Learning More About Tongue Ties and Frenectomies
Hi, this is Dr. Jason Dulac coming to you from my office Dulac Dental of Springfield in Springfield, Virginia. Today I want to talk to you about a procedure called a frenectomy that's done to relieve something called a tongue tie.
What is a tongue tie?
Everyone has this flap of skin under their tongue that holds their tongue in place. Mine is very mild and very unrestricted, but for many people, it is very prominent. A lot of people think about a tongue tie in terms of a speech impediment, which is part of a very severe tongue tie. However, there are many ways this can impact your life.
How does a tongue tie affect newborns?
The first way, going sequentially by age, is in newborns. If your newborn is having trouble breastfeeding, they might have a prominent tongue tie. I perform frenectomies, the procedure to relieve a tongue tie, for patients of all ages, from newborns to adults. The first time you might want to address this is in a newborn who's having trouble suckling or breastfeeding.
How does a tongue tie affect children?
The next time it's typically addressed or discussed would be in child growth and development, around 8 to 12 years old, or during orthodontics. If the tongue is held back, you get uneven pressure from the lip and tongue, with more pressure from the lip than from the tongue. This tends to intrude the lower teeth and leads to more crowding over time.
One way to improve orthodontic outcomes, minimize the need for orthodontics, or enhance results without wearing a retainer is to perform a frenectomy. This ensures equal tongue pressure so the lower teeth don't crowd over time. Also, for child growth and development, if there are any speech issues, it might be discussed.
How does a tongue tie affect snoring and sleep apnea?
You might consider it again with snoring and sleep apnea. The tongue naturally wants to rest forward, but the tongue tie keeps it from doing so, holding it in a more backward position. Snoring occurs when the tongue collapses against the back of the airway. Sleep apnea happens if it gets stuck there for 10 seconds or more, five or more times per hour, which is mild. However, this means 40-50 times a night you're not breathing, which is a significant issue.
The quickest, easiest, most non-intrusive, and least expensive way to fix snoring and sleep apnea is to relieve the tongue tie, allowing the tongue to rest more forward so it doesn't collapse against the back of the airway. This is done with a procedure called a frenectomy.
What is the frenectomy procedure like?
We simply cut the small flap of skin under the tongue. I have a water lace laser in my office, which spits out water. The laser hits the water, lyses it, and provides a very mild cutting action. A little topical numbing gel is used, and for really prominent frenum or skin flaps under the tongue, a dab of actual numbing might be needed.
For most patients, we use just topical numbing with the laser. There is no bleeding afterwards, no stitches, and you can pretty much do whatever you want after the procedure.
Post-operative discomfort is similar to burning the roof of your mouth with pizza—mild, under the tongue. It's a very mild, quick, painless procedure that allows you to get on with your life and offers great results for newborn suckling, speech development, orthodontics, and snoring and sleep apnea.
What are other issues related to a tongue tie?
In addition, patients with a prominent tongue tie tend to have large bone lumps inside their jaw around their tongue. About 20 to 30% of people have these, and those with very prominent ones always have very prominent tongue ties. The tension from the tongue tie stimulates bone growth, further impeding or restricting tongue space and pushing the tongue further back, exacerbating the issues we discussed.
Is the frenectomy procedure covered by insurance?
This is a quick and easy procedure, covered by dental insurance. There is a dental code for it, and you might also be able to submit it to your medical insurance. It's the quickest, easiest treatment to alleviate all these issues.
What does the exam at Dulac Dental of Springfield Dental include?
I include a sleep screening in all of my new patient exams. It's something I look at during every new patient exam, in addition to oral cancer, cavities, gum disease, checking the jaw joint, and all these things. For me, snoring, sleep, and checking the tongue tie as well as child growth and development are always included in our exams at Dulac Dental of Springfield.
If you have any questions about this procedure, a tongue tie, the water lace laser, or want this procedure done for your child, baby, yourself, or your sleeping partner so you don't have to hear them snore anymore or you don't snore anymore, please give us a call at (703) 451-4500, or schedule below!