Does your child have difficulty breastfeeding? Is it more challenging for your child to move their lips or tongue than it should be? They may have a lip or tongue tie, a condition that is found in about 5% of newborns. Lip ties or tongue ties can cause stress for you and your baby, and can even cause serious issues later in life. Fortunately, at Texas Dentistry, we offer frenectomies for freer oral movement. Lip and tongue tie treatment in Mesquite is a quick and conservative way to help your little one get a healthier, more functional smile.
If you look closely at your baby’s mouth, you’ll see a thin band of tissue underneath their upper lip and another one beneath their tongue. These are call frenula, and they help support movement in the mouth, particularly with latching and speaking. However, if the frenula are too thick, they restrict movement. Doctors and dentists are still unsure what causes lip or tongue ties to develop in the first place, but studies suggest that they run in families.
Minor lip ties or tongue ties may not need to be treated and instead will go away on their own as a child grows. However, more moderate cases often need to be addressed right away due to the problems they cause, such as:
If your baby is exhibiting any of the above symptoms, it’s best to call us and schedule an appointment right away. We’ll discuss your concerns and evaluate your little one to see if a lip or tongue tie is present and if a frenectomy is needed.
The most common lip and tongue tie treatment is called a frenectomy. This procedure can be done for patients of any age with a lip or tongue tie, though it is more common for babies. Regardless, the procedure works in largely the same way: first, we’ll numb the area thoroughly to ensure maximum comfort. Then, using specialized tools, we’ll remove a very small amount of excess tissue. The entire treatment is typically completed in one quick and easy appointment. Before sending you and your little one home, we’ll walk you through some important post-op tips for speeding up recovery.