Identifying and Treating Tongue-Tie in Babies at Indianapolis Dentistry
The common characteristics of a tongue-tie are a heart-shaped tongue, clicking while feeding from a bottle or breastfeeding. Nursing mothers may experience sore nipples and the baby may be gaining weight poorly. Physically you will see that the tongue looks like a heart and when you run your finger under the tongue, your finger will 'catch' on the frenulum. A lactation consultant might recommend visiting a dentist to confirm a diagnosis of a tongue-tie and to see if revision is recommended. Ankyloglossia is the medical term for a tongue-tie and a frenuloplasty is a procedure to repair ankyloglossia. Dr. Reese regularly performs frenectomies for babies (and adults).
Akyloglossia is commonly known as being tongue-tied. The major problem tongue-tied babies experience is difficulty in breast feeding. Due to the tightened lingual frenulum, the tongue has less mobility and freedom to move resulting in breast feeding difficulties.
