Although tongue tie (ankyloglossia) is present at birth, it is not uncommon for parents to employ a ‘wait and see’ strategy before making the decision to get their child a laser frenectomy. However, if your older kiddo is ready for tongue tie release in Philadelphia, they may need a little extra assistance learning how to move their oral muscles properly to ensure their speech is not affected following their procedure. Here’s a closer look at how speech therapy can help.
What is Tongue Tie?
A tongue tie is a condition that occurs when the lingual frenulum (the band of skin that connects the tongue to floor of the mouth) is tethered so tightly that it interferes with your child’s speech, feeding, and oral hygiene. Often with babies, their dentist or pediatrician can provide an educated guess about whether this condition will affect their speech later, allowing you to decide when, if at all, to seek treatment.
However, because many parents would prefer to hold off until they are certain their child’s condition would benefit from a laser frenectomy, they may already be struggling with speech articulation issues by the time they undergo tongue tie release treatment.
How Can a Laser Frenectomy Help My Child?
Laser frenectomies release tongue ties by severing the lingual frenulum and giving the tongue greater range of motion. Using a soft tissue laser makes this procedure much more comfortable for your child, because the laser utilizes a concentrated beam of light to vaporize the tissue instead of cutting it with a scalpel. This method almost never requires stitches or sutures, and because it cauterizes as it works, patients of all ages experience less bleeding and post-operative discomfort. They’re also less likely to develop an infection during healing.
Does My Child Need Speech Therapy?
Following your child’s laser frenectomy, they may benefit from speech therapy, especially if they already had speech articulation issues before treatment. This is to help them relearn how to move their tongue to create certain sounds correctly. In fact, even if they weren’t experiencing a lisp or other speech impediment, they may still benefit from speech therapy to help them get used to moving their mouth appropriately.
How Does Speech Therapy Work?
Speech therapy uses age-appropriate lessons to help your child utilize their tongue muscles properly. This can assist your child by:
- Helping them develop new muscles movements to aid in enunciation.
- Improving their understanding of their tongue’s total range of motion.
- Addressing any other speech delays that may be present.
- Assisting them in developing alternative tongue positions they may not have known were possible prior to their laser frenectomy.
These objectives are typically accomplished by regularly performing exercises designed to expand the tongue’s range of motion and by practicing the pronunciation of specific words and sounds that may need to be performed differently post treatment. Therapy can last for several months to several years, depending on the severity of the issues.
Remember, while it’s not guaranteed that your child will need speech therapy following their laser frenectomy, it can often be extremely beneficial following tongue tie release treatment in Philadelphia.
About Dr. Singh
Dr. Amar Singh earned his undergraduate degree at Carnegie Mellon University and his dental doctorate at Howard University College of Dentistry. Today, he proudly serves as a Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist by the American Board of Pediatric Dentists and is an adjunct faculty member at the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry. To schedule a consultation for tongue tie release in Philadelphia, visit our website or call us today at 215-874-3787.