What Is Tongue-Tie?
Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a condition present at birth where there is an excessive amount of tissue membranes where the tongue connects to the bottom of the mouth, restricting the tongue's range of motion.
Similarly, a lip tie is a condition where the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gums is too tight or attached too low, restricting how the lip can move.
Dr. Huffman is an experienced tongue tie doctor who sees families from across Virginia, evaluating and treating restricted tongue and lip movement in infants, children, and adults.
How Can We Treat Tongue or Lip Tie?
We release lip and tongue ties with the LightScalpel CO2 laser rather than a scalpel or scissors. The procedure takes only minutes and causes very little discomfort. The laser offers real advantages:
- Minimized bleeding: As it vaporizes the tissue, the LightScalpel laser seals small blood vessels, so the frenectomy stays quick and clean.
- Less swelling and discomfort: The laser beam seals lymphatics as it works, which means less postoperative swelling and soreness.
- Reduced risk of infection: The laser sanitizes as it goes, lowering infection risk and speeding healing.
- Shortened procedure time: With less bleeding, Dr. Huffman can see the treatment area clearly and finish sooner.
- Faster recovery: Less trauma, minimal bleeding, and shorter anesthesia all add up to a quicker return to normal.
- Precision: The LightScalpel's lightweight handpieces and flexible fiber waveguide allow pin-point accuracy and excellent reach.
At our office, we treat infants up to 1 year old and children starting at 4 years old. For children and adults, myofunctional therapy is a necessary part of frenectomy treatment. Our hygienist, Alyssa Perisnger, is an orofacial myofunctional therapist who handles Myo assessments and therapy sessions with our patients. The therapy itself uses exercises and behavior modification to retrain the tongue, lips, and jaw, correcting functional irregularities of the face and mouth. To learn more or set up a consultation, call us at (540) 432-1600.
Want More Information?
Dr. Richard Baxter of the Alabama Tongue-Tie Center explains tongue-tie and lip-tie treatment for infants in this video:
