Tongue tie or ankyloglossia is seen in children and addressing it in childhood will clear many problems from speech to dental health. Get the best treatment for tongue tie from Dr. Shree Rao tongue tie specialist in Hyderabad.
Dr. Shree Cuddapah Rao, an ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) surgeon, is a Superspecialist Microsurgeon in Otology and Pediatric ENT Specialist. With 10+ years of deep domain expertise in medical and surgical ENT, she is quite fittingly, the Head of Cochlear Implant team at Dr. Rao’s ENT, Hyderabad’s leading ENT Super Specialty Hospital. Her emphasis on patient-first, positive outcomes and empathetic approach endears Dr. Shree Rao to both care seekers and their families.
WHAT IS A TONGUE TIE?
Tongue tie or ankyloglossia is a condition where the bottom of the tongue tissue, called the lingual frenulum, is attached to the floor of the mouth and restricts the tongue movement. In infants, as tongue movement is restricted it is difficult to take breast milk, swallow food and speak properly. The tongue tie’s etiology is unknown, but many researchers state that it is mainly caused by genetic conditions.
HOW TO IDENTIFY TONGUE TIE?
There are many signs and symptoms to identify tongue tie, they are as follows :
- The child feels difficulty while breastfeeding.
- The child feels hard to move his tongue, particularly upwards and sideways.
- The child can’t protrude the tongue outwards and it seems to be heart shaped when stuck out.
- The child’s tongue often sticks to the lower teeth.
- In some cases the child’s frenulum tissue attachment is extended to the tip of the tongue.
WHAT ARE THE COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TONGUE TIE?
There are many complications associated with tongue tie. They are:
- Baby cannot move the tongue freely and starts chewing the nipple instead of sucking to get the milk. This causes pain to the mother and affects the baby in getting breast milk. Poor breastfeeding results in poor growth of the baby.
- Babies might develop poor oral hygiene, which results in tooth decay and inflammation of the gums. Sometimes it also creates spaces between the bottom teeth.
- With the attached frenulum tongue can’t freely move and can not make clear sounds like “I, D, Z, T, TH, S and R.”
- Children’s tongue movement is restricted, and they can’t lick foods like ice creams properly and play with wind instruments like flute, harmonica etc.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR TONGUE TIE?
Tongue tie or ankyloglossia in children is diagnosed with simple, sutureless, fast and bloodless surgery called frenulectomy or frenuloplasty and frenotomy. Frenuloplasty is the best procedure for tongue tie surgery. Your ENT specialist will identify the tongue and evaluate the length to cut during the surgery.
This is a simple surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia. The lingual frenulum tissue is snipped with sterile scissors. The surgery is completed in less than 10 minutes, and minimal blood loss is seen. In rare cases, sutures are also required.
FAQs
Yes, as the tongue movement is restricted in most cases, it causes Speech phonological disorders in children. Tongue tie will affect speech, and children do not pronounce clear sounds like “I, D, Z, T, TH, S and R.” Children will also find it difficult to communicate freely with others and they feel low self esteem.
If you have noticed that your child has a tongue tie or ankyloglossia, then immediately consult a Paediatric ENT specialist and get it treated. We must cure tongue tie as soon as possible so that children do not suffer from delayed speech and other dental issues.
A study published in 2018 stated that children who had tongue tie released at the age of five have seen improvement in speech, tongue movement and feeding skills. When the tongue tie is released, the child’s tongue articulation will improve his speech, sounds are clear and easy to understand.
If the tongue tie is not treated in the early stages of a child, then they will suffer from many issues such as:
- Difficulty in eating
- Inability to chew properly
- Delayed speech
- Dental problems
- Pain in jaws
- Speech developmental issues
The consequences of an untreated tongue tie vary depending on the severity of the condition and the child’s age.
Laser frenectomy is the best treatment for tongue tie. It is a bloodless, sutureless, quick and simple surgery completed in 5 minutes. Consult your ENT surgeon for tongue tie problems.
WHY CHOOSE EAR SURGEON?
Dr. Shree Cuddapah Rao is acclaimed as one of the best pediatric ENT & Tongue tie specialists in Hyderabad. With 10+ years of deep domain experience in the field of ENT, she is the director at Dr. Rao’s ENT Super Specialty Hospital. She underwent specialized training in Rhinoplasty / Facial Plastic surgery at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. She also underwent advanced training in cochlear implant surgery under Padmashri Dr. Milind V Kirtane and had a Fellowship in a cochlear implant. Having performed over 200 successful cochlear implants for patients worldwide, Dr. Shree Cuddapah Rao is also the recipient of several prestigious accolades in the domain of ENT.
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