Lip & Tongue-Tie Treatment – Dallas, TX
Help Your Child Eat, Speak, & Enjoy Life
Is your baby struggling to latch? Are they unable to take a bottle successfully? Does your child have a hard time eating solid food? If any of these are true, it might be a lip or tongue-tie that is to blame. At Midtown Family Dentistry, we offer frenectomies in Dallas to release these banded tissues and expand oral movement. If you think this might be the problem, don’t hesitate to call our office and schedule a consultation.
Why Choose Midtown Family Dentistry For Lip and Tongue-Tie Treatment?
- Dental Team Speaks English & Spanish
- Evening & Weekend Dental Appointments Available
- Laser Frenectomies for Faster, More Comfortable Treatment
How Do Lip and Tongue-Ties Develop?
While a baby is still in the womb, thick bands of tissue (frenulum) form behind the upper lip and underneath the tongue. This connection to the upper and lower teeth and the floor of the mouth usually dissolves before birth; however, in some cases, these tissues remain and become thicker. As a result, a restrictive lip or tongue-tie form, making it harder for your baby to use their lip or tongue fully.
This problem can be obvious when a baby experiences:
- Difficulty latching while breastfeeding
- Difficulty taking a bottle
- Excessive fussiness
- Acid reflux or colic
- Slow weight gain
Mothers might also struggle with clogged milk ducts, sore nipples, mastitis, and severe fatigue from lengthy feeding attempts.
Older children can experience difficulty eating solid foods and speech impediments.
Why Is It Important to Treat Lip & Tongue-Ties?
Treating your child’s lip or tongue-tie is important for many reasons. When your baby is unable to latch or feed properly, they can become increasingly fussy. A lack of nutrients can lead to slow or delayed weight gain, affecting their growth, development, and overall health.
For older children, their inability to eat solid foods can also inhibit growth and development, and a speech impediment can lead to self-esteem issues among peers.
If a lip-tie is the issue, a gap can form between the upper front two teeth, causing children to feel self-conscious about their appearance and increasing their risk of gum disease and dental decay.
Lip & Tongue-Tie Treatment
In the past, physicians and dentists used scalpels and sutures to release these banded tissues. However, this is no longer necessary now that dental lasers offer a more comfortable, accurate, and faster process. At Midtown Family Dentistry, we are pleased to use our soft tissue dental laser to perform frenectomies on infants and young children.
The procedure is quick because the laser’s precision only targets the affected tissue. Once it is released, there will be minimal bleeding and swelling. You will be free to nurse your baby immediately after the procedure is complete. This encourages faster healing and greater range of motion as they use their lips and tongue.
