Lip & Tongue Tie Treatment – Newark, CA
Liberate Your Child’s Tongue from Excessive Tissue
Lip and tongue ties are common issues among infants, and they can lead to issues like breastfeeding difficulties, eating problems, and speech impediments. That’s why the team at Newpark Mall Family Dental Group is trained and equipped to provide effective lip and tongue tie treatments that can improve the range of movement in your child’s tongue. Here’s a brief guide to how we diagnose and treat lip and tongue ties at our Newark office.
Why Choose Newpark Mall Family Dental Group for Lip & Tongue Tie Treatment?
- Protect Your Child’s Oral and Overall Health
- Soft Tissue Lasers Render Treatment Painless
- Skilled and Compassionate Pediatric Dentist
How Do Lip and Tongue Ties Develop?
A lip or tongue tie results from the frenum, which is the strip of tissue attaching the base of the lip to the gums or the root of the tongue to the floor of the mouth, being too thick for the child’s mouth. This excessive tissue will inhibit the tongue or lip’s ability to move, which can make feeding difficult and cause frequent discomfort. A few signs of a lip or tongue tie include difficulty with or falling asleep while breastfeeding, digestive issues like colic or reflux, and trouble holding a pacifier in the mouth. Mothers feeding infants with lip or tongue ties may experience pain when nursing or symptoms like flattened, creased, blistered, or cut nipples, clogged milk ducts (mastitis), or difficulty producing sufficient amounts of milk.
Why Is It Important to Treat Lip & Tongue Ties?
An untreated lip or tongue tie can lead to a range of developmental issues like:
- Speech delays or impediments
- Digestive issues like acid reflux
- Trouble breathing
- Holding the head and neck in a forward position
- Teeth grinding.
These problems can make it difficult for a child to eat properly and may hinder their ability to socialize at school by interfering with the development of their speaking skills.
Lip & Tongue Tie Treatment
At Newpark Mall Family Dental Group, we use soft tissue lasers to painlessly remove excessive frenum tissue and improve the range of movement within your child’s mouth. Recovering from this procedure is relatively brief, and it typically results in minimal bleeding since the laser cauterizes the surgical area as the problematic tissue is removed. This also helps reduce the risk of infection since the wound will not be left open. The best way to find out how your child’s lip or tongue tie can be treated is to schedule a consultation at our office.
Lip & Tongue-Tie FAQs
Does a Frenectomy Hurt?
You’ll be relieved to learn that laser frenectomies are incredibly gentle procedures. Because the laser cauterizes as it works, there’s little to no bleeding, and most children don’t even need anesthesia—though we often provide it, just in case.
Your child may feel slight warmth or pressure, but the process is so fast that discomfort is minimal. Afterward, any soreness that lingers is very mild and typically goes away within a day or two. In fact, most children will be able to go back to nursing, eating, or drinking immediately following treatment.
Is My Child Old Enough to Get Lip or Tongue-Tie Treatment?
The thought of your small child going through surgery, minor or not, can be hard to grasp. However, while lip and tongue-tie treatment may seem frightening, it’s quick, simple, and virtually painless. There’s no age minimum to have a frenectomy, and, in fact, it’s generally easier to perform on younger children.
Depending on the complexity of their case, the issue may not resolve itself on its own. Even in situations where their frenulum is thinner, it’s better to have it severed in a sterile, professional environment. The sooner the problem is addressed, the sooner you and your baby can experience the benefits.
How Long Does a Frenectomy Take?
A laser frenectomy is one of the quickest dental procedures available, typically taking just a few minutes from start to finish. The laser offers multiple benefits over traditional treatment, making it faster and safer.
For example, there’s no need for stitches due to cauterization, so healing begins right away. This makes it possible for your child to experience improved oral mobility immediately, allowing them to resume their normal routine, even feeding as soon as they get home.
How Will You Keep My Baby Still for the Frenectomy?
We would never do anything to make your baby uncomfortable, but we do need them to be as still as possible for the procedure for accuracy. To accomplish this, we generally use a blanket to gently swaddle your child, keeping them snug and comfortable while we work. This doesn’t harm your child in any way, but keeps them from wiggling or swatting, which could interrupt the process or cause accidental damage.