tongue tie. The heart shape is visible because the too-short frenulum is pulling on the end of the tongue. By contrast, someone who does not have a tongue tie will have a flat tongue if they stick out their tongue.
What is the proper posture of the tongue and why does it matter?
When you are not speaking, eating or swallowing, the tongue should rest against the roof of the mouth with the tip of the tongue gently touching the back of the front teeth. This resting posture is so important to your oral health, as well as your overall wellness. It encourages the proper development of your face, jaws and dental archers, encouraging wider arches and therefore enough room to accommodate all the teeth in your mouth. Poor resting posture of the tongue also means it might obscure the airway, especially during sleep, increasing the patients proclivity to obstructive sleep apnea.
How do you treat a tongue tie?
A frenectomy releases the tongue tie, restoring the full range of motion in the tongue and correcting the associated issues. This procedure is one of the specialties of one of the practicing dentists at Glen Park Dental, Dr. Kimberlee Dickerson. Using our precise soft tissue laser, the procedure can be completed in a matter of seconds, even on patients as young as a newborn infant. A local anesthetic is administered to ensure there is no discomfort. The results are immediate, as the treated patient immediately regains full use and mobility of their tongue. We encourage any patient undergoing a frenectomy to eat a full meal prior to the procedure and get a good night of sleep the night before their scheduled appointment.
What can be expected after a frenectomy?
Any discomfort following a frenectomy should be mild, but if this occurs, you can manage it through the use of an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Dr. Dickerson recommends a patient who receives a frenectomy follow a diet of soft, cool foods for the first few days after the procedure. You also may want to avoid spicy or chewy foods. Each patient or family receives detailed after care instructions following a frenectomy procedure.
For patients who have a tongue tie released beyond the stage of infancy, we usually recommend a course of myofunctional therapy as a follow-up to a frenectomy. This method of therapy entails a series of exercises that work the tongue and musculature of the mouth and face, with the exercises performed by an experienced myofunctional therapist on our staff. These exercises retrain your muscles, helping correct any negative habits that may have developed to compensate for the limited range of motion in the tongue.
Tongue-tie treatment in San Francisco and Marin, California
Living with a tongue tie affects the way you eat, speak and breathe. The team at Glen Park Dental can address this issue, restore the full range of motion and improve both your oral and overall health. If you or someone in your family is experiencing symptoms of a tongue tie, schedule a consultation at Glen Park Dental today by calling (415) 585-1500 or completing our online appointment request form.
