Resolve painful or unsuccessful breastfeeding, improve airway development, and reduce digestive issues.

• Many infants have trouble breastfeeding because there is too tight of an attachment between the floor of the mouth and the tongue or the upper lip and gums.
• This can also cause babies to be colicky or affect their sleep habits.
• Breastfeeding difficulty can also cause significant emotional and physical pain for mothers as well.
• Adults can also suffer from tongue-tie, experiencing sleep apnea, depression/anxiety, and gastrointestinal problems.
• The solution is a predictable and quick laser procedure and heals extremely quickly

Learn more about the lip and tongue tie services we offer patients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, and Cool Springs.

Lip and Tongue Tie Symptoms

Lip & tongue tie issues are usually detected early, in infants and small children. The symptoms of a tongue tie are usually noticeable and can be traumatic for both the mother and infant. In babies, a tongue tie can cause unsuccessful breastfeeding which manifests in poor weight gain, excessive gas or spit-up, prolonged feeding periods, and sleep deprivation. All of which can lead to the baby being colicky and in a constant state of discomfort. Mothers often experience physical pain from the unsuccessful latch during breastfeeding and emotional pain from the inability to provide nourishment for their baby and the sleep disruption that comes with an upset infant.

What Causes a Lip or Tongue Tie?

This problem manifests itself during development. Usually, the frenulum (the connective tissue that binds the lips/tongue to the gums and floor of the mouth), naturally separates to allow free movement of all the different parts. A tongue or lip tie forms when this process doesn’t occur to completion, which results in restricted movement and causes the symptoms listed above.

The Quick & Easy Solution

Fortunately, the solution for lip and tongue tie is a simple one. The procedure is called a frenectomy or frenuloplasty, in which a soft tissue laser is used to cut through the tight frenulum, separating the tethered tissues where they should have naturally. This frees up the tongue and lips to move the way they should, instead of being restricted. Recovery times are very brief and improvements in feeding can be noticed quickly.

Tongue Ties in Adults

While the majority of focus on this topic centers on infants and breastfeeding, tongue ties can also create complications for adults. Difficulty with speech and chewing are most easily noticed, but sleep-disordered breathing can also be related, and along with that comes the potential of sleep apnea, high blood pressure, anxiety/depression, and more.