Terms
The ‘lingual frenum’ (or lingual frenulum) is the cord that stretches from under the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
‘Tongue tie’, ‘Ankyloglossia’ or ‘short frenum’ are the terms used when the lingual frenum is short and restricts the mobility of the tongue.
Introduction
Tongue tie can be defined as a structural abnormality of the lingual frenum. When the frenum is normal, it is elastic and does not interfere with the movements of the tongue in sucking, eating, clearing food off the teeth in preparation for swallowing and, of course, in speech. When it is short, thick, tight or broad it has an adverse effect on oromuscular function, feeding and speech. It can also cause problems when it extends from the margin of the tongue and across the floor of the mouth to finish at the base of the teeth.
Genesis
The frenum is tissue left over from the time the foetus was developing in the mother’s womb and which would normally reduce to insignificance before birth. In the first 3 months of life, the face becomes differentiated into its various parts, and the frenum is what is left of the tissues that should have disappeared as the oral areas are formed. Such vestigial structures are not uncommon, and ‘webbing’, as it is sometimes called, can occur between upper or lower lips and gums, cheeks and gums as well as in tongue tie.
To read this entire article, which provides background information on what a Tongue Tie is, please visit TongueTie.net
Family Dentistry, Cosmetic Dentistry, Children's Dentistry East Berlin PA 17316
