Adolescent and Adult Tongue Tie

Adult Tongue Tie is a relatively common complaint and Dr. Pomerance releases adult tongue ties with a laser.

Problems Associated with Adult Tongue Tie

• Being teased because you cannot stick your tongue out or you have a forked tongue
• Tongue tie can affect your ability to kiss
• Social activities such as licking an ice cream or sticking your tongue out in jest are difficult
• Your speech may be affected, especially with sounds such as TH, D, L and T which require elevation of the tongue to touch the palate
• Often you may skip or trip over sounds when you speak quickly, when excited or after drinking alcohol, giving the impression that your drunk
• A short frenulum may inhibit normal swallowing by preventing your tongue from coming into contact with the roof of the mouth. This may eventually lead to a protruding lower jaw due to repeated efforts to thrust the tongue forward while swallowing
• Repetitive tongue thrusting efforts may cause your lower incisor teeth to move forward
• Tongue tie may prevent you from tooth brushing when the tongue is attached to close to the gum edge
• Some people just want to be able to stick their tongue out !!

Social media will often report adult tongue tie as a cause of TMJ dysfunction, neck pain and other ailments in the head and neck. There are no scientific studies to back up any of these claims.

You should proceed with caution if you expect the release of an adult tongue tie to alleviate these symptoms. However there are many individual stories and case reports which may suggest a link between adult tongue tie and facial pain, neck pain and migraine. The tongue is the end point of the body’s “Front Line Fascia”. Fascial restrictions can cause tension in the body.

Adolescent and Adult Upper Lip Tie

Lip ties usually affect the upper front teeth but the lower front teeth are occasionally affected. Ties affecting the side teeth while possible are rare.

• Upper Lip ties may result in a gap between the front teeth when the lip tie inserts between the front teeth it will prevent the teeth coming together
• An upper Lip Ties may make brushing your teeth difficult and trap food around your teeth
• A Lip ties can pull the gum off the front teeth putting the health of the front teeth at risk. If a lip tie is severe it is best released as early as possible as damage caused may not be repairable
• ALL LIP AND TONGUE TIES GROW BACK TO SOME DEGREE. USUALLY NOT ENOUGH TO BE A PROBLEMIF YOU HAVE A THICK AND FIBROUS TIE THEY CAN GROW BACK COMPLETELY. YOU CANNOT PREVENT THISIF A TIE DOES RETURN THEN REPEATED RELEASES OVER SEVERAL YEARS MAY REDUCE THE DEGREE OF RE GROWTH.

Adolescent and Adult Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Release

The procedure is painless. We will give you a painkiller before treatment so you will be comfortable later in the day when you have returned home.Dr. Pomerance will inject a small amount of anesthetic into the area. The tongue or lip is pulled back to expose the tie and Dr. Pomerance uses a laser releases the restriction.You will hear a beeping sound and there is a smell. The whole procedure takes less than 5 minutes.A small amount of pain is to be expected in the following days. The wound will turn yellow/ green over several days, this is healing tissue and the wound will have healed in about 14 days.A painkiller may be needed for several days, you must bathe the area in warm salty water and or Peroxyl mouth wash several times a day for about 2 weeks to keep the wound clean.You should also exercise your tongue regularly by sticking your tongue out, up, down, left and right as far as the tongue will go for several minutes several times a day for up to 2 weeks. This will help healing, prevent adhesions and increase tongue movement.

Post Release Exercises

Your tongue is in fact a group of muscles and muscles have memory. Muscles will do what they have always done. After an adult has a tongue tie release it is very important that you exercise the tongue on a regular basis to teach your tongue its full range of movements. Exercises will also prevent post-surgical scar tissue forming.

• Stick your tongue straight out
• And up to touch your nose
• Then right then left as far as it will go
• Finally out and down as far as it will go
• Hold the tongue in these positions for 10 seconds. Do each of these exercises 3 times and at least 3 times a day for 3 weeks.If you are hoping to correct a speech issue, then the simplest exercise is to say the particular words you are having trouble with slowly and deliberately until you can form the correct sounds and the word formation becomes automatic. If you have more severe problems the help of a Speech and Language Therapist must be sought. Myofunctional Facial therapy is a form of specialized physiotherapy for facial muscles ot improve function and appearance of the face.

Adolescent and Adult Upper Lip Ties

• For lip ties simply bring your lips together and blow into your lips keeping a lip seal. This will expand and stretch your lips, aiding healing and preventing adhesions.A diamond shaped ulcer will develop under the tongue and or lip and this will heal within 2 weeks.