Lip & Tongue Tie Treatment – Huntington Beach, CA
Freedom for Your Oral Tissues
Lip and tongue tie are deformities that are present at birth. They are usually treated in infancy or when a patient is a toddler, but many adults never received proper care for their lip or tongue tie. Here at Huntington Beach Periodontics & Dental Implants, Dr. Braga is proud to offer comfortable lip and tongue tie treatment for patients of all ages. He uses a soft tissue laser to make the experience as precise and easy as possible. Contact us today to request an appointment if you believe you could benefit from this service. It is possible to achieve freedom for your oral tissues!
Why Choose Huntington Beach Periodontics & Dental Implants for Lip & Tongue Tie Treatment?
- Soft Tissue Laser for Comfortable and Precise Treatment
- Frenectomies for Both Adults and Children
- Experienced, Board-Certified Periodontist
How Do Lip and Tongue Ties Develop?
Lip and tongue ties develop before birth. Experts believe that these issues may be due to genetics or certain nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy. In some cases, the cause is unknown.
A lip tie occurs when the tissue that connects the lip to the gums (called the labial frenum or frenulum) is too short or thick. A tongue tie happens when the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth (called the lingual frenum or frenulum) is too short or thick. These frenulums restrict movement of the oral tissues, which can lead to a number of complications for a patient’s oral and overall health.
In children, lip and tongue ties can create challenges for breastfeeding, breathing, speech development, and more. If left untreated, problems can continue into adulthood. A grown person with a lip or tongue tie may be at a heightened risk of dental problems, misaligned teeth, sleep disordered breathing, and other issues.
Why Is It Important to Treat Lip & Tongue Ties?
Some people hope that the complications of a lip or tongue tie will go away with the passing of time. However, you should not expect such issues to resolve themselves!
Although you might be able to adapt to certain problems caused by your condition, other issues will linger and may be recurring. For example, an inability to move your tongue can allow food debris to get stuck in certain parts of your mouth, which can contribute to bad breath, cavities, and gum disease. Over time, these issues can become very expensive to treat.
Lip & Tongue Tie Treatment
Fortunately, treating lip and tongue ties is easy in most cases. They are addressed via a minimally invasive surgery known as a frenectomy.
During this brief procedure, Dr. Braga may numb your mouth before he uses a soft tissue laser to remove or modify your frenulum. The laser minimizes bleeding and discomfort. After your appointment, you may experience some soreness for a few days, but recovery tends to be quick for most patients.
You might also need to undergo myofunctional therapy before and after your frenectomy. This is a special type of physical therapy that will teach you how to use your oral structures properly after your lip or tongue tie is released. It can help with breathing, swallowing, resting tongue posture, and more.
Lip & Tongue Tie FAQs
Does a Frenectomy Hurt?
This procedure is performed by using a soft tissue laser, which is specifically designed to make this treatment much smoother and more comfortable for patients. This is because the laser minimizes bleeding, and it can even help promote quicker recovery. In some instances, our team won’t even need to use local anesthesia. Even so, to ensure that patients are as comfortable as possible, we can provide various sedation dentistry options to further reduce their ability to register pain while also making them feel relaxed throughout the procedure. You or your child’s mouth might feel sore for a few days afterward, but this should only be temporary.
Is My Child Old Enough to Get Lip or Tongue Tie Treatment?
If you suspect your little one needs a lip or tongue tie treatment, then it might be good to know that there isn’t any minimum age for a frenectomy. Depending on the patient, this procedure can sometimes be performed within a few days after birth. Of course, the sooner you’re able to get your child the treatment they need, the better they’ll be able to enjoy a healthy mouth. Helping them have free movement of their tongue, lips, and other oral structures early on can keep certain complications at bay. Furthermore, lip and tongue ties won’t vanish by themselves, so the earlier they can be treated, the better overall.
How Should I Prepare for a Frenectomy?
You will undergo an initial consultation with our team where we will provide you with specific guidelines on how to prepare for your procedure. This can involve getting a good night’s rest or even taking oral conscious medication before arriving at your appointment (if this is the sedation method you opt for). Before starting your treatment, we might even administer local anesthesia so that you can get your treatment pain-free.
If your child is undergoing the process, you might expect little to no preparation needed, especially since they won’t know what’s happening or won’t recall later in life. Even so, you might have them eat something before their treatment. If you have an infant, we may instruct you to do a few mouth exercises, such as sucking on your finger or gently rubbing your finger along their lower gums.
What Should I Do After My Child’s Lip or Tongue Tie Has Been Treated?
Following a frenectomy, there’s a slight chance that the tissue could end up reconnecting. To avoid this, it’s important to have your child do some simple exercises and stretches with their tongue/mouth. Our team will instruct you on what to do before and after their treatment. For instance, you might have to gently slide your finger under their tongue or lip, or carefully raise their tongue or lip upward. You can always reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns after your little one’s procedure, that way we can ensure their recovery goes smoothly.