Understanding the Symptoms and Impact of Tongue and Lip Ties
Tongue and lip ties can lead to a variety of challenges, from breastfeeding struggles to speech delays and oral health issues. These conditions may also cause eating difficulties, digestive problems, and even behavioral concerns. Deciding to revise is a step guided by the presence of current symptoms or the potential for future complications, ensuring your child has the best chance at thriving.
Symptoms
Breastfeeding / Bottlefeeding
• Baby bobs on and off when latching / poor latch
• Mother has nipple pain or deformed nipples from poor latch
• Baby is excessively gassy (chronic burping, flatulence, hiccups)
• Prolonged or incomplete feeding (baby doesn’t fully empty breast or bottle)
• Baby falls asleep while attempting to nurse
• Clicking noises during feeding (air intake / loss of suction)
• Supplementing with a bottle to assist feeding (by necessity)
• Milk leakage from mouth or nose
• Signs of acid reflux when not feeding (spit-up, gagging, vomiting)
• Weak latch that doesn’t last long
• Significant problems with breastfeeding
Eating
• Gagged/vomited when first introduced to food
• Currently gags/vomits (frequency varies)
• Messy eating (open mouth chewing / food loss from front of mouth)
• Quantity of food consumed is abnormally low
• Picky about food types or textures
• Prefers small snacks over meals (grazing)
• Gassy or GI distension/discomfort
• Acid reflux (previously or currently)
• Dislikes or doesn’t eat meat
• Pouching/holding food in mouth
• Inability to chew age-appropriate solid foods in a normal amount of time
• Gagging, choking or vomiting on certain foods, or eating an abnormally small amount of food
• Picky eater may have solid food aversions, preferring purees and/or very soft foods
Speech
• Speech development is abnormally delayed (number of words)
• Poor pronunciation (words sound different from spelling)
• Poor enunciation (mumbles / slurs speech)
• Diagnosed with speech difficulties
• Currently in speech therapy
• Speech therapy attempted
• Trouble with sounds: L, R, T, D, N, Th, Sh, Ch, S, Z
• Speech problems, delays and/or lisps
• Delayed development of speech
• Deterioration in speech
• Loss of self-confidence because they feel and sound “different”
Sleep / Airway
• Baby falls asleep while attempting to nurse
• Signs of acid reflux when not feeding (spit-up, gagging, vomiting)
• Gassy or GI discomfort impacting rest
• Air intake during feeding (may affect breathing during sleep)
• Dribbling and/or mouth breathing
• Digestive problems, constipation, reflux
• Headaches and/or migraines
• Persistence of dribbling
Orthodontic
• Inability to extend tongue past lips, lift the tongue fully upwards or move it side to side
• Dental hygiene issues / frenal irritation
• Pouching or holding food in mouth (can affect jaw/tooth alignment over time)
• Messy eating with open mouth chewing (possible early indicator of oral motor pattern issues)
• Dental and oral health problems including cavities, gum disease and/or bad breath
• Difficulties related to dental hygiene
