By Dr. Khoury talks about Tongue Ties for the little ones
Cat got your Tongue?
I’d like to take a minute to discuss the all mighty tongue. Apart from being one of the strongest muscles in our bodies, the tongue assists in the formation of the jaw structure and surrounding teeth. It assists in speech development, swallowing, and can greatly impact the level of oxygen we receive as individuals. All in all, it is often overlooked, but is crucial to the well being of our cranial sacral development.
Let’s take it back a few years to when we were in utero. The tongue starts to develop around the first month, and is originally attached to the floor or bottom of the mouth. As the oral structures continue to develop, the tongue separates from the floor of the mouth and becomes free to move around. In most, the front of the tongue becomes free first and proceeds towards the back of the tongue to become released from the floor of the mouth, almost like a zipper. However in others, this does not occur at all and leads to a tongue-tie. The same process occurs to varying degrees, which is why there are several different classifications of tongue-ties.
Now fast forward to the newborn stages of a child with a tied tongue, and keep in mind that the baby has learned to swallow in utero with a tongue that is taut to the floor of the mouth. When this child attempts to breastfeed, they are often unable to latch properly, and more importantly, are unable to manage the milk they are receiving. Many of these newborns show symptoms such as reflux, due to too much air entering their stomachs, or frequent but short feedings, and often times fail to gain weight. Additionally, many of the mothers trying to breastfeed an infant with a tongue-tie end up with painful, misshapen nipples, and often mastitis.
Failure to treat a tongue-tie in the early stages can result in a child learning to swallow improperly, and can result in an increase in cavities, or worse, sleep apnea, speech development issues and craniofacial development issues.
If you or someone you know may be having some of these breastfeeding issues, or you suspect that your child may be lip tied or tongue-tied, give The Brush Stop Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics a call at 760-635-5995. Dr. Khoury would be happy to discuss the treatment options with you.
More About The Brush Stop Brush Pediatric Dentistry
The Brush Stop Pediatric Dentistry is located at the cross streets of Rancho Santa Fe Rd, and La Costa Ave., in Carlsbad, California. At The Brush Stop, we work as a team, and we believe that working with kids and teens of all ages is a privilege. We honor and appreciate parents who place trust in us to give their child the best treatment, and feel that nothing is more rewarding than seeing a child happy. It is the purpose behind our work, because there is no greater gift to humanity than a child’s smile.
Also, check us out at www.thebrushstopdental.com or call us at 1-760-635-5995.
– Dr. Jenna Khoury, a Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist in Carlsbad, CA.
