What is Tongue Tie?

Tongue and Lip Tie can affect your child at their most vulnerable stage of development...

Infants are born with immature immune systems and need healthy nourishment to get the best start in life. However, some babies have difficulty feeding and will encounter frequent challenges. The source of feeding difficulties can be a restrictive lingual frenum, often called a “tongue tie”. Tongue ties and lip ties very frequently go hand in hand.

Breastfeeding and Tongue Tie

Smooth breastfeeding is a time of closeness and connection.

On the other hand, difficult breastfeeding can be a time of pain, frustration, and anxiety. A mother feels guilt and blames herself for breastfeeding difficulties. The calm bonding interaction may seem like a cruel, unreachable fantasy.

There is hope for these rocky starts to breastfeeding. A mother may not realize the issues may be on the baby’s side with a tongue tie.

And it can be fixed.

(image by Larry Kotlow, DDS)

Identifying Tongue and Lip-Tie

A diagnosis of tongue tie is based on feeding symptoms as well as clinical appearance. Some tongue ties are obvious. Others, such as posterior tongue ties, are submucosal, or below the skin, and require careful examination to detect.

Some symptoms of a tongue/lip tied baby include the following:
    • Clicking noises during feeding
    • Falling asleep at the breast before full
    • Coughing or choking on milk
    • Frequent release and relatch
    • Unsatisfied after prolonged feeds
    • Poor weight gain
    • Gas
    • Reflux/colic
    • Frequent and long nursing sessions
    • Fussing, fighting, or crying at the breast
    • Lip blisters
    • Baby may seem frustrated while trying to feed
• Persistent torticollis despite therapy

Some symptoms of ties for breastfeeding mothers include the following:
    • Pain during breastfeeding
    • Poor or incomplete milk tranfer (breast don't feel emptied after feedings)
    • Undersupply or oversupply
    • Mastitis and/or thrush
    • Cracked, sore, or damaged nipples
    • Plugged ducts

*Dr. Marilyn offers complimentary phone/video consultations prior to every appointment. You can submit pictures and discuss concerns of your babies tongue or lip ties before scheduling an appointment.

Causes and Solutions

Effective feeding requires good oral movement from baby. The tongue is essential. It should extend over the lower gum ridge and rise up and down. Additionally, the tongue plays an important part in the swallow/breathing rhythm during smooth breastfeeding. A tongue tied baby cannot make the appropriate tongue motions to extend, rise, and swallow properly. This has been confirmed by ultrasound studies*.

A procedure called a Frenectomy can release the restrictive tissue under the tongue. It’s a 5-10 minute procedure done in the office restores a baby's natural ability to feed. Our office treats newborns to 12 months. No sedation or general anesthesia is needed. Dr. Marilyn uses a soft tissue laser to precisely remove the restrictive tissue. This laser creates very little bleeding and disinfects. Baby can breastfeed immediately after the procedure.

Followup at anytime after the procedure is available for no additional fee.

* Frenulotomy for breastfeeding infants with ankyloglossia: effect on milk removal and sucking mechanism as imaged by ultrasound - Geddes et al

About the procedure

After care

Co-operative Care

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