Effective Lip And Tongue Tie Treatments
Even if awareness of lip and tongue ties has grown over recent times it is still an issue which can go largely unnoticed
Lip and tongue ties can cause an array of issues for both mum and baby and it frequently happens that physicians either completely miss them or don’t assess the children well enough in order to find them. Tongue ties can affect mum by causing pain in the nipples either by bruising and abrasions. Other symptomatic characteristics include pain in the breasts, low milk production, plugged ducts, mastitis and recurring thrush.
Signs of tongue ties in babies is usually more difficult to ascertain, but may include:
- poor latching
- insufficient weight gain
- irritability
- gas and reflux
- chewing or biting of the nipple
- spilling milk during breasting
- green poos
How Do I Tell If My Baby Has Lip And Tongue Tie?
o see how we need to treat lip and tongue ties, your doctor or lactation consultant will first need to establish whether your child is suffering from an anterior or posterior tongue tie, or an upper lip tie. We mention making use of a lactation specialist or an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) because they are the best-qualified persons to do so. However, a dentist with sufficient training and experience in these problems is equally adept at providing an accurate diagnosis.
Our very own Dr Gibbins has been treating these conditions in various age groups with a laser since 2003. That being said, if you do prefer to have your own IBCLC accompany you when you come in for your consultation, diagnosis or procedure, then we are more than happy for you to do just that. It may happen that Dr Gibbins advises that the lip or tongue tie separation is not required.
We see it at times that mums are convinced that their breastfeeding issues are caused by lip or tongue ties only to find out that the source of the issue is entirely different. This is precisely why we encourage you to speak to your paediatrician, chiropractor or IBCLC, Dr Gibbins or your midwife before opting for lip and tongue tie treatment. One of these specialists will be able to discern whether a frenulum is to blame for the problem. This is usually done with the aid of an Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function (ATLFF). The Bristol Tongue Tie Assessment tool and the Kotlow Lip Tie assessment.
How to Treat Lip and Tongue Tie?
At Future Dental one of the cornerstones of our practice is our dedication to sourcing the very latest in dental technologies in order to provide our patients and their families with superior care. Our Waterlase MDX laser is what we use to treat lip and tongue ties and it is the gentlest treatment solution. The Waterlase causes no charring of the tissue is the safest for babies’ eyes and is virtually painless.
The Waterlase also provides excellent precision and its ability to cut cleanly which means that in almost all cases the baby doesn’t even react to it. The Waterlase is referred to as the Rolls Royce of all laser treatments and though we have other lasers available, the Waterlase is the one we recommend for lip and tongue ties.
Though the Waterlase is a marvel of modern dentistry, it does have a relatively short window in which it must be used to treat lip and tongue ties. Babies under a year old are very rarely accepted for general anaesthetic and because most breastfeeding issues occur in the first few months of a child’s life, General anaesthetics are simply not an option. After 12 months and up until the age of six is the most difficult time to seek out treatment for lip and tongue ties and we will work hand in hand with you to find the most qualified anaesthetist and surgeon available to perform the procedure.
If you think you or baby has a tongue or lip tie, please ask us to assess it.
