A tongue tie or “ankyloglossia” in medical speak is when a piece of tissue under the tongue called the frenulum restricts the movement of the tongue.

Everyone has a frenulum that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth, the difference with a tongue tie is the frenulum is tightened, short or closer to the tip of the tongue than it should be.

Tongue tie in babies will present differently to that of a child or adult. We detail this BELOW.

THE BIG PROBLEM WE SEE:

Too many cases we eventually see have not had a full history taken on the whole picture. Often we hear, “they said it’s a tongue tie but it’s fine”, and yet baby and parents are going through a hell of a time still and told that they just have to deal with it. We ask you many questions that relate to tongue tie that are often not asked in prior assessments. Let’s get the full picture so we can work on the right treatment and outcomes.

So why is the tongue so important?

The tongue moves several thousands of times per day during:

• speech
• eating
• drinking
• talking
• swallowing

Mobile tongue movement is incredibly important from a young age as it’s these movements that sculpts the child’s face. When the tongue is positioned correctly (YES, there is a correct spot) with the tip resting just behind the two front teeth where they join the upper hard palate, it helps mould the hard palate into a broader space in the roof of your mouth which allows for proper dental development, a more open airway and prevents snoring. This can consequently mean less likelihood of upper respiratory infections and tonsillitis than with a higher, narrower shape of the roof of the mouth which typically develops if the tongue is tied.

There is also something called a lip tie when the piece of tissue attaching the lip to the gum attaches too low down to the teeth sockets not allowing free movement of the lip.  

Symptoms in children or adults might include:
(for baby, see our dedicated page- HERE)

• A history of difficulty breastfeeding as an infant 
• Speech challenges especially with the sounds: S – T – L – R – Ch – Sh – Th – F – Z 
• Strong gag reflex 
• Difficulty nose breathing 
• Recurrent ear, nose, or throat infections 
• History of bed wetting 
• Extended pacifier/dummy use 
• Thumb sucking, hair chewing or eyelash pulling 
• Tiredness/headaches/migraine after speaking for extended periods 
• History of decayed posterior teeth 
• Frequent bad breath
• Crowded teeth
• Difficulty swallowing food or tablets 
• Difficulty clearing mouth of food 
• Slow eater
• Sleep Apnoea 
• Noisy breathing and/or snoring 
• TMJ pain or jaw clicking 
• A tired jaw

What Does a Tongue Tie Look Like?

Not all shortened frenulum’s tie the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Some might stop the tongue moving either side or might stop us from poking our tongue out (how disappointing would it be not be able to stick your tongue out as a kid…or an adult for that matter!)  

You should be able to lift at least the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, a severe tongue tie will hold all the way from the tip of the tongue 

A tongue tie diagnosis is usually picked up in a baby between a few days and weeks after birth, usually most notable during breast feeding.   

If you have a tongue that doesn’t work at full capacity then we start getting compensation from other muscles of the face & neck. Just like everywhere else in the body if something isn’t functioning as much as it should, another part will take up the slack. 

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