Encouraging healthy dental care not only in adults but their children too is something that Expert Dental Care have always advocated for. Sometimes dental health goes beyond regular checks and oral hygiene when children require surgical procedures to treat problems such as lip and tongue tie. If you think your child may have a lip or tongue tie, there are a few signs that can help diagnose this condition, and if confirmed can be easily treated here at Expert Dental Care.
What is lip and tongue tie?
It is important to understand the basics about lip and tongue ties before making a diagnosis.
Lip ties refer to when a small band of tissue that attaches your gums to your lip is too thick or high, which can interfere with normal functioning and appearance of the lip. If this isn’t treated properly, in newborns it can cause difficulty in breast-feeding or in growing kids can cause midline diastema, which is a spacing in the teeth in the upper jaw.
Similar to the lips, tongue ties occur when the frenum (a fibrous band of tissue which attaches the base of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) restricts the movement of the tongue thus affecting its normal function. If left untreated, a tongue tie can lead to speech defects, feeding issues and can even affect the growth of the lower jaw.
What are the symptoms?
To help identify if your child has lip and tongue tie, there are a few symptoms that give a clear indication. Most commonly, babies with lip or tongue tie can make breastfeeding difficult for both mother and the child themselves.
This could mean your baby:
- Struggles to latch on to the breast
- Has difficulty breathing during feeding
- Makes a clicking sound during nursing
- Becomes extremely fatigued by nursing
- Has slow or lack of weight gain
- Has colic (when an otherwise healthy baby cries for three or more hours a day, three or more times a week, for at least three weeks.)
A breastfeeding mother of such babies may also experience:
- Nipple pain during or after breastfeeding
- Breasts that feel engorged
- Blocked milk ducts or mastitis
How to properly diagnose lip or tongue tie
If you have noticed your child experiences any of the common symptoms associated with lip and tongue tie, it is recommended that you first consider seeing a lactation consultant to thoroughly assess your baby’s mouth and any difficulties with breastfeeding. If lip or tongue tie is thought to be the issue, we at Expert Dental Care can treat the tie if necessary.
How is lip or tongue tie treated?
After a full assessment is carried out, we then discuss your options. A surgical procedure referred to as frenectomy may be performed.
We have a state of the art dual band Laser which is used to correct the ties thus avoiding the use of a blade or scalpel. This means that there is minimum to no bleeding during the procedure and is finished in few minutes time. This further assures less post-operative discomfort and faster healing.
Due to the advancement in dentistry equipment, Expert Dental Care can correct lip and tongue ties here in our clinic with minimal scarring, no post-treatment pain, and a faster recovery time.
If you are concerned about your child having a lip and tongue tie, please arrange an appointment today by contacting our friendly reception.
