Tongue Tie & Lip Tie
Treatments IN BURLINGTON
Serving Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton And Mississauga.
New Patients & Referrals Always Welcome!
The Legacy Of Care: Dr. Sherri Hill is a retired dentist who made a profound impact during her active years in the field of dentistry, specializing in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie treatment. She dedicated her career to providing expert care to patients with these common oral conditions, leaving a lasting legacy of improved oral health and well-being.
Throughout her career, Dr. Sherri Hill treated countless patients, offering comprehensive solutions for Tongue Tie and Lip Tie. She was known for her empathetic and patient-centered approach, always prioritizing the well-being of those under her care. Patients and their families could rely on her for expert guidance and support during their treatment journey.
Since Dr. Hill’s retirement, Dr. Brittany Davies has taken over providing this treatment option for patients at Appleby Dental Professionals. As a mom to a daughter with a tongue-tie, Dr. Davies knows first hand the impact limited tongue range of motion has on feeding. It takes a team to get a baby to feed effectively. It is Dr. Davies’ hope to work towards your family’s feeding goals using a multidisciplinary approach with your family doctor, midwife, board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), and/or body worker (chiropractor, physiotherapist, osteopath).
What Is Tongue Tie?
- Definition: Tongue tie, or ankyloglossia, occurs when the lingual frenulum, the band of tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is shorter than usual or positioned too far forward.
- Symptoms: Tongue tie can cause a range of issues, including difficulty sticking out the tongue, restricted tongue movement, and challenges with breastfeeding (for infants) or issues with speech articulation (for older children and adults).
Tongue Tie And Breastfeeding
Sometimes, your family physician may identify a tongue-tie problem during your baby’s first routine check-up at birth. Dr. Brittany Davies (Burlington Dentist) can also identify it during your child’s first dental assessment. A tongue tie is not always easy to spot. It may not be found until later, for example, if your baby has feeding difficulties. Tongue-tie often results in ineffective milk removal. Mothers may experience nipple soreness, pain, engorgement, and plugged ducts due to milk backup. Babies may experience low weight gain, slow feeding, or refuse to feed. A tongue tie will affect your baby’s latch. A frenotomy may be necessary to prevent early breastfeeding cessation.
If You And Your Baby Are Finding Breastfeeding Difficult, Please Book A Tongue-Tie Check-Up With Dr. Brittany Davies Today! (905) 331-7654
Surgical Treatment Options For Tongue Tie
At Appleby Dental Professionals we offer three options to treat Tongue Tie problems:
- Snipping the frenum (sometimes referred to as ‘frenotomy’) of neonates.
- Surgical revision of the frenum (sometimes referred to as ‘frenectomy’, ‘frenectomy’, or ‘frenuloplasty’).
- Revision of the frenum by laser with a local or topical anesthetic.
All these methods are equally successful when used in appropriate circumstances.
Consequences Of Untreated Tongue-Tie
Many suffer in silence the multiple difficulties, which derive from having a tongue that cannot move freely. There are infants who cannot suck, toddlers who cannot chew, children who cannot lick ice creams, and children and adults who are disadvantaged by their poor speech.
The consequences of an untreated Tongue Tie can be many and varied, depending largely on the age of the subject and the severity of the condition. The demands made on our increase, as we grow older, and our environment becomes less forgiving of mistakes. Delay in treatment, therefore, can have very negative consequences.
For Children & Teens
Children with a Tongue Tie have to contend with difficulties which may only be discovered as they grow older. These can include:
- Inability to chew age-appropriate solid foods
- Gagging, choking or vomiting foods
- Persisting food fads
- Difficulties related to dental hygiene
- Persistence of dribbling
- Delayed development of speech
- Deterioration in speech
- Behaviour problems
- Dental problems starting to appear
- Loss of self-confidence because they feel and sound ‘different’
- Strong, incorrect habits of compensation being acquired
For Adults
- The inability to open the mouth widely affects speech and eating habits
- Always having to watch their speech
- Inability to speak clearly when talking fast/loud/soft
- Difficulty talking after even moderate amounts of alcohol
- Clicking jaws
- Pain in the jaws
- Migraine Headaches
- Protrusion of the lower jaws
- Professional setbacks
- Loss of self-confidence in social situations, eating out, kissing, relationships
- Poor Dental health, higher risk for gum disease, tooth decay, and extractions
- Poor aesthetic appearance
- Emotional factors resulting in rising levels of stress
Lip Tie Treatment In Burlington
- Definition: Lip tie refers to a condition where the labial frenulum, the band of tissue connecting the upper lip to the gums, is too thick or short, limiting the movement of the lip.
- Symptoms: Lip tie can cause difficulties with latching during breastfeeding, as well as problems with lip mobility. In some cases, it can also lead to gaps between the front teeth.
- Treatment: Like tongue tie, lip tie can be treated with a simple surgical procedure, such as a frenotomy or frenectomy. This procedure involves cutting the labial frenulum to improve lip mobility.
Request An Appointment With Your Family Dentist Today
At Appleby Dental Professionals, we always welcome new patients of all ages to our practice and referrals. Contact us now to start booking your appointment at our dental office in Burlington.
