What are some of the problems caused by lip tie and tongue tie in adults?

 Are you an adult that is experiencing problems because of a dental lip tie? We can help. Here is more information on problems you may encounter as an adult with a lip tie.

·       Dental issues

-lip tie can trap food next to the teeth and make it difficult to brush and end up with dental cavities

-tongue tie causes restrictive movement of the tongue and is unable to clean the food particles off the back teeth and end up with dental cavities

-tongue tie, lip and buccal ties may cause gum recession. Strong muscles of the tongue, lips or cheeks pull on the gum tissues over time and exert a traumatic force that can cause the gums to recede.

·       Tooth grinding (Bruxism).  This is a hypothesis discussed in Dr. Richard Baxter’s book, Tongue Tie

-tooth grinding was thought to be a stress related problem.  The more stress you have, the more grinding is done during sleep.  The new thinking is that night time teeth grinding may be a sign of sleep-disordered breathing. This could be a tongue tie problem; the tongue is restricted with its movement.  When you sleep, the tongue falls backwards and blocks the airway.  It is hypothesized that the brain causes the teeth to grind and arouses the person to a lighter state of sleep. 

·       Other problems are migraine, sleep apnea, neck tension and posture

For more information on adult lip tie or to schedule your laser lip tie procedure, contact Dr. Anna Lee and her team today. 

How lip tie & tongue tied is treated?

Why do lip tied and tongue tied need to be treated/corrected?

·       Lip and tongue tied babies may have breastfeeding problems.  The poor latch at the breast may cause the milk dribbles out of the mouth when feeding and as a result the baby does not get enough milk to feel full.  This leads to having to feed the baby every 30 to 60 minutes. Some babies use excessive pressure to bite the nipples to get milk and the mother’s nipples end up cracked, creased or flattened.  This is a painful nursing experience.

·       Lip and tongue tied children may have dental, speech and orthodontic issues.

·       Lip and tongue tied adults may have dental problems (decay, gum recession), teeth grinding (bruxism), sleep disorder (sleep apnea), migraine, neck tension and posture issues.

Both tongue and lip ties can be treated in quick procedure that is painless, it usually may not require anesthesia.  The procedure is called frenectomy; the removal of the membrane that connects to the tongue or lip.  Frenectomy can be performed with the following instruments:

·       Scissors-bleeding

·       Scalpel or sharp surgical knife-bleeding

·       Laser-minimal bleeding, faster surgical time, decreased postoperative pain, quick healing

Dr. Anna Lee is a general & cosmetic dentist in Glendora, CA.  Lip and tongue ties may cause breastfeeding issues for some babies and mothers, dental and speech problems for children, and sleep disorder (sleep apnea), dental and posture problems for adults.  If you have questions about lip and tongue ties, please call for a consultation at 626-335-5114 or visit us at www.annaleedds.com  

What are some of the problems caused by lip tie and tongue tie in children?

Breastfeeding can be very difficult under the best of circumstances and can be even more of a struggle when your baby has a lip or tongue tie. Here are 3 major problems that you may encounter with your little one if a lip or tongue tie goes untreated.

·       Dental issues-

-a lip tie can cause a gap between the upper front teeth (central incisors)

-a tongue tie can cause a gap between the lower front teeth

-lip tie causes difficulty brushing  and traps food or liquid next to the teeth and make it difficult to brush and end up with dental cavities

·       Speech problems

-tongue tie restricts the movement of the tongue to create certain sounds of speech

-tongue tie causes problems of articulation, intelligibility in connected speech, stuttering, speech delay or disorders

·       Orthodontic treatment

-orthodontic treatments are frequently required in patients with lip or tongue ties

-lip and tongue ties cause gaps between upper and lower incisors

-dental crowding issues

For more information about lip and tongue ties or to schedule a consultation contact, Dr. Anna Lee. 

What are some of the problems caused by lip tie and tongue tie in babies?

Tongue and lip ties cause problems on the breast feeding relationship between the baby and the mother.  According to Dr. Lawrence Kotlow, here are some of the problems:

• poor latch and suck

•unusually strong suck due to baby using excess vacuum to remove milk
•clicking sound while nursing (poor suction)
•ineffective milk transfer
•infrequent swallowing after initial let-down
•inadequate weight gain or weight loss
•irritability or colic
•gas and reflux
•fussiness and frequent arching away from the breast
•fatigue within one to two minutes of beginning to nurse
•difficulty establishing suction to maintain a deep grasp on the breast
•breast tissue sliding in and out of baby’s mouth while feeding
•gradual sliding off the breast
•chewing or biting on the nipple
•falling asleep at the breast without taking in a full feed
•coughing, choking, gulping, or squeaking when feeding
•spilling milk during feeds
•jaw quivering after or between feeds

 For more information about Lip Tie Procedures, contact Dr. Anna Lee

What are the symptoms caused by a tongue tie in babies?

Are you breastfeeding your baby but running up against a problem? Are you unsure why your baby is struggling to latch? She/He may have a tongue tie. Here are some symptoms of a tongue tie in your baby...

          If a baby is tongue tied, he or she may exhibit these symptoms during breast feeding:

·       Have trouble lifting the tongue up or from side to side

·       Have a tongue that appears heart shaped or notched in the middle

·       Dribble milk down the side of their mouth when feeding

·       Display excessive fussiness and/or colic

·       Have digestive issues like gas, baby reflux and possibly vomiting

·       Pull off the breast/bottle, crying, hitting or tugging while nursing

·       Make clicking or noisy sucking sounds

·       Chew on the nipple or chomp down hard

·       Fall asleep while nursing (although many babies do this!)

                            If a baby is tongue tied, the mother may:

·       Have sore, cracked or bleeding nipples

·       Have nipples that appear squashed, lip stick shaped, and/or blanched (white)

·       Experience pain while breastfeeding

·       Get frequent infections or mastitis

·       Have milk supply issues due to ineffective removal

What is a lip tie?

                                                       

 A membrane called maxillary labial frenulum that connects the underside of the lip to the gums. Lip tie describes the membrane that restricts the normal movements of the lip.

What is a tongue tie?

A short, thick or tight band of tissue called lingual frenulum connects the bottom of the tongue's tip to the floor of the mouth.  Tongue tie can restrict the movement of the tongue and causes problems for the baby to latch onto the mother’s breast during breast feeding. For older children with tongue tie, they may have difficulty sticking out their tongue. Tongue-tie can also affect the way a child eats, speaks and swallows.

What are the symptoms caused by a lip tie in babies?

      If a baby is lip tied, he or she may exhibit these symptoms during breast feeding:

·       Be unable to latch deeply, if at all, causing mother’s nipple pain and damage

·       Have difficulties staying on the breast

·       Make a clicking sound

·       Splutter or choke on milk

·       Cluster feeding-constant feeding to satisfy the baby’s appetite

·       Exhibit poor weight gain

·       Develop jaundice

·       Be excessively fussy or develop colic

                                       If a baby is lip tied, the mother may:

·       Experience pain during feedings

·       Have damaged or distorted nipples

·       Develop engorgement, blocked, ducts, or mastitis

·       Have milk supply issues (low supply due to ineffective removal)