Tongue-Tie

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The Head to Toe Connection

Our entire body is coated in fascia, connecting our body from our head all the way down to our toes. What do you think can happen to the rest of our body when there is a restriction, or tether, starting all the way up top? Tethered oral tissues, or TOTS, create a domino effect on our body. Our body is amazing and will do what it needs to survive, it will learn to compensate any way it can.

The tongue is a muscular organ. It is composed of 8 sets of muscles, including extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The tongue plays a crucial role in so many functions on a day to day basis, no wonder it’s function impacts our entire well being.

TOTs can impact the following:

 

Sleep Issues:

  • Sleep apnea

  • Restless/fidgets

  • Wets the bed

  • Chin to sky

  • Wakes tired

  • Grinds teeth

  • Mouth breathing

  • Snores

  • Gasps for air

  • Stunted growth due to deficient Human Growth Hormone

Craniofacial Respiratory Complex Development:

  • No tongue in palate to serve as scaffold for upper jaw

  • Malocclusion

  • Collapsed upper arch/high narrow palate

  • Recessed Chin

  • Deviated Septum

Nursing/Bottle Feeding:

  • Painful/shallow

  • Poor weight gain

  • Reflux

  • Messy eater

  • Low milk supply

  • Clicking/smacking

  • Nipple shield use

  • Colic

 

Feeding:

  • Slow

  • Picky/Texture issue

  • Grazes/small meals

  • Cheek packing

  • Choking/gaging

  • No new foods

  • Poor transition from liquids to solids

  • Messy eating

Speech:

  • Frustration

  • Hard to understand

  • Speech delay

  • /s/, /z/, /r/, /ch/, /t/, /d/, /th/, /l/

  • Stutter/mumble

  • In speech for an extended period of time

Other Issues:

  • Neck/shoulder pain

  • TMJ issues

  • Headaches

  • Strong gag reflex

  • Ear tubes

  • T&A

  • Chronic throat/ear infections

  • Eustachian tube dysfunction, HX of ear tubes

  • Mouth breathing

  • Reflux

  • Constipation

  • Digestive issues

  • ADHD

 

It is crucial a patient receives pre and post surgical myofunctional therapy.

Most of us can understand why Myofunctional therapy (OMT) following a tongue or lip tie procedure is critical. Would you have surgery on any other part of your body and not go through rehabilitation?

At CTOM, we provide the active wound management immediately following the frenectomy as well as a full therapeutic program designed to optimize function of your newly freed tongue, lip, or cheeks (buccal) to ensure your orofacial complex is working harmoniously.

What most people don’t know is that pre-operative therapy is JUST as important. By minimizing the fascial restriction prior to the release, your skilled provider will be able to complete an optimal and successful release. It is vital that we begin creating new neural pathways prior to the procedure and optimize function and strength. Many of the release providers we work with will NOT do a frenectomy until you receive myofunctional therapy. We are a piece to the puzzle and body work is also strongly encouraged.

Awareness is KEY!