Tongue Tie (Ankyloglossia)

A doctor or midwife said your baby has a “tongue tie”? Or your infant has trouble breastfeeding, and your older child can’t pronounce certain sounds? The cause may be ankyloglossia: restricted tongue movement due to a short or tight lingual frenulum.

How to recognize it

In infants:

• Difficulty latching onto the breast
• Breastfeeding is painful for mom (nipple comes out flattened or blanched)
• The baby clicks, smacks, or makes noise while feeding
• The baby tires quickly during feeds and falls asleep at the breast
• Slow weight gain

In older children and adults:

• Problems with sounds like “r”, “l”, “t”, “d”, “n”, “sh” (the tongue can’t reach where it should)
• The tongue forms a heart shape when extended
• The child can’t touch the palate with their tongue when the mouth is open
• Eating in a rush, avoiding foods that require chewing
• The tongue pushes between the teeth during speech and swallowing

Not every tongue tie needs surgery

What matters is not how the frenulum looks, but how it affects function: feeding, speech, chewing, and swallowing. That’s why I do a functional assessment in addition to checking the anatomy. I measure actual tongue mobility and determine whether the restriction is causing real problems.

Only then can I say: “yes, in this case a procedure makes sense” or “no, exercises will be enough here.”

If a procedure is needed

A frenotomy (frenulum release) is performed by an oral surgeon or ENT. It’s a short procedure. But the procedure is only half the work. Without post-operative exercises, scar tissue can restrict tongue movement again, and old movement patterns will remain.

That’s why I work with patients in three stages:

1. Before the procedure — muscle preparation and helping the child feel ready.
2. After the procedure — exercises to prevent scar adhesion and teach new tongue movements.
3. Speech therapy — correcting sounds that were previously impossible to produce correctly.

Book a consultation

If you suspect a tongue tie may be causing feeding or speech problems, I invite you for an appointment. I’ll assess the situation and help you decide on next steps.

📞 577 600 985
📧 neurologopeda.grzegrzolka@gmail.com