Tongue Tie
- durrbrookeslp
- Jan 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 7
By: Brooke Durr, MCD, CCC-SLP
January 2025
Some infants have difficulty eating. Some toddlers have difficulty speaking. If your child has either concern, then you may hear the term “tongue tie.” More often than not, a tongue tie is not present or of concern. As a caregiver, seek out medical expertise but also research on your own to know what is best for your child.
Commonly Associated Terms
Ankyloglossia –tongue tie
Congenital – present at birth
Frenulum – fold of mucous membrane that connects a moveable part (i.e., tongue) to a fixed part (i.e., floor of mouth)
Frenectomy – cutting the frenulum to “release” the tongue
Lingual – having to do with the tongue
Purpose of the Tongue
The tongue is an important organ used to help with eating, drinking, and speaking tasks.
Everyone’s tongue is connected to the floor of the mouth by a band of tissue. It is attached in the back of the mouth (posteriorly) and the front of the mouth (anteriorly). The length of this tissue determines the tongue’s range of motion.
Infants require certain back and forth movement of their tongues to adequately latch onto a nipple or bottle when feeding. When chewing/eating, the tongue moves side to side to pushing food to the teeth to chew and sweep food back to swallow. Various sounds require the tongue to move and touch different parts of the mouth. Therefore, the tongue needs to be able to move without restriction.
Problems with Range of Motion?
When an infant or toddler is having difficulty with feeding or eating, a medical professional (pediatrician, ENT, dentist, etc.) may look at how the tongue is able to move. They may focus on the band of tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth called the frenulum. If the tongue movement is restricted, then it could be because the frenulum is “too” short. This results in what is known as ankyloglossia (“tongue tie”).
Should I Be Concerned?
If a tongue tie exists, it will be present at birth and infancy. Detection can occur through appearance or function.
Appearance –> The tongue does not push out of the infant’s mouth or it appears to stay behind the gum line
Function –> The tongue’s movement results in the infant not being able to latch onto a nipple or bottle and demonstrate a sufficient sucking pattern
Treatment?
It can be possible for the frenulum to stretch. It can be possible that there are other concerns affecting the infant’s ability to latch. It can also be that the frenulum is too short and needs to be released to allow the tongue to move appropriately. Medical professionals may then recommend a surgery called “frenectomy” to clip the band that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth if it is suspected of being too short.
Beware
Medical professionals can sometimes encourage this surgery as a quick fix for speech delays or other concerns. But often the tongue movement is not the concern, and language delays are results from other factors such as developmental delays or other medical diagnoses.
Sources/Resources
American Academy of Pediatrics
ASHA – American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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