What Is Tongue-tie?
Sometimes called ankyloglossia, tongue-tie is a condition in which someone is born with either a shorter, thicker, or tighter band of tissue connecting the bottom of their tongue to the floor of their mouth. As a result, this can limit the movement of baby’s tongue. Unfortunately, that movement limitation can cause serious complications for eating, speaking, and swallowing. Tongue-tie is definitely something that should be solved sooner rather than later for the best results.
What Are the Consequences of Tongue-tie?
Here are some of the potential consequences of tongue-tie:
- Babies with tongue-tie can find it difficult to breast-feed because their tongues will not remain in the right positions. As a result, they can end up chewing instead of sucking on the nipple, which will not just keep them from getting a reliable flow of breast milk but also inflict significant pain on their mothers. Unless the medical condition is treated, this can have long-lasting consequences for the babies from insufficient nutrition.
- Tongue-tie can prevent people from pronouncing some sounds, which will have a negative effect on their speech. For example, people with the medical condition often find it difficult to make “d,” “l,” “s,” “t,” and “z” sounds. Furthermore, they are known to have particular difficulties with rolling their “r”s.
- Sometimes, tongue-tie can increase a person’s chances of gum disease and other serious medical conditions of the mouth. This is because tongue-tie makes it more difficult for babies and children to clean food debris from their teeth, thus increasing the rate at which bacteria will build up in their mouth. Over time, this can lead to bacteria causing their gums to pull back from their teeth through inflammation, thus making their roots that much more vulnerable in the process.
How Can a Chiropractor Help Kids with Tongue-tie?
There are 3 steps that we try to take when caring for a baby with tongue-tie.
- I’ll assess the baby and determine the extent of the tongue or lip tie
- Check and determine the amount of healing after surgery (if the baby is post
surgical) - Perform exercises that encourage mobility of the lips and tongue.
- Check the upper cervical spine for misalignment that would affect feeding and function in the head and neck.
- Evaluate cranial bone structure and mobility and realign.
What healthcare providers can help me?
When we’re caring for a baby with tongue-tie, you want to make sure that you have a health care professional that will address each aspect of the tongue tie. And direct you to the proper people who can support you along the way. A pediatrician who specializes in caring for infants with effective measures for tongue tie release is vital. Next a 
lactation consultant is important to teach mom how to help baby breastfeed properly. Mom’s never regret the support they get from a good lactation consultant.
Finally a pediatric chiropractor who can evaluate and treat baby using the 5 steps mentioned above will be vital in this process. If your baby could, she would thank you for it.
Is Chiropractic for infants painful?
Adjustments for infants are always incredibly gentle, just like in the video above, your chiropractor will only provide gentle pressure over the areas that need to be adjusted. Babies love being adjusted by their chiropractor.
Contact Dr. Tompkins, Chiropractor for Tongue-Tie
Over the last 13 years, Dr. Tompkins has cared for families and children in Southern Arizona. He is committed to providing the highest quality care that you can receive for your baby. He holds a diplomate in pediatrics from the ICPA and is committed to receiving further education in pediatrics. Dr Tompkins’ gentle adjustments are comfortable for mom and especially baby. If you want to experience what Dr. Tompkins can do for you or your baby, please click the link below.
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