A tongue-tie can be described as tissue that can appear:
- Long
- Thin
- Thick
- Fibrous
The name for this tissue is lingual frenum or frenulum and it stretches from underneath the tongue to the floor of the mouth. This tissue is unique and varies in appearance and position. However, several functional issues such as feeding, speech, and airway can occur when the lingual frenum is short, thick, tight or broad.
No, it is estimated that 5-20% of the population has some sort of tongue tie. The symptoms associated with the tissue are what we look at in order to determine if treatment is necessary.
Symptoms can range. These include:
- Difficulty sticking the tongue out
- Trouble breastfeeding (latching)
- Eating issues
- Speech issues
- Digestion issues
- Sleep/airway issues
When a newborn or child is truly tongue-tied the benefits of this simple procedure can be life-changing. Dr. Lynn will never perform this procedure unless parents are completely motivated, committed and understand how and why this surgery is beneficial.
We believe the CO2 laser should be the gold standard for pediatric soft tissue surgeries. The LightScalpel CO2 laser serves to remove water molecules (ablation) from the frenum tissue. This means, our tongue-tie release is minimally invasive, allowing Dr. Lynn precision when performing the surgery. This not only reduces healing time, but it also delivers the most effective results.
Yes, depending on your insurance plan, your insurance company may cover a percentage of the cost of this procedure.
In only 5 minutes, Dr. Lynn can complete the surgery.
To learn more about tongue-tie and lip-tie treatment with CO2 laser, contact our clinic near you.