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What is Tongue-Tie and How Does It Affect Your Baby?

Watching your baby struggle with feeding can be a stressful and emotional experience. You want nothing more than to provide nourishment and comfort, but sometimes an underlying issue makes it difficult. One common but often overlooked condition is ankyloglossia, more commonly known as tongue-tie. This condition, present at birth, occurs when the band of tissue connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth (the lingual frenulum) is unusually short, thick, or tight, restricting the tongue’s range of motion.

While a frenulum is a normal part of anatomy, a restrictive one can significantly interfere with a baby’s ability to breastfeed, bottle-feed, and eventually, speak and eat solid foods. For parents in Meridian, Boise, and across the Treasure Valley, understanding the signs of tongue-tie is the first step toward finding a solution that helps your child thrive. At the Center for Orofacial Myology, we offer a comprehensive, team-based approach to not just identify but effectively treat tongue-tie and support your family’s well-being.

Recognizing the Signs of Tongue-Tie

Tongue-tie can manifest in a variety of ways, affecting both the baby and the nursing parent. It’s important to look at the whole picture, as many of these symptoms can be interconnected.

If these challenges sound familiar, know that you are not alone and that help is available. Many of these issues can be resolved with the right support, beginning with a professional evaluation. Our team in Boise offers expert lactation support to help identify the root cause of feeding difficulties.

Beyond Feeding: The Long-Term Impact of Untreated Tongue-Tie

While feeding issues are often the most immediate concern, an untreated tongue-tie can lead to other complications as a child grows. The tongue plays a crucial role in the development of the jaw, palate, and airway. When its movement is restricted, it can contribute to a range of challenges:

• Speech Difficulties: Articulating sounds like ‘t’, ‘d’, ‘l’, ‘s’, and ‘r’ can be challenging, potentially leading to a need for speech therapy.
• Dental Problems: Improper tongue posture can lead to a high, narrow palate, crowded teeth, and other orthodontic issues.
• Airway and Sleep Issues: A restricted tongue often leads to mouth breathing, which can contribute to snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. Proper airway evaluations are key to identifying these risks early.
• Feeding and Swallowing Issues: Older children may become picky eaters, having difficulty managing certain food textures and swallowing properly.

The Infant Tongue-Tie Release Procedure: A Gentle Solution

Fortunately, treating a problematic tongue-tie is a straightforward process. An infant tongue-tie release, or frenotomy, is a quick and minimally invasive procedure that involves releasing the tight frenulum. At the Center for Orofacial Myology, we use a state-of-the-art soft tissue laser for the procedure.

Benefits of a Laser Frenotomy:

• Precision: The laser allows for a highly accurate release of the tissue.
• Minimal Discomfort: The procedure is very quick, often taking less than a minute, with minimal pain.
• Reduced Bleeding: The laser cauterizes the tissue as it releases, resulting in little to no bleeding.
• Faster Healing: Recovery is typically rapid, and many babies are able to feed immediately after the procedure.

Our experienced team of specialists ensures your baby is comfortable and safe throughout the entire process, providing peace of mind for parents.

After the Release: The Importance of Integrated Therapy

Releasing the tight tissue gives the tongue freedom, but it doesn’t automatically teach it how to function correctly. The baby has been compensating for the restriction since birth, and those muscles need to be retrained. This is where our holistic, full-body approach makes a difference.

Post-procedure care is crucial for optimal results and to prevent reattachment. This often includes:

• Gentle Stretches: We guide parents on simple, gentle exercises to perform at home to encourage mobility and proper healing of the release site.
• Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT): This therapy helps retrain the muscles of the mouth and face, establishing correct patterns for swallowing and resting tongue posture.
• Feeding and Lactation Support: Our specialists work with you and your baby to establish a comfortable and effective feeding relationship.
• Bodywork: Therapies like craniosacral therapy can help release tension in the jaw, neck, and shoulders that developed as a compensation for the tongue-tie.

Expert Tongue-Tie Care for Meridian Families

For parents in Meridian, finding comprehensive care for tongue-tie doesn’t have to mean driving all over the Treasure Valley. The Center for Orofacial Myology, located conveniently in Boise, provides an integrated, all-in-one clinic where your child can receive a full spectrum of care. From diagnosis and laser release to lactation support, feeding therapy, and orofacial myology, our team collaborates to create a personalized treatment plan. We are dedicated to addressing the root cause of your child’s challenges to support their overall health and development.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Glossary of Terms

• Ankyloglossia: The medical term for tongue-tie, a condition that restricts the tongue’s range of motion.
• Lingual Frenulum: The small band of tissue that connects the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
• Frenotomy: A simple, minimally invasive procedure to release a restrictive frenulum.
• Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT): A series of exercises that retrains the muscles of the mouth, face, and tongue to function correctly, often compared to physical therapy for the mouth.
• Craniosacral Therapy: A gentle, hands-on technique that uses a light touch to examine membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the central nervous system to relieve tension.