Lingual Frenectomy

One of the most common frenum related issues is tongue-tie, also known as ankyloglossia. This issue develops when the membrane that connects the underside of your tongue to the floor of your mouth is too short. Patients who have an abnormal lingual frenulum can also experience a range of other issues, some of the most common being difficulty breastfeeding, impaired speech, diminished mechanical ability, uncomfortable tongue posture, mouth breathing, increased risk of developing oral health issues, and difficulty eating. Fortunately, these issues can typically be corrected by performing a lingual alexandria frenectomy, a simple procedure that involves removing the lingual frenulum, using either a scalpel or laser.

Common Issues Caused by Ankyloglossia

• Impaired ability to nurse: One of the major concerns for infants that are born with ankyloglossia is difficulty or inability to nurse. This problem can present itself through difficulty latching or staying latched. Additionally, mothers can experience nipple pain so severe they avoid or stop nursing all together, which can result in diminished milk supply. As a result, children can fail to thrive and gain the weight they need to. Although ankyloglossia has been shown to negatively impact a child’s ability to nurse, fortunately these children do not typically struggle in the same way with bottles. Following a lingual frenectomy, many parents notice an immediate improvement in their child’s ability to latch and stay latched while feeding.
• Impaired speech: Untreated ankyloglossia is also a common underlying cause of speech difficulty, especially with lingual sounds such as “r” and sibilants. Though a child’s ability to speak properly can be impacted by ankyloglossia, it does not seem to delay their speech or language development. Following a lingual frenectomy, most children who previously struggled with speech difficulties notice a big improvement.
• Impaired functionality: Individuals with lingual-frenum issues can experience a range of issues, such as significantly reduced tongue movement. They can also struggle to perform basic mechanical functions, such as licking their lips, kissing, or playing a woodwind instrument. They may also experience cuts or discomfort under their tongue. In addition to these mechanical struggles, there are often associated negative social effects, such as teasing, which can cause people to experience feelings of shame or low self-worth.
• Mouth breathing due to improper posture of tongue: When the tongue is resting at the roof of the mouth in its ideal position, this enables nasal breath. Individuals who have ankyloglossia do not always have tongues that rest this way, which can cause mouth-breathing. There are a range of issues associated with mouth breathing, such as chronic ear infections, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and sleep-disordered breathing.
• TMJ and other oral health issues: Because the tongue forms a narrow V shape instead of the normal U shape, individuals with ankyloglossia are at an increased risk of developing TMJ and/or bruxism. This also increases the individual’s risk of crowding and the need for braces or jaw surgery.
• Muscle/Facial Compensation: Because the jaw and neck are forced to compensate for the restricted tongue, issues like muscle tightness or poor posture can develop.

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