San Francisco and Marin CA
Everyone is born with a band of tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Some people are born with this tissue too short to allow the complete range of motion in the tongue. When this band of tissue, known as a frenum, is too short, it is known as a tongue tie. Luckily, your dentist can provide treatment by performing what is known as a frenectomy. This releases the tongue tie and allows your tongue to regain full range of motion. Today on the blog, we examine four issues that can emerge from an untreated tongue tie.
Problem 1: Nursing difficulties for baby and mother
If you have a tongue tie, it is present from birth. Infants with a restricted frenum can begin to feel the effects immediately. Whether a new baby is breastfeeding or nursing from a bottle, they are going to experience problems from their tongue tie. These issues may include failure to thrive, having to nurse too much, or struggling to develop a bond with the mother. A nursing mother, meanwhile, may experience pain during feeding sessions as well as nipple damage, depression or feeling a sense of failure.
Problem 2: Speech development problems
Children with a tongue tie can experience a variety of problems. A tongue tie also may cause delayed development of speech, deterioration in speech, or a lack of self-confidence because of speech issues. Specifically, a tongue tie can make it difficult to properly enunciate the letters L, R and S. Other consequences involving speech may include speaking softly, mumbling, or speaking with a nasal tone or a hoarse voice for no explainable reason.
Problem 3: Swallowing
Swallowing is almost automatic for many, and sees the entire tongue lift up against the roof of the mouth. If the range of motion in your tongue is limited by a tongue tie, then the tongue does not lift as it should, which impedes the natural swallowing motion. Other signs of a swallowing problem caused by a tongue tie include if your child struggles to eat foods of a certain texture, the presence of a hyperactive gag reflex or excessive drooling.
Problem 4: Long face syndrome
The longer you live with a tongue tie, the more problems that it causes. If someone lives with an undiagnosed tongue tie into adulthood, they may have a narrow face or an underdeveloped midface. This occurs because the years of living with a tongue tie can create either an upper palate that is too high or dental arches that are more narrow than they should be.
Treating tongue ties in Los Gatos, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, California
The team at Glen Park Dental can perform a frenectomy on patients of any age using our precise LightScalpel laser. This removes the restricted frenum and restores the full range of motion in the tongue with minimal discomfort, bleeding or risk of infection. To learn more about how we treat tongue ties, schedule a consultation at Glen Park Dental today by calling (415) 585-1500 or completing our online appointment request form.
