Functional Frenuloplasty for a Tongue-Tie

Functional Frenuloplasty for a tongue-tie for a full recovery. What is a tongue-tie and why it should be treated? Tongue-tie or Ankloglossia, although often not diagnosed, is a condition present at birth. It’s when the band of tissue, called the lingual frenum, is either too thick or too short, restricting the range of motion and anchoring the tongue to the floor of the mouth. 

A tongue-tie can vary in severity from very limited to only a slight reduction in movement. The more severe a tongue-tie the greater the restriction. As a result, many conditions can develop such as:

• Inability to breast feed correctly
• Inability to pronounce certain letters
• Inability to sweep food debris from the teeth
• Inability to lick the lips
• Inability to eat an ice cream cone or blow bubbles
• Inability to play a wind instrument

Over time, a tongue-tie can cause a gap between the front teeth and/or an elongated face.

If left untreated it makes it difficult if not impossible to swallow correctly. Incorrect swallowing has been linked with digestion issues such as stomach aches, belching, hiccups and acid reflux.

Other issues associated with a tongue-tie in adults are:

• Sleep apnea
• Mouth breathing
• Inability to properly close the mouth
• Neck, back and shoulder pain

Treatments for a Tongue-Tie

Tongue-tie is a highly treatable condition. A full recovery can be made if you commit to attending the appropriate therapy sessions.

Surgical treatment of a tongue-tie may be recommended for infants, children or adults. Surgical procedures include a frenotomy or frenuloplasty. 

Functional Frenuloplasty

A functional frenuloplasty approach works naturally with the changes that occur during a tongue-tie release and prepares the body for acceptance and optimal healing post-treatment.

Just like physical therapy assists in healing, myofunctional therapy assists to make a tongue-tie release successful. When releasing the frenum, the tissue under the tongue is snipped. As a result, the anchored tissue is severed and the tongue is free to move around. Myofunctional therapy after the treatment helps keep the tissue from re-attaching.

Schedule A Consultation

Each session with a myofunctional therapist is customized for the client and many sessions also build on foundational principles. Schedule your appointment today at SouthWest Myofunctional Therapy to experience your very first session of real myofunctional therapy.