Tongue-Tie aka Ankyloglossia

What am I talking about?

Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tie, is a congenital oral anomaly that may decrease mobility of the tongue tip and is caused by an unusually short, thick lingual frenulum, a membrane connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankyloglossia

In shorter words: it's when the strip of tissue connecting a newborn's tongue to the bottom of the mouth is too short.

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A personal topic for me and is the first awareness I'd like to blog about.

As an infant, about 4 months old, my mother was informed by doctors that I was tongue tied. I showed signs of difficulty breathing and unable to grasp the nipple of my bottle during feedings. Many concerns filled my mom's head and all she wanted to do was to somehow help her baby. Our doctor recommended revision by a small procedure with the clipping of the connecting tissue under my tongue, which, should help with nursing and with my speech as I got older. But being afraid of putting me in surgery, my mom took matters into her own hands and went with an old Asian medical approach...she did it herself. (I know! it sounds crazy, she did it herself! but not to the extreme as you see online). She took her sharpest sheers, sanitized with alcohol, and made a very small snip of the connecting tissue. Yes, according to my mom, I cried but everything went well and with no bleeding involved. The healing time was really quick and she started noticing a huge difference in my eating habits and behavior. She checked on me daily and couldn't wait 'til the day I started to talk...and when I did...I just kept talking and talking as if I had no tongue-tied issues. As I aged, my speech improved, pronunciations were clearer, and my appetite was really good. But even with all of these improvements, I'm actually still a little tongue tied. Now as an adult, I still struggle with some words from time to time. I did, however, find a few things that I enjoy doing on the daily to help. I read out loud, I sing, and most importantly, breath when talking. Being tongue tied doesn't bother me as much as it did before and I've come to peace with it. I GOT THIS!. And then, I became a mommy.

Yes, it's hereditary. I don't know from which side of my family because I seem to be the only one who has it to this extreme. The beauty of genetics, right! It works in magical ways, like how my son also has a hint of red hair. (that's another blog post I'll be sharing soon).

As a new mom, I worried about my child's future. So during pregnancy, I wondered, was this something my son, Brage, would inherit from me or not? I stressed about it a lot! Only because I know the struggles and I didn't want him to be bullied for it either. And as luck would have it, my son is tongue tied. So, like all millennial mom's I researched the best way to revise his tongue and the best doctors in my area who specialized in it. And NO, I'm not as hard core like my mom to use her skills in this matter or have her operate either. Luckily, in my hometown - the beautiful city of San Diego, California, I found a team of doctors and a lactation nurse who specialized in tongue ties and also used the CO2 laser treatment. I preferred laser vs clippers because of the healing

process and the new technology is a lot faster and simply better. Team Tongue Tie was amazing, quick, and professional. The procedure and prep time was literally less than 10 minutes and my son was nursing right after. And wow, what a difference, for me and for Brage. I felt the weight lifting off my shoulders and was absolutely satisfied with the results. But I will be honest, the bottom of his tongue looked scary and nothing like what my mom had to deal with. I had to be brave and understand that I had to care for it and with time it will properly heal. Seriously, by day 2, his tongue and upper lip looked better and normal. Now, at six months old, Brage is doing really well with nursing and the use of his tongue. He doesn't gulp or struggle with grasping for more milk, swallowing, or choking on my milk. Other huge improvements are: his sleeping habits (he's not snoring anymore), in his speech

(he ga ga's and goos all day! in different tones), and he sticks out his tongue without struggle when being silly, it's hilarious and absolutely heart warming. He's such a happy boy which make me a happy mommy.

I, personally, highly recommend all mom's and dad's who have this concern to get a second opinion with a pediatric dentist who specializes with tongue ties. This is a game changer! And I know, there are many stories about how it's not a medical need anymore but seriously, being tongue tied myself and wanting the best for my child, I'd like for you to think about how it's going to be better for you and for them in the long run.

Here are some symptoms Brage had before revision:

-trouble sticking out tongue paste his lower lip

-tongue appears to be heart shaped

-clicking noises when breastfeeding

-unable to latch

-trouble breathing when asleep

-choking when nursing

-snoring

Listed below is the Tongue Tie specialist that I went to for Brage.

Team Tongue Tie

12625 High Bluff Dr, Unit 313

San Diego, CA 92130

# (858) 480-9454

www.teamtonguetie.com

Please comment or don't hesitate to leave me a message if you have any questions.

Lots of love to all of you and thank you for reading my blog and point of view on Tongue Ties.

Love Always,

Debbie X