{"id":24,"date":"2022-08-18T15:58:23","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T15:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chicagotongueties.com\/blog\/?p=24"},"modified":"2022-11-22T16:16:45","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T16:16:45","slug":"tongue-ties-affect-what-children-can-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chicagotongueties.com\/blog\/tongue-ties-affect-what-children-can-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Tongue-Ties Affect What Children Eat?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tongue-ties are being diagnosed and treated more frequently thanks to parents who are learning the signs to spot them on social media and from internet searches. While many people are aware that this condition can cause excessive drooling and poor weight gain, some don\u2019t know of the more nuanced flags that a child has a tongue-tie<\/a>, like what types of foods they may or may not gravitate towards eating. Read on to learn how a tongue-tie may be affecting what foods your little one eats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Tongue\u2019s Role in Eating Foods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because it\u2019s hidden away behind the lips and teeth, tongues often don\u2019t get as much credit as they should for helping complete important tasks that keep people alive\u2014eating food! It has the ability to move the food within the mouth to allow the teeth to help break it down so the body can absorb important nutrients from what\u2019s being eaten. If your child has a tongue-tie, this can limit the movement of the important muscle, causing them to steer clear of certain foods that may be more difficult to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foods That Can Be Hard to Eat with a Tongue-Tied Child<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just because a child has a tongue-tie doesn\u2019t mean that they can\u2019t use their tongue at all, and this is where it can get tricky. It can appear that they have full control of this oral muscle in moments, but if they can\u2019t create a bowl-shape that allows them to move the food to the back of the mouth or move it side-to-side or up, which helps redirect harder foods to chew towards the molars, it can impact their day-to-day life without you knowing. Without these motions, it can make your child develop a preference for soft and processed foods, make them a messy eater with food often falling out of the mouth, or even cause them to gag while eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identifying Poor Tongue Control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because the tongue is hidden away in the mouth, it can make identifying that your little one has a tongue-tie extra difficult. Here are common signs that some people may brush off as them being a picky eater, but could actually be pointing to poor tongue control:<\/p>\n\n\n\n