Time to Treat That Tongue Tie?

My dentist says I have a tongue tie. Why should I have this treated?

A tongue tie is when the muscle attachment under the tongue (the frenulum) develops improperly, causing limited movement of the tongue. When this connection is too short, too thin or too tight, the tongue cannot be used properly, creating health consequences.

A normal tongue frenulum allows the tongue, when the mouth is closed, to rest on the top of the mouth with the tip touching the back of the top front teeth. When it is not able to properly rest and move freely it can create a number of problems, which can be silent or recognizable.

Some consequences include speech difficulties, trouble eating, inability to lick an ice cream cone, open-mouth breathing, jaw pain, headaches, forward head posture, snoring, sleep apnea and even ADHD. Other conditions your dentist might be recognizing are delayed orthodontic treatment, orthodontic relapse, improper facial growth, TMJ problems and oral hygiene problems.

It is important to train the tongue with myofunctional therapy before releasing the tie to prepare and strengthen the tongue for the release. It is like having your arm in a sling all your life. If you removed the sling, the muscles would be weak and uncoordinated. If the tongue tie is left untreated, it can cause symptoms and health risks to accumulate.

Stacey Sparkman Hall, D.D.S.: Dr. Stacey Hall brings her unique outlook on dental care and her personable optimism to the Williamsburg Center for Dental Health. With nine years of solid dental expertise as a dentist in Williamsburg, she decided in early 2011 to branch out and open her own local practice. After completing her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech in 1998, Dr. Hall graduated from VCU’s MCV School of Dentistry in 2002, receiving her D.D.S. She is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and was awarded member fellowship to the International Congress of Oral Implantology in 2008. She leads the elite Tidewater Dawson Study Club and is a scholar with the interntaionally renowned Dawson Academy. As a Dawson ambassador, Dr. Hall also assists in the training of students in the Dawson Academy. Stacey and her husband Michael have been blessed with three beautiful girls, Lanie, Gracie and Abbie. She is a loyal Virginia Tech Football fan, and enjoys Bible study and missions work.