A lingual frenum which is a band of connective tissues that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. In some children, lingual frenum is too short which is restricting the tongue movement and impairing the child’s oral development. If you have noticed this in your children, you have to visit a dentist.
Lingual frenectomy is the treatment which a doctor would recommend for the tongue tie. Lingual frenectomy is a surgical treatment, where the removal of interrupting frenum connective tissue. Sometimes childs lingual frenum is too tight or too short, restricting the movement of the tongue.
What are the problems with Tongue tie?
- In babies, it will create problems with nursing (where the mother can’t feed the baby properly).
- It can further lead to improper speech.
- Irregular arch development.
- Improper jaw growth.
- Under development of bite leading to open mouth breathing.
- Improper bite alignment.
- Swallowing problems.
Treatments for Tongue tie?
- Surgical lingual frenectomy:
- It is a simple procedure that can be performed surgically by local anesthesia, which is given on the lingual frenum region and with local nerve block involvement.
- Doctor removes the interrupting lingual connecting tissues, with surgical instruments & gives dissolvable stitches.
- The operated region is usually healed within a couple of weeks.
- Laser therapy for lingual frenectomy
- Laser is used to remove lingual frenum by a laser beam, which can eliminate the need of stitches.
- This procedure will have minimal bleeding (no bleeding), and less healing time.
With any one of the above treatments for children after the operated region is healed, the child will have no issue with interrupting speeches and overall oral health will be good for the child.
Thanks for reading the Dentofacts article, for more such articles visit Dentofacts.
