Saying someone is tongue-tied is a common, casual way to describe that they’re finding it difficult to speak, but did you know that being tongue-tied is an actual medical condition? The formal name for a tongue-tie is a doozy: ankyloglossia. This condition occurs when the piece of tissue called the frenulum that connects the bottom of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is too thick or too short, restricting the movement of the tongue.
The reason a tongue-tie is something to address is that it can affect how a child speaks and eats. That’s why it’s a good idea to watch out for whether or not your baby is tongue-tied.
Symptoms of a Tongue-Tie
Tongue-tie is a relatively common condition in newborns. Of course, your newborn baby isn’t able to say in words what might be wrong, but they may show you that they’re experiencing a tongue-tie in other ways. Here are some of the most common symptoms of being tongue-tied:
- Your child has trouble moving their tongue up and down, and side to side.
- Your child has difficulty sticking their tongue out much further than their front teeth.
- Your child is having issues breastfeeding successfully. .
- Your child gets fussy when you’re feeding them.
- Your child is tending to chew more often than suck.
Tongue-Tie Treatment Options
The good news is that even if your baby is tongue-tied there are treatment options. One is to get a frenectomy, which is a safe and effective surgical procedure. During this procedure, a dentist or other trained medical professional can remove the connective tissue in order to free up the tongue’s movement.
Do you know your baby is tongue-tied? contact us at Dental Solutions of Columbus! We provide the frenectomy procedure at our dental practice in Columbus, Indiana, and we’re happy to help in any way that we can.