Lip and tongue ties are common conditions among newborn children. Keep reading to learn about what oral ties are and how to decide if they need medical intervention.

Oral ‘Tie’ 101

An oral tie is a condition where the person who is affected suffers from impaired tongue function or is unable to move their lips in a similar manner to other newborns. A lip or tongue tie is caused by an excessively thick or tight oral tissue known as a frenulum which connects the tongue to the lower jaw or lips to gum tissue.

Why do people suffer from lip or tongue ties?

Tongue or lip ties are caused by an inhibited reduction in the natural oral frenulum tissues during pre-birth development. The oral frenulum tissue in upper and lower lips, and beneath the tongue are naturally very large during fetal development, but have been found to never recede in nearly 10 percent of newborns. This condition often impairs a child’s ability to feed after birth and may also lead to speech impediments during the stage of learning to speak.

Treatment for Tongue and Lip Ties

Tongue and lip ties can be corrected with a simple procedure. Your child will be given a safe anesthetic to eliminate pain and the excessive tissue will be cut to allow normal tongue and lip function.

Schedule an appointment at Briggs Family Dentistry if you suspect that your child is affected by a lip or tongue tie.