If you have a lisp, or experience difficulty pronouncing certain letters or simply can’t stick your tongue out of your mouth, then you may have a tongue-tie. It is best to see your dentist for a proper examination to confirm a diagnosis of tongue-tie.
Tongue-tie is a condition where tongue movement is restricted due to a short lingual frenum. Essentially, the tongue is anchored down and can’t move around as it should.
In its severe forms, this condition can affect a new born infant because they won’t be able to latch on and will experience difficulty during breast feeding. In most cases, this condition becomes evident in children and early intervention is important to allow for normal development.
Surgical treatment of tongue-tie may be needed for infants, children or adults if tongue-tie causes problems.
A simple surgical procedure called frenectomy is done under either local anesthesia or with IV sedation to improve the range of motion of the tongue.
The results are immediate, as the patient is able to move their tongue and notice a difference right away! The recovery varies depending on the extent of release required and may last between 2-5 days.
Complications of this procedure are rare — but could include bleeding or infection. It's also possible to have scarring or for the frenulum to reattach to the base of the tongue.
If you think you have tongue-tie and are interested to see if you are a candidate for surgery, please contact our clinic at 905-553-6725 and book your consultation.
