Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie Treatment for Children
A tongue-tie is a physical condition limiting your child’s ability to use their tongue and it can have a significant impact on their health and well-being. A lip-tie is a condition where the upper lip is restricted, where the lip cannot move normally and may interfere with your child’s ability to eat. If the lip-tie is left untreated, it can affect the growth of your child’s teeth. Both procedures are commonly referred to as a frenectomy.
Children with a tongue-tie or lip-tie often experience difficulty eating, speaking, and sleeping. Your child may eat slowly, choke on food, have trouble staying asleep, or grind their teeth at night. Infants may have difficulty nursing or taking a bottle, leak milk while eating, or exhibit gas or colic symptoms.
If your child is experiencing symptoms of tongue-tie or lip-tie, we will examine their mouth to determine the root cause of the issue. Treatment is a simple procedure using a dental laser to release your child’s tongue or lip. Laser treatment is fast, precise, and can be performed without sedation.
After the procedure, your child may need further treatment to help them adapt to living without the tongue-tie or lip-tie. This can include exercises to strengthen and retrain the tongue to function without the restriction. In time, most children can eat, speak, and sleep normally following treatment.