Today, you can visit most mom social media influencer’s content and likely hear about tongue and lip ties and the uncomfortable symptoms that accompany it for the parent breastfeeding, like nipple pain. There’s more attention being paid to mothers’ concerns about not only breastfeeding, but other symptoms that they notice in their infant, like digestion difficulty and restlessness. Fortunately, there’s a problem and solution that can answer these parents’ concerns, but is it a relatively modern diagnosis and procedure? Read on to learn more about tongue and lip ties and frenectomies, and why we’re seeing it more commonly diagnosed in 2021.
What are Tongue & Lip Ties?
Tongue and lip ties affect an infant’s and parent’s quality of life because it can impact their ability to breastfeed and digest their food. Every person is born with a small sliver of tissue in the mouth that connects their tongue to the floor of their mouth and their lips to their gums. When this tissue is overgrown, tight, or restricts the movement of the lips and tongue, they’re called tongue and lip ties.
Are Tongue & Lip Ties on the Rise?
The diagnosis of lip and tongue ties is definitely not new. In fact, there are woodblock art renderings of doctors performing frenectomies (the treatment for lip and tongue ties) that date all the way back to 1679. However, in 1865, a chemist released baby formula in the form of a liquid (then, later on a powder). As more parents began breastfeeding less and turned to bottle feeding around the early to mid 1900s, fewer infants were diagnosed with the condition because one of the primary symptoms can be noticed while breastfeeding.
Today, more parents are turning back to breastfeeding, and during the first few weeks they’re noticing early signs of lip and tongue ties. When an infant has limited movement of their lips and tongue, it makes creating a suction-based force with their mouth by pursing their lips and thrashing their tongue harder, making breastfeeding more painful for the parent, and making it difficult for the baby to gain weight. Today, these are two common issues that bring parents into their pediatrician or dentist to get a frenectomy.
Common Signs of Tongue & Lip Ties
There are several common signs that your little one could have a lip or tongue tie. In any case, it’s always a good idea to take them in for a checkup with a dentist or their regular pediatrician to receive a diagnosis and treatment:
- Problems or pain while breastfeeding
- Difficulty latching to the nipple and getting milk
- Inability to properly nurse
- Sucking and clicking noises while nursing
- Excessive drooling
- Poor weight gain
- Nursing for long periods of time
If your dentist notices a lip or tongue tie, they can easily remove the excessive tissue during a frenectomy procedure, allowing your infant to easily maneuver their lips and tongue. As a parent, this will give you the peace-of-mind knowing that they’ll be receiving the nutrition they need to help them thrive and grow.
About the Author
Dr. Ray Voller has several decades of experience as a dentist under his belt and has treated generations of families in Kittanning throughout his career. He has completed six levels of continuing education at the LD Pankey Institute in Miami and is an active member of nine professional organizations. He enjoys treating children and offers several kid-friendly dental treatments, including frenectomies for infants with lip or tongue ties. To schedule a checkup for your child or learn more about this issue, visit Voller Dentistry, PC’s website or call 724-543-4948.