What is Tongue Tie?

Tongue Tie

Tongue tie (also referred to as Ankyloglossia, Short Frenulum, or Tethered Oral Tissues) is a short and sometimes thick lingual frenulum that restricts the mobility of the tongue, particularly it’s ability to lift to the palate, and is nearly always associated with a lip tie. Often times a tongue tie also restricts the tongue from extending beyond the lower gum line or to lift entirely during suckling and swallowing. This can significantly impact feeding and may cause the baby to use compensatory, abnormal tongue and jaw movements during breast or bottle feeding. Tongue humping, thrusting and chomping on the breast or bottle for stability commonly occurs and any of these or other compensations are known to lead to developmental issues as the baby matures. Those most common are swallowing disorders, often leading to digestive issues, speech, dental, breathing and issues with sleep that may last a lifetime if not treated.

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Tongue Tie

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