What is a lip-tie?

A lip-tie is a condition that babies are born with. It is fairly easy to spot in a child as most of the symptoms and identifiers are physical. A lip-tie is where the small skin tissue in between the lower or upper lip and the gums below or in between the teeth are attached. This is a similar condition to the more common but still rare tongue-tie. A lip-tie can occur on its own or in conjunction with tongue-tie. It is not known what causes lip and tongue-tie, though there have been observed genetic links between the two. There are four levels of lip-tie severity, one being the most mild condition and four being the most severe. A child with this condition will find it hard to latch on while breastfeeding, along with other symptoms.

Symptoms

Symptoms early in life:

  • Difficulty latching onto the nipple
  • Clicking noise may be observed while breastfeeding
  • Baby experiences fatigue after breastfeeding

All of these symptoms may also, in turn, make it difficult for your child to gain weight.

As far as issues later in life, most babies, toddlers, children and adults are able to cope with the dysfunction (if not corrected). Though still, your child may experience more dental related issues as well as difficulty eating from a spoon or consuming finger foods.

Diagnosis

A pediatrician will be able to diagnose your child by visually examining the area. After the diagnosis, your doctor will offer a variety of solutions to this potentially serious problem.

Solutions

Some of the solutions include:

  • Waiting to see if it will correct itself
    Sometimes as a child grows, mild cases of lip and tongue-tie can be something they grow out of. In these cases, surgery is not needed or recommended to patients.
  • Laser surgery
    Laser surgery is a way to cut the extra tissue and separate the lip from the gum quite accurately, nearly painlessly, and relatively quickly.
  • Other surgery
    Dentists or doctors may perform a lip-tie revision surgery with a knife as well.

If you think your child may have a lip-tie, speak to your doctor or pediatrician. Looking for a lip-tie revision? Come see the knowledgeable experts at Durham Tongue Tie Laser Clinic in Oshawa and talk with us about your options.