Tongue Tie Surgery
Tongue Tie Surgery / Ankyloglossia Treatment
We are all born with a tongue tie and lip ties (frenula). These are usually not a problem. However, in some cases, the lip straps are too tight or the tongue tie is either too short or too widely linked to the tongue. The tongue and lips become less mobile as a result of this. Pulling through the tongue or lip tie could be advisable in these circumstances. At Virginia Dental Care, we offer frenectomy if your child has a tongue tie that affects his quality of life.
An oral surgical technique is called a frenectomy. It is used to treat tongue- or lip-tie disorders. It can be used to widen the range of motion of your tongue or to bridge a gap between two teeth. Frenectomy is a simple process with many advantages.
Why is a Tongue Tie Treatment Necessary?
- Position of the teeth: lip bands that are too short and overgrown can push the upper front teeth apart. This can lead to a gap between the front teeth. In many cases, when braces are removed, the teeth will grow apart again.
- Oral health: it is often less easy to keep the teeth clean in children with a lip band that is too tight. Food can settle in the cavities. This creates or brushing becomes more difficult. It increases the risk of tooth decay.
- Speech: Tongue ties can lead to speech problems. It can cause a child to talk later than usual and to be able to pronounce some sounds and words less well.
- Adults: Adults with short tongue lashes cannot lick ice cream or French kiss well. This may seem insignificant, but it often annoys those affected.
What does it mean for your tongue to be tied? Does it have consequences?
The frenulum is an anatomical structure, but we say that a patient has ankyloglossia or a short frenulum when the tongue cannot perform its functions correctly (coordinated, extensive movements without compensation from other muscles or tissues).
Many adults suffer from ankyloglossia almost without knowing it because their body has been compensating for the tongue tie (after all, the brain’s neural circuits have a lot of plasticities). But these compensations, in many cases, are associated with other symptoms (muscular tension on the sides of the face, neck pain, stiffness in the front of the neck, bruxism…). It’s not clear yet how much these symptoms can be fixed by just removing the frenulum.
Tongue tie/ Frenectomy Treatment
The lip tie/tongue tie treatment includes registration, a consultation/preliminary exam, the actual procedure, and the appropriate aftercare for a speedy and successful recovery. Details regarding each step of the tongue tie surgery treatment are provided below.
1. Consultation
During the consultation, we'll check with you to see if your tongue and lip ties are too tight. We'll also talk about the referral. If a lip tie or tongue tie treatment is necessary, the specifics of that therapy will be gone over next.
2. Therapy
Local anesthetics are used to perform this procedure. The tongue tie will be cut when the anesthesia has taken effect. If there is a combination, the practitioner can carry out this process throughout multiple sessions.
3. Healing
It takes 3 weeks to heal. It depends on the baby's age and health. In case of pain, administer a paracetamol suppository. Breastfeeding can be offered soon after ankyloglossia treatment. Therefore, bring a snack to the appointment.
4. Recovery
To avoid difficulties, it's crucial to have follow-up care. To do this, you must do the exercises four times a day and pay close attention to what the informed consent says. Contact the physician for further guidance.
Aftercare tips for Children and adults
By lifting the lip at least 4 times a day and feeling the stretch/tension in the lip, you will know whether the lip band has grown into place. Also, for the tongue, feel under the tongue at least 4 times a day to see if there is no tension or resistance where the tongue used to be and to push the tongue slightly upwards.
It is important to keep the teeth clean. The teeth can simply be brushed. You can gently rinse the wound with a teaspoon of salt in 0.2l of water. This can be done as often as possible and helps clean the mouth.
Exercises for the tongue
- Sticking out the tongue and moving it up and down.
- Sticking out the tongue and moving it from left to right.
- Licking or sucking an ice cream cone or other objects, stimulating the tongue to be active.
- Tongue from left to right, 10 times.
- Suck in against the palate, hold for 10 counts.
- Click as often as possible.
- Tongue out, 10 times.
- Tongue tip from upper lip to lower lip, 10 times.