Lingual Frenulectomy
During formation in the embryonic state, some children develop a very short and tight tissue attachment from the underside of their tongue to the floor of the mouth. This tissue is called the lingual frenum. When it is tight the child is unable to lift the tip of their tongue up to the roof of their mouth or stick their tongue out. The common name for this condition is “tongue-tied”. This condition can make it very painful and sometimes almost impossible for newborn babies to breastfeed. As they get older this condition can interfere with the child learning to speak and definitely forces them to form their sounds and words in unusual ways. Also since the tip of the tongue is quite immobile, it can’t be used to find and clean bits of food caught between the teeth. It is highly recommended that every newborn be checked to see if it is “tongue-tied” and treatment be done as soon as possible.
Treatment for this condition at HAPY BEAR DENTISTRY is always done under general anesthetic and is often done on babies only a few days old although it should be done as soon as it is recognized during the first 10 years of life. The treatment only takes a few minutes and is accomplished by placing a small clamp at the area that needs to be clipped, then cutting through the clamped region. This usually results in a surgical field that does not bleed and heals uneventfully.
Benefits and alternatives
The proposed treatment has been shown to significantly improve a baby’s ability to breastfeed, help them in learning to speak clearly, and improves their natural ability to keep their mouth clean.
Consequences of not performing treatment
A tongue-tied person often must be bottle fed as an infant, frequently is delayed in learning to speak and often speaks with a lisp. Also since they are unable to use their tongue to explore the inner and outer surfaces of their teeth, they often are unaware of food debris caught between their teeth which looks unsightly and can even promote tooth decay.
Possible complications
Complications are rare but can include pain after the treatment, bleeding, and infection.