Ankyloglossia

Tongue Tied: What does that look like?

So your kid can’t stick his tongue out at you. Is that so bad?

Ankyloglossia: (love saying that word), is Latin for anchored tongue. It literally means the tongue can’t move. It’s common called “tongue tied.” It’s seen in both children and adults.

The first photo is a patient that presented in the office a month ago. I had him stick his tongue as far out as he could. He couldn’t move his tongue past his lower front teeth. Do this with your tongue and notice the difference.

The next photograph show’s him moving his tongue as far up as possible. Notice the tip is not moving up at all. The tongue is being held down by some tissue called the lingual frenum.  The frenum attaches from the floor of the mouth to the bottom of the tongue. Everyone has this little connection, but sometimes it is quite thick and tight, or it may have a connection closer to the tip of the tongue. If it is too tight or too thick it will interfere with proper tongue movement and speech development. Hence, being called tongue tied, means you can’t speak quickly or well.

When to Treat:

If the tongue moves pretty well and speech is developing normally, no treatment is indicated. However, sometimes we will recommend surgically “clipping” the frenum to allow more natural movement, especially if it is really tight or in some other way interfering with normal movement. Clipping the frenum will not necessarily correct a speech problem. However, a tongue that is free to move properly will at least reduce one complicating factor. Infants may have a frenum that concerns a parent who is having nursing problems. Most of the time a frenum is not the problem.

I wait till a child is old enough to cooperate a little in the dental office, usually around four or so. Then it is quite easy using a laser. The laser cuts the area with little or no blood involved. The kids do quite well for this. Usually no sutures are needed, although in more extensive cases they may be needed. Severe cases are referred to an oral surgeon for extensive procedures utilizing general anesthesia.

Most children don’t need any change to the frenum. Every case should be evaluated on an individual basis.

After treatment your child should be able to stick his tongue out with the best of them.

Doug Larson, DDS

42 West Campbell Avenue

Campbell, CA 95008

408.374.6160

About the author

Doug Larson, DDS leads the team at The Smile Specialists in Campbell, California. The dental practice is a progressive cosmetic, restorative and preventative family dental practice. We provide our patients with the most comprehensive dentistry available in a comfortable state-of-the art facility, the planet can be proud of. Our services are designed to maintain the health of our patients’ teeth, improve their overall oral wellness and provide beautiful smiles. Our team works to empower patients with the knowledge necessary to make educated choices about their dental treatment options. We also understand that for many, a trip to the dentist can be a source of anxiety. We want to help you reduce that anxiety. Call and allow us to help.

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