LIP & TONGUE-TIE TREATMENT – PROSPER, TX
Helping Your Little Penguin Honk, Bray, & Trumpet with Pride
Lip and tongue-ties are common problems that are most diagnosed in infancy. They can lead to a variety of symptoms, including difficulty latching while breastfeeding, poor infant weight gain, limited tongue and oral mobility, and much more. In the past, parents often associated these signs with something wrong with what they’re doing, but that’s simply not the case! Lip and tongue-ties can drastically impact your child’s oral movement, leading to a variety of other complications. At Little Penguin Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Peng and our team can help diagnose and treat the lip and tongue-tie in Prosper, allowing your child to communicate and eat better with complete oral function.
Why Choose Little Penguin Pediatric Dentistry for Lip & Tongue-Tie Treatment?
- We Care About Patients, Not Numbers
- Family-Owned & Operated Dental Practice
- Clean & Modern Penguin-Themed Office
How Do Lip & Tongue-Ties Develop?
It’s estimated that over five percent of children are born with some type of lip or tongue-tie, and while in many cases they may not lead to any symptoms or difficulties, others can. While this issue can impact people as children, adolescents, and adults, more pediatricians and pediatric dentists are diagnosing it in infancy, allowing for immediate and early intervention. During apoptosis, a fetal development period, frenum form, which are bands of tissue that connect the tongue to the floor of the mouth and the lips to the gums. In some cases, these can become overgrown or too thick, leading to lip and tongue-ties.
Why Is It Important to Treat Lip & Tongue-Ties?
If your child is experiencing symptoms at a young age, early treatment can have great benefits for them as they grow. This intervention can prevent them from experiencing a wide range of problems as they get older, including:
- Breathing and airway issues
- Speech delays
- Speech distortion
- Digestive issues
- Sensitivity to certain food textures
- Mouth-breathing
- Bruxism (teeth grinding)
- Forward head and neck posture
- Sleep apnea
How Lip & Tongue-Tie Treatment Works
At Little Penguin Pediatric Dentistry, we offer safe, fast, and pain-less frenectomies using our soft-tissue laser. This neat device substitutes surgical scissors for a small beam of light that’s able to precisely and effortlessly remove overgrown tissue and allow for free movement of your little one’s lips and tongue. Because it cauterizes the area on-contact, risk of post-op complications like infections and bleeding, are minimal.
Lip & Tongue Tie FAQs
We understand that the prospect of your precious baby undergoing surgery, even a minor one, can be intimidating. You may want to gather as much information as possible before the procedure so you can feel prepared for the road ahead. To assist you, we have put together the following list of FAQs about lip tie, tongue tie, and the frenectomy surgery. If your specific questions are not included here, give us a call. We will be happy to speak with you!
Does a Frenectomy Hurt?
A laser frenectomy is a fast and comfortable procedure. In many cases, we do not even need to use local anesthetic. The laser is precise, and it cauterizes the tissue even as it severs, a fact that leads to very little bleeding and almost no risk of infection. If your child’s frenum is particularly thick, however, we may administer a numbing agent.
Is My Child Old Enough to Get Lip or Tongue Tie Treatment?
There really is no minimum age for a frenectomy. In fact, we can perform the surgery as soon as a few days after birth. Since lip and tongue ties do not go away on their own, it is best to make sure treatment is provided as soon as possible. Your proactiveness may spare your child from future oral and overall health problems!
Will My Baby Cry During the Frenectomy?
Babies often cry before, during, and after their frenectomy. However, that does not necessarily mean they are in physical pain. Usually, they are distressed because they do not like to have their lip or tongue held still. Crying is their way of expressing their displeasure with the situation.
Our team understands that you are placing a lot of trust in us, so we will do all we can to create an easy experience for both you and your child.
What Could Happen If My Child Doesn’t Get Treatment for a Lip or Tongue Tie?
A lip or tongue tie will not go away on its own, and these conditions can cause lifelong problems. For example, your child might find it difficult to enunciate certain sounds, and they may avoid certain textures of food. They will also be at a greater risk of dental problems, such as cavities and gum disease. They could even develop obstructive sleep apnea. An untreated lip or tongue tie can even cause these same problems into adulthood.
When Can I Start Nursing My Baby After a Frenectomy?
We usually encourage breastfeeding immediately after the frenectomy procedure. The nutrients from the breastmilk and the comfort of their mother’s presence can help a baby during their recovery.
Remember, your baby will not be used to having a full range of motion for their lip or tongue, so it might take a bit of time before they can easily latch.