A tongue-tie occurs when the strip of skin under the tongue (lingual frenulum) connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth is shorter or tighter than usual, and therefore limiting the movement of the tongue. A tongue-tie may cause issues with nursing, speech, swallowing, breathing, and palatal growth but it may cause no symptoms at all. If symptoms occur, we may recommend having the tissue clipped which is called a frenectomy. Timing of treatment will depend on the symptoms and their severity.
Signs of tongue-tie include:
- Restriction of the tongue’s movement, making it harder to breastfeed
- Difficulty lifting the tongue up or moving it from side to side
- Difficulty saying certain words or sounds
- The tongue looks notched or heart-shaped when stuck out
