What is a Tongue-tie
Tongue ties, also known as ankyloglossia, are a condition where the tongue's movement is restricted due to the frenulum's attachment. Orofacial myofunctional therapy is a type of treatment that aims to correct improper tongue posture and swallowing patterns caused by tongue ties. If left untreated, tongue ties can lead to various issues such as difficulty breastfeeding, speech impediments, and dental problems as well as overall health complications. It's essential to seek professional help if you suspect that you or your child may have a tongue tie.
What is a Frenectomy?
A Frenum is a fold of tissue that connects to a couple of different areas around your mouth such as a Maxillary Frenum (between our upper front two teeth), Lower Frenum (between our lower front teeth) and underneath the tongue (Lingual Frenum). Due to development, sometimes our frenums can be attached higher and more tight than necessary which can cause spacing, crowding, speech impediments and gingival recession. In other words, some providers use the word Ankyloglossia or "tongue-tie" while talking about the impairment of the tongue. When these symptoms occur it can become necessary to "clip" or remove a portion of the frenum called a Frenectomy.
Lingual Frenectomy Pre/Post
These pictures show a full case of a person having Ankyloglossia (tongue-tie), the release (lingual frenectomy) and a couple weeks after the procedure. It is imperative to do your Myofunctional therapy exercises during this process to help manage pain and quick healing. Doctor's tend to use laser therapy or a scapel for the surgical procedure.
Anterior Lingual Ankyloglossia
When a Lingual Frenum is attached towards the front of the tongue or is too short it may not allow the tongue to function properly with normal speech, swallowing ,breathing as well as sleeping. There is a severity scale used in combination with tongue restriction to determine if a frenectomy is needed (class III/IV being most severe).
Posterior Lingual Ankyloglossia
When the floor of the mouth elevates while doing this exercise it can equate to tension around the head and neck, headaches, poor sleep quality as well as speech impairment. Similar to an anterior tongue tie; if the posterior portion of the tongue is restricted due to the attachment of the frenum, a frenectomy is planned to get full tongue function.