Overview
Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue's range of motion. A short, thick or tight band of tissue (lingual frenulum) tethers the bottom of the tongue's tip to the floor of the mouth.
Common symptoms
- Difficulty lifting the tongue to the upper teeth or moving it from side to side
- Trouble sticking the tongue out past the lower front teeth
- A tongue that appears notched or heart-shaped when stuck out
- Infants: Difficulty latching, poor weight gain, or prolonged feeding times
- Older children: Speech difficulties with certain sounds (t, d, z, s, n, l)
When to see an ENT
- An infant has trouble breastfeeding
- A child's speech is affected by tongue-tie
- An older child complains of tongue problems that interfere with eating, speaking or reaching the back teeth
What we do
- Physical examination of the tongue and its movement
- Assessment of feeding or speech impact
- Discussion of the necessity of intervention vs. observation
Treatment options
- Frenotomy: A simple surgical procedure where the lingual frenulum is snipped
- Frenuloplasty: A more involved procedure if the frenulum is too thick for a simple snip
- Speech therapy: For older children after a procedure