Ties in Dentistry

How does tongue and lip tie into dentistry? Aside from looking at teeth, dentist look at the soft tissues of the head and neck. This includes looking for normal and abnormal movement of tongue and lip.

Personal Experience

Both of my kids had tongue and lip ties of different severity and both got their ties released.

My son had a lot of issues with breastfeeding and difficulty with his latch so we spent a lot of time with the lactation consultant. We tried different techniques and apparatuses and ended up using formula. I thought breastfeeding would be this beautiful event between mother and child but it was frustrating and cause a lot of confusion and uncertainty. Eventually, we had the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor release my son's tongue tie at 1 month. He still had trouble feeding and was gassy possibly due to taking in air when he feeds. With his mother's consent, I eventually released his upper lip tie which removed his lip restrictions allowing him to eat and drink more normally/efficiently.

When my daughter was born, I released her tongue and lip tie within the 1st week and we didn't have any issues with her feeding. We didn't want to take any chances and we didn't have to.

Release if Symptomatic

Ultimately, I recommend to visit your dentist or primary care provider if you suspect your child having a tie. Ties is a newer trending topic among the community and everyone will have a different professional opinion. YMMV.

Additional Reading: Tongue Tied by Richard Baxter