Chicago Tongue-Tie Center Blog

If you’ve just learned your child might have a tongue-tie, their pediatric dentist has likely taught you a couple of new words. Frenotomy? Frenectomy? They sound nearly identical, and it’s easy to get them confused. Both can release the tension under your child’s tongue or lip, and many providers actually use the words interchangeably. Keep reading to see the difference, so you can make an informed decision about your child’s lip or tongue-tie care.

Parents may hear more about lip-ties and tongue-ties today than they did in the past. These conditions, which involve restrictions in the tissues connecting the lips or tongue to the mouth, are frequently discussed in connection with breastfeeding and infant feeding. But have they actually become more common, or are they simply being recognized more often? Continue reading to find out.

Breastfeeding can come with a learning curve for both parent and baby, but that doesn’t mean you should be expected to simply tolerate significant pain. If nursing leaves you with cracked, bleeding, or persistently painful nipples, it’s worth taking your concerns seriously.

One possible contributor is an infant lip or tongue-tie. These oral restrictions can sometimes interfere with a baby’s ability to achieve an effective latch and use their tongue properly during feeding. Understanding the potential connection may help you find an explanation for breastfeeding difficulties that haven’t improved with the usual advice.

Watching your child grow up can be a rewarding experience. You start to see their personality blossom and their various likes and dislikes. One thing they will have an opinion on is food. They might enjoy some and despise others, but transitioning to solid options can be tricky. It can be especially so if your loved one has a lip- or tongue-tie. Here’s what you should know and how a pediatric dentist can help.

Lip- and tongue-ties are the result of the connective tissues attaching the lip or tongue to the gums or floor of the mouth (technically called frenulums) being unusually thick. This causes these tissues to be less elastic than they should be and makes it difficult for children to speak and eat. Thankfully, your family’s dentist can address this frustrating problem with a simple and minimally invasive procedure called a frenectomy. Here’s a quick look at why lip- and tongue-ties do not usually go away on their own and how the frenectomy process works.

If you’re like most parents, you’d likely do whatever you could to make your child happy- especially if you get to see their beautiful smile. So, you probably already know how important their growing grin is. Well, the American Dental Association does, too. In fact, that’s why they created National Children’s Dental Health Month. Each February, the ADA teams up with dentists across the nation to celebrate these sweet, silly smiles. Here’s a closer look at why!

When your child is about to undergo any type of medical procedure, it’s only natural to want to know everything about every part of the process – including recovery. Fortunately, laser frenectomies help speed up healing and help foster a more comfortable post-op experience. You can expect your child’s recovery timeline to be minimal, and with some professional tips, you can sail smoothly through aftercare!

Do you have a baby who struggles to latch during feedings or seems fussier than most infants? If so, they might be suffering from a lip or tongue tie. That means they might have an overly tight, short, or thick band of tissue (frenulum) anchoring their tongue or lips to their mouth, restricting its full range of motion.

Their pediatric dentist can treat it with a frenectomy, but you might avoid scheduling this procedure if you’ve heard misinformation about your child’s condition. Continue reading to learn 3 myths about lip and tongue ties that you shouldn’t believe!

Whether you’re a new parent or this is your second or third child, each one is unique, which means that just because one never cried doesn’t mean your most recent newborn will be the same. While some individuals are familiar with colic and the week- or month-long struggle it causes, you may be unfamiliar with this problem until you’re faced with it. If you’re wondering why your baby is constantly crying for hours, it may be that a lip or tongue-tie is to blame. Read on to discover the connection between these restricted tissues and colic, and what you can do to help your little one take a break from the tears.

Lip and tongue ties can affect people at every stage of life, but some of the most noticeable signs occur between the ages of one and three, or during the fun toddler years! This is because, as your child begins to eat solid foods, make different sounds, and communicate in new ways, lip and tongue ties can create some noticeable hiccups in their development. As a result, parents may bring their toddlers in for an examination, either with a pediatric dentist or their pediatrician, to see what could be causing their symptoms. Read on to learn more about lip and tongue ties and how they can uniquely impact toddlers.