Laser Treatment for Ankyloglossia (Tongue Tied)
June 1, 2011 · 4 comments
We saw a two year old boy yesterday for a laser frenectomy (treatment for kids who are tongue tied). The actual procedure took about 2 minutes to complete. In this particular situation, laser treatment was a good choice over scalpel surgery. There was no bleeding and no need for stitches immediately after treatment. Because laser treatment traditionally has very little inflammation associated with it, he will feel very little discomfort during the healing period. We would like to thank the family for coming all the way from Red Deer to see us.
In general, ankyloglossia should be treated right after birth if it affects the child's breast/ bottle feeding. Otherwise, it can be treated at age one or two in order to prevent speech problems. Kids with ankyloglossia will usually have a hard time making the "r" and "l" sounds.
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Can this laser treatment be used on adults?
Absolutely. We also perform laser frenectomies on teenagers and adults after orthodontic treatment in order to prevent orthodontic relapse. This is especially true for the frenum (ligament) that is between the two front teeth on top.
my son is tongue tied he has just turned two and is making not letter sounds at all, he squeaks and grunts and uses the correct intonation with these sounds but no letters not even m b or d. he is a very bright little boy and big for his age he is in 3 to 4 yr old clothes…i am o aorried about this lack of speech
It can also have a significant impact on breastfeeding, eating as a child grows older, dental hygiene and certain methods of expressing affection as an adult.