ORAL TIES
Tongue ties are often discussed in relation to their effect on breastfeeding. But do tongue ties matter outside of breastfeeding? Absolutely.
All of us have tissue that attaches our tongue to the floor of the mouth. When this tissue is attached in excess causing restricted movement of the tongue, it is considered a tongue tie. Here’s why that matters:
The tongue is one of the most complex and important organs of the body mainly due to its role in helping to properly shape the bones of the face.
At 16-20 weeks gestation, the swallowing pattern begins. As the tongue presses to the palate during the swallowing pattern, this action drives the growth of the palate, jaw, and upper airway. With tongue tied babies, the tongue is tethered too tightly to the floor of the mouth making the tongue unable to reach the palate and help guide this formation. This leads to high and narrow palates and underdeveloped jaws, causing babies to have to compensate by mouth breathing rather than nasal breathing. The majority of the problems listed above are results of the mouth breathing that is associated with tongue ties.
In addition to the mouth breathing component, there is a type of spider web-like connective tissue in our bodies known as fascia. One of our fascial lines runs from the tip of the tongue down to our toes. A tethered tongue and it’s resulting tight fascial line can contribute to full body tension, headaches, movement issues, digestion and elimination problems, poor posture, and more. These issues last into adulthood and I’ve seen countless patients with untreated tongue ties and their associated health problems like sleep apnea, inflamed gums, and TMJ pain.
You can see my tongue tie highlight for some general information on tongue ties. @tonguetiebabies is a great account to follow.
Have you or your little one(s) had a tongue tie release? What differences did you notice?
Some great reads for these topics:
“Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor
“Tongue Tied” by Richard Baxter
“Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic” by Sandra Kahn and Paul Ehrlich
@drstevenlin has some excellent resources on his blog as well.
You asked, I delivered the list for the signs of a tongue tie! This is not a complete list.
These are the most common signs, but remember it is not always about looks. Symptoms are always the first sign of compensation for the body. If you have any concerns about ties and feeding issues, contact an IBCLC!
If you are struggling, please do not wait to get help! If you are hurting, don’t feel you need to push through the pain.
Create a team!
IBCLC, ped SLP, ped OT, PT (IBCLC should be able to point you in the direction as well of another provider depending on what is going on).
a release provider with extensive knowledge on oral (dentist/ENT for example)
and a body worker (CST/Chiro) *VERY important for pre and post release!!
I want to add a disclaimer for heart shaped tongue*** this is a classic sign of a very restricted anterior tongue tie, but again- looks are NOT all that plays a role here. But if you notice this, there is a good sign your baby is quite restricted.
Did you go through any of these symptoms with your babe?
What helped you the most?
Please let me know if you have any questions!
These are signs of oral restriction in babies — symptoms both mom and baby may experience.
What questions do you have? Share below 👇