A Tongue Tie Can Affect Any Age Group

A tongue tie is normally identified in infancy. Some medical professionals will recommend early surgical intervention to counteract any potential issues, but your doctor may suggest delaying a procedure.

In some instances, this advice may be sound, as tongue ties can loosen naturally over time. It is possible that a tie may not cause issues until later in childhood or even adulthood. Even if you or your child have already had a frenotomy or frenuloplasty as a baby, it is possible for the severed tissue to reattach or for scarring to occur, potentially exacerbating symptoms.

Symptoms of a Tongue Tie Through the Years

One of the most obvious symptoms of a tongue tie in babies is the most distressing for new parents. An untreated tongue tie makes breast or bottle feeding difficult or even impossible for your infant. You may notice that your breast fed child has difficulty latching or it may feel like baby is biting or grinding. A bottle-fed tot will often dribble excessively during a feed and may gag and choke even on a slow flow nipple.

Baby may seem unsettled, struggle to gain weight and develop reflux. Older children can struggle to transition to solid food, and could face speech and language challenges. You may notice your child has trouble sticking out their tongue. Teenagers report symptoms including poor oral hygiene leading to inflamed gums. This is because a shorter tongue makes sweeping food particles away from the teeth more difficult. A tongue tie may be affecting your teen in other small ways, as activities such as licking an ice cream cone, kissing or playing a wind instrument like a trumpet become problematic.

Seek Pain-free Treatment for A Tongue Tie

You may feel daunted by the idea of your small baby undergoing what is essentially a surgical procedure. Older children might experience fear and trepidation about potentially undergoing anesthesia.

At South Carolina Tongue Tie Center, patient comfort is at the forefront of everything we do. We offer an alternative to traditional frenotomies and frenuloplasties. Rather than using a scalpel, we apply a laser surgery treatment that can correct a tongue tie in 15-20 seconds. The area is numbed beforehand to ensure it is completely painless.

Don’t let your child suffer unnecessarily; contact the South Carolina Tongue Tie Center today to arrange an appointment.