Tongue Tie Surgery/Frenectomies Treatment
Patient Testimonials
"He's a "TOTALLY DIFFERENT BABY" after his lip & tongue tie releases!"
When Hayden was just 1 month old, Emily noticed he was not gaining weight, was colicky, problems with eating/taking a bottle, and was even projectile vomiting. After seeking help from multiple healthcare providers, she found her way to us at Inspire Dental Wellness from her lactation consultant. Emily was more than willing to make the long drive to Orland Park all the way from the Kankakee area for Hayden to be treated!
"He latched without pain right after his procedure!
Third-time mom, Amber, brought her baby, Beckett, into Inspire Dental Wellness seeking answers about his suspected tongue tie. Beckett had a difficult time nursing, favoring 1 brand of nipple shields, and still dealing with colicky behavior. After his releases with Dr. Erica, Amber stated that he is a COMPLETELY different baby!
Painful Breastfeeding Problems SOLVED by mini Sproutz™
Paige and her 4 month old son came to Inspire Dental Wellness seeking help for latching issues with breastfeeding. After evaluation, Dr. Erica diagnosed Wyatt with an upper lip tie, posterior tongue tie, and bilateral cheek ties. Paige felt supported from beginning to end.
Inspire Dental Wellness in Orland Park offers tongue tie surgery with the LightScalpel CO2 laser. Continue reading below to learn if you or your child might benefit from a frenectomy by laser. If you are looking for a dentist to evaluate babies or adults then give us a call at 708-460-6699 or fill out the form below to have someone from our office contact you.
If you’re seeking a frenectomy in Orland Park, the team at Inspire Dental uses a state-of-the-art LightScalpel CO2 Laser. If you’d like to learn more on how we do CO2 laser lip and tongue tie release surgery with our CO2 laser then click here. If you would like us to reach out to you to find out more information about our frenectomies then please fill out the form below or give our office a call at 708-460-6699.
Contact us today to schedule your comprehensive consultation with Dr. Erica.
Click the button below or head to our Contact page to schedule a consultation.
What is Tongue Tie?
Tongue tie is a condition that occurs when there is a piece of tissue restricting the movement of the tongue. This can affect normal tongue movement and cause discomfort. If you think you may be experiencing tongue tie, book an appointment today with Dr. Erica for a thorough oral exam. She can assess your condition and determine if you could benefit from laser tongue tie surgery.
What is Lip Tie?
Lip tie refers to a condition where the upper lip is tightly attached to the upper gums by a membrane called the labial frenum. This can make it challenging for babies to close their lips properly. If you suspect your little one may have lip tie, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment for a possible lingual frenectomy.
Contact us today to schedule your comprehensive consultation with Dr. Erica.
Click the button below or head to our Contact page to schedule a consultation.
What Does Tongue Tie Look Like?
It may look like the band underneath the tongue is tight and might be thick. There are four classifications for Tongue Tie: (Images courtesy of Dr. Ghaheri)
This is the classic heart-shaped tongue that most doctors feel is the only real tongue tie. The tie inserts into the tip of the tongue.
Considered to be an anterior tie, this tie inserts just behind the tip of the tongue. We don’t see a heart-shaped tongue, but the tie is still clearly seen.
Classified as a posterior tongue tie, the distinction between this and a class 4 tongue tie is that the class 3 still has a thin membrane present.
No thin membrane is present, so this type of tie is the most commonly missed. The front and sides elevate, but the mid-tongue cannot.
Common Questions about Tongue Tie
Some studies suggest that it is a genetically inherited condition. It is estimated that around half of those diagnosed with a tongue tie have a relative who also has it. Tongue tie can be caused either by the frenum being too short and tight or it did not move back down the tongue during development and is still attached to the tip.
A Korean study by Han et al in 2012 showed that males are affected by tongue tie more often than females. Another study by Klockars in 2009 identified that tongue tie is present in approximately 4-5% of the population. However, that number is increasing due to the condition being inherited on a dominant gene.
Only a Doctor such as Dr. Erica can diagnose a tongue tie. She works closely with many professionals such as lactation consultants and speech language therapists that also help identify signs of the condition and they refer to Dr. Erica to officially diagnose
If the tongue is tied then it may be difficult for the tongue to touch the roof. This can create difficulty with – d, l, n, s, t & z sounds. It can also restrict the arch in the floor of the mouth which would restrict sounds like r.
Additional Information
Click on Infant Frenectomies below to learn more about how a tongue tie or lip tie can affect an infant that is less than a year old. Some of our patients come a day or two after their birth. The sooner we can evaluate and treat a baby the better.
If your child is a year old or older then click on 1+ Year Old Frenectomies. This also applies to children, teens & adults. Here you can learn about the symptoms and how we treat the tongue tie adult age group since it is a different approach than treating those less than a year old.
Treatment
Each patient is unique and treatment may differ, however at Inspire Dental Wellness we do a majority of our procedures using our state-of-the-art LightScalpel CO2 Laser. If you’d like to learn more on how we do CO2 laser lip and tongue tie releases with our CO2 laser then click here. If you would like us to reach out to you to find out more information about our frenectomies then please fill out the form below or give our office a call at 708-460-6699.
Inspire Dental Wellness in Orland Park is proud to be a Breathe Institute Affiliate. Breathe Institute Affiliates are carefully selected from a pool of applicants who have successfully completed a 5 Day intensive Breathe Course on Sleep, Breathing, and Functional Frenuloplasty and reached out to The Breathe Institute delve even deeper. Those selected are invited into the only program that allows graduates to say they have been “Trained by Zaghi and The Breathe Institute.“
Contact us today to learn more about Frenum Surgery
Click the button below or head to our Contact page to learn more or schedule a Frenum Surgery consultation.