If you have noticed that your child isn’t eating properly or is having trouble speaking, you may be worried about tongue-tie. Tongue-tie is a condition where the frenulum, which is a small piece of tissue that connects the bottom of your tongue to the floor of your mouth, is too short and tight. When this happens, the tongue cannot move properly.
Here are some easy ways to determine if your baby or child may be affected by this condition.
Obvious Signs
If your child has a short tongue, a heart-shaped tongue, or can’t stick out their tongue, they may have a tongue-tie. If you suspect that your child has a tongue tie, ask them to lift their tongue or lift their tongue for them. If you see a string-like piece of flesh attached near the tip of their tongue, then there may be a possibility that your child requires treatment for tongue ties and lip ties in Apollo Beach.
Subtle Signs
If you believe that your child has some symptoms of tongue-tie but cannot see the string when the tongue is lifted, they may still have tongue-tie. Sometimes the frenulum is only semi-visible. This is called a posterior tongue tie.
The easiest way to identify a posterior tongue tie is to come behind your child and gently lift their tongue using both index fingers on each side of the tongue. If your child requires treatment for tongue ties and lip ties near you, then the connective tissue underneath their tongue will bunch up and provide a good amount of tension. They will also have to be showing some symptoms to qualify as having a tongue tie.
Symptoms
Symptoms are the most tell-tale sign that your child has a tongue-tie. If they don’t show any symptoms, there is no need for treatment. If your baby or child has tongue-tie, then both mother and baby/child can experience some unpleasant symptoms such as:
Baby Symptoms:
- Struggling to gain weight
- Fussy and gassy
- Frustration when eating
- Always hungry
- Poor latch
- Reflux or spitting up
Mother Symptoms:
- Pain when nursing
- Mastitis
- Cut or blistered nipples
- Poor drainage
Child Symptoms:
- Speech delay
- Slow eating
- Spitting out food
- Snoring
- Frequent headaches
- Neck pain
- Frustration with communication
Trust Your Instinct
As a parent, you have to trust your gut when it comes to your child. If you feel that something is off, visit your pediatric dentist in Apollo Beach, FL. It is common for babies to be fussy or gassy and not eat well, but tongue ties are also common. If your child is showing any worrisome symptoms, don’t wait to get them checked.
What Can be Done?
It is helpful to bring your child into Smile Lynn Pediatric Dentistry as a starting point if you feel that they may have a tongue-tie or lip tie. When you visit our pediatric offices near you, our team can examine your child or baby and rule out any issues such as cavities, tongue-tie, and lip tie. If any problems are found, our team can help educate you on the effects of tongue-tie and provide you with options for treatment. Our team will also be able to recommend the best specialists in the area to ensure that your child gets the best-quality treatment available.
While frustrating, tongue-tie is a common disorder, and there is a lot of help and treatments available to alleviate frustrations faced by both baby and mother. If you have concerns about tongue-tie, please don’t hesitate to contact our clinic and book a consultation today!