When parents bring their children for routine dental visits, they often don’t expect their kids dentist saskatoon professional to discuss speech or eating concerns.
But dentists are uniquely positioned to spot early warning signs of tongue-tie that many other healthcare providers might miss.
Tongue-tie, medically known as ankyloglossia, happens when the tissue connecting the tongue to the mouth’s floor is too tight or thick. This condition affects how children speak, eat, and even breathe.
What Dentists Look for During Checkups?
Your child’s dentist examines more than just teeth during visits. They check how the tongue moves, how your child swallows, and whether certain patterns suggest tongue-tie issues.
Physical Signs Dentists Notice First
Limited tongue movement stands out as the most obvious indicator. Dentists watch how far your child can stick out their tongue or lift it toward the roof of their mouth.
When tongue-tie is present, children often can’t extend their tongue past their lower lip. The tongue tip might appear heart-shaped or notched when they try to stick it out.
Difficulty lifting the tongue also catches a dentist’s attention. Normal tongue function requires reaching the roof of the mouth easily. Children with tongue-tie struggle with this basic movement.
Speech Development Red Flags
Speech issues become apparent during dental visits, especially when dentists ask children to repeat certain sounds or words.
Specific Sound Challenges
Trouble with certain letters signals potential tongue-tie problems. Sounds like “t,” “d,” “n,” “l,” and “s” require precise tongue placement against the roof of the mouth.
Children with tongue-tie often substitute these difficult sounds with others they can manage. They might say “gog” instead of “dog” or struggle with “th” sounds entirely.
Unclear speech patterns beyond age-appropriate development also concern dentists. While some speech delays are normal, persistent issues combined with limited tongue mobility suggest tongue-tie involvement.
Eating and Feeding Difficulties
Dentists frequently hear about feeding struggles from parents, which can indicate tongue-tie complications.
Early Feeding Problems
Breastfeeding challenges often provide the first clues. Mothers may report painful nursing, poor latch, or babies who seem constantly hungry despite frequent feeding.
Bottle feeding might also prove difficult. Parents notice their child takes unusually long to finish bottles or seems to work harder than other babies during feeding.
Ongoing Eating Issues
Messy eating habits persist longer than expected in children with tongue-tie. They might struggle to move food around their mouth effectively or have trouble chewing certain textures.
Picky eating behaviors sometimes develop as children unconsciously avoid foods that are difficult to manage with limited tongue mobility.
Dental Health Consequences
Tongue-tie affects oral health in ways many parents don’t consider.
Cleaning Challenges
Poor oral hygiene often results from reduced tongue mobility. The tongue naturally helps clean teeth and move saliva around the mouth. When tongue movement is restricted, bacteria and food particles accumulate more easily.
Increased cavity risk follows these cleaning difficulties. Dentists notice higher rates of tooth decay in children with untreated tongue-tie.
Jaw and Bite Development
Altered jaw growth can occur over time. The tongue plays a crucial role in shaping the palate and guiding proper jaw development. Restricted tongue movement may lead to narrow palates or bite problems.
Breathing Pattern Observations
Alert dentists also watch for breathing irregularities that might connect to tongue-tie.
Mouth Breathing Signs
Persistent open-mouth posture during rest periods suggests possible tongue-tie issues. The tongue should naturally rest against the palate, encouraging nasal breathing.
Sleep disruptions sometimes surface during dental discussions with parents. Mouth breathing, snoring, or restless sleep can all relate to tongue positioning problems.
When to Seek Further Evaluation?
Dentists play a valuable role in early detection, but they typically refer families to specialists for comprehensive assessment and treatment.
Speech therapy evaluation helps determine the extent of communication impacts. Lactation consultants can address ongoing feeding concerns. Oral surgeons or specialized dentists perform tongue-tie releases when necessary.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Early identification makes a significant difference in treatment outcomes. The sooner tongue-tie is addressed, the better children adapt to improved tongue function.
Parents shouldn’t worry if their dentist mentions possible tongue-tie signs. Many children with mild cases function well without intervention, while others benefit greatly from simple procedures that dramatically improve their quality of life.
