When breastfeeding doesn’t go smoothly, there are many possible causes; and tongue-tie is one of them. “Ankyloglossia” is the medical name for tongue-tie, and it’s a condition present at birth. The frenulum, which is the tissue connecting the bottom of the mouth to the tongue, is the cause. If the frenulum is short, thick, tight, or attached near the tip of the tongue, the tongue’s movement is hindered. A baby must make certain use of the tongue to latch onto the breast during feeding, but ankyloglossia disrupts that ability.

Learn below some symptoms of tongue-tie, negative effects of the condition on the mother, and benefits of a frenectomy, in which the frenulum is removed during a laser treatment.

Signs that a Baby has Tongue-Tie

Not all physicians treat tongue-tie as a serious issue that can affect the quality of life, though there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Due to this dismissal of ankyloglossia, some doctors won’t attribute breastfeeding problems to tongue-tie. It is sometimes up to a mother to identify symptoms for herself.

How Tongue-Tie Impacts Babies

The effects tongue-tie has on babies differs from one child to another, though some are somewhat universal signs that a frenectomy may be of benefit.

The following are or may be signs that a baby has tongue-tie:

• Constant hunger
• Feeding for long periods of time with only short breaks before feeding again
• Irritability, frustration, and frequent crying
• Refuses to breastfeed
• Weight gain is poor, and the child fails to thrive
• Makes a clicking sound when feeding
• Biting or grinding the teeth or gum
• Feeding is painful
• Gassy and or colicky
• Vomits directly after feeds.

How Tongue-Tie Affects Moms

Babies aren’t the only ones who struggle due to tongue-tie. The following are some effects the condition has on breastfeeding moms:

• The nipples become sore because the baby is gumming or chewing the nipple while attempting to nurse. Mothers also experience sore, damaged, and cracked nipples when a baby feeds for lengthy periods with little rest between feedings.
• Due to the inability of a baby with tongue-tie to get adequate nourishment, the breasts aren’t properly drained of breast milk. Painful results might possibly include plugged milk ducts, breast engorgement, and/or mastitis.
• A mother’s breast milk supply may become too low because of the baby’s struggle to feed.
• Between her baby not getting needed nourishment and the pain and discomfort of engorged breasts, it is not unusual for a mother to become emotionally stressed, possibly feeling guilty about unsuccessful breastfeeding.
• Problems breastfeeding because a child has tongue-tie often leads to early weaning.

Soft Tissue Laser Treatment

Removing a baby’s frenulum can provide significant immediate and future benefits. It’s the least painful and invasive for newborns and small infants to have a frenectomy, as opposed to anytime later in life. As a child grows, the less speedy the recovery from a frenectomy might be. Without the procedure, a baby with breastfeeding problems can grow to be a child who struggles with swallowing, eating, and speech.

Gep TOTs Dental Group at Woodbridge Kids Dentistry in Vaughan, Ontario, specializes in dental laser treatments during which tongue-tie is painlessly and quickly corrected. For problems with tongue-tie, contact the kid-friendly specialists at Gep TOTs Dental Group by calling (647) 492-7059 today.