Lip & Tongue-Tie Solutions Southampton
Helping Patients with Overly Restricted Lips and Tongues
If someone in your family was born with a lip-tie or a tongue-tie, it could end up having a serious impact on their overall quality of life. Fortunately, our team at Philadelphia Tongue and Lip Tie Center can correct such issues with quick, gentle frenectomies, thus improving the health of our patients in the long run. Feel free to call us if you believe you or your child is struggling with a restricted lip or tongue; we can help you get the right kind of care with our advanced lip and tongue-tie solutions in Southampton.
What Is a Lip-Tie?
The upper and lower lips are connected to the gums by a piece of connective tissue known as the frenulum. Sometimes, the frenulum is tighter than it should be, thus interfering with the movement of the lips. This condition is known as a lip-tie, and it’s not an issue you can afford to ignore. A lip-tie can potentially make it more difficult to eat, especially for infants who are breastfeeding. In the worst-case scenario, lip-ties can even lead to breathing problems.
What Is a Tongue-Tie?
Like the lips, the tongue has a frenulum that keeps it attached to the mouth. When the frenulum is too short or tight, it can result in a tongue-tie. This condition can restrict the patient’s ability to move their tongue, which can affect speech as well as eating and swallowing. It should be noted that some tongue-ties are more severe than others; that being said, it’s usually best to have the problem treated as early in life as possible.
Symptoms of Lip & Tongue-Tie
An infant with a lip-tie or a tongue-tie may have trouble breastfeeding or bottle-feeding properly, leading to digestion issues as well as failure to gain weight. If the problem is left untreated, additional issues may occur later in life, such as developing a speech impediment or tending to breathe through the mouth. As soon as you notice any possible signs that you or a family member has a lip-tie or tongue-tie, you should schedule a consultation with our team.
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What Is a Frenectomy?
To treat your child’s lip-tie or tongue-tie, we will need to perform what is known as a frenectomy. Simply put, the tissue that is restricting the lip or tongue will either be loosened or removed altogether. This procedure is relatively simple; in fact, it can typically be completed in just a few minutes. And of course, you can rest assured that we will do everything we can to keep your child comfortable while they’re undergoing their treatment.
Benefits & Results of a Frenectomy
You might be surprised at just how much of a difference a frenectomy can make. For one thing, eating will no longer be an issue, which will ultimately make it easier to maintain a nutritious diet. On top of that, if the lip-tie or tongue-tie was contributing to sleep-breathing problems, a frenectomy can improve the quality of sleep. Finally, once a frenectomy is complete, the patient will have an easier time speaking clearly, which can give their confidence a boost.
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Laser Frenectomy
Our team uses state-of-the-art laser technology to perform frenectomies for patients of all ages. There are many benefits to using a laser for this procedure. For one thing, it allows for a higher level of precision. Additionally, it also keeps discomfort to a minimum, to the point that there’s typically no need for us to numb the patient’s mouth. On top of that, laser frenectomies tend to result in significantly less bleeding, and recovery times are normally shorter.
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Laser Frenectomy Aftercare
There may be a little bit of soreness after a laser frenectomy has been completed, but fortunately, our team members will be on hand to explain what steps you can take to manage discomfort following the procedure. We’ll also give you some instructions to follow to ensure that the recovery process goes as expected, and we’ll ask you to return to our office in about a week to make sure that there aren’t any problems.
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