Your tongue plays a critical part in dental alignment, jaw development, maintaining nasal breathing, optimizing sleep, and the appearance of your face. Proper tongue posture involves the tongue resting against the roof of the mouth and filling up the entire upper palate.
A tongue-tie, medically known as Ankyolglossia, prevents the upper jaw and mid-face from developing properly. The literal translation of tongue-tie means your tongue is tied to the lower mouth area by extra tissue called lingual frenulum. As a result, your tongue is unable to reach the roof of your mouth and movement is restricted.
It is estimated that up to 50% of the population has some level of anatomical restriction of the tongue, thereby, limiting movement and optimal function. Tongue-ties are present at birth and do not develop over time, nor can they go away without treatment.
Signs and symptoms of tongue-tie include:
necessary to release the tongue. In many cases, all that’s required to release the tie is a minor surgical procedure, but treatment does not stop here. After your tongue is released you should begin Myofunctional therapy to help re-train and strengthen the muscles of the tongue. Myofunctional therapy exercises ensure proper oral posture, tongue movements, and correct swallowing patterns. It also guarantees that a released frenulum does not grow back, and symptoms don’t return.
Tongue-tie assessment and treatment require proper education, training, and surgical skill. However, if you’re just curious, here are a few self-tests you can try:
If you answered yes to any of these questions, the next step is to meet with one of our doctors to have an assessment done.