Lip tie is a condition where the labial frenulum, a piece of tissue attaching the upper lip to the gum, is very tight. The condition makes it difficult for the person to move their upper lip. A baby with a lip tie may experience breastfeeding issues like difficulty getting sufficient milk. The lactating mother may also feel pain when breastfeeding.
Understanding What Is a Lip Tie
Our lips are attached to the gums by tissue. If the tissue is too short or tight, it may result in a lip tie. A maxillary labial frenulum or a lip frenulum is a piece of tissue inside an upper lip attaching to the gums. If the tissue is extremely short, it may limit lip movements, causing lip tie.
A lip frenulum is made of mucous membranes and connective tissue. We all have the tissue in our mouths to keep the lip stable while the facial bones are growing and changing. The tissue also helps keep the lip stable to make it easy for you to suck.
Babies have the tissues at birth, and sometimes it may seem too obvious. The lip frenulum changes and moves as the baby grows and develops teeth.
Types Of Lip Attachments
Mucosal
Mucosal lip attachment occurs after an attachment of the tissue to where it meets at the top of the gums. This is known as the mucogingival junction.
Gingival
Gingival attachment occurs if there is an attachment further down into the gums.
Papillary
A papillary lip frenulum occurs after attaching the tissue at the gums between the front teeth. The area is known as interdental papilla.
Papilla penetrating
This attachment occurs when the tissue is down between the teeth and crosses over your bone. It then extends back into the palate.
Understanding What a Lip Tie Is
As these attachments change with growth in babies, it is controversial to diagnose the condition sometimes. A baby may have a lip frenulum, but this does not mean they have a lip tie. The condition is diagnosed in children if the movement of the lip is restricted due to the attachment being too short and tight.
The condition is usually defined when a baby is experiencing difficulties breastfeeding. You can improve the child’s ability to breastfeed by releasing the tongue tie. However, there is no clear evidence regarding lip tie. Many lip tie revisions have been done, but it’s rare to see a short frenulum causing tightness.
According to some research, it may not have an effect. However, other research indicates it may cause latching and sealing problems when breastfeeding. This might cause reflux. A lip tie may also affect the baby’s teeth and gums.
Severe attachments have a high likelihood of causing problems.
Causes Of Lip Tie
A lip-tie occurs when the lingual frenulum separates before a child is born and allows the baby’s tongue a free range of motion. With a lip tie, the lingual frenulum stays attached to the bottom of the baby’s tongue. It’s not yet established why this happens. However, some lip tie cases are linked to some genetic factors.
Although some lip attachment is normal, some conditions have a high chance of an unusual lip attachment. These conditions include:
- Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
- Holoprosencephaly
- Ellis-van Creveld syndrome
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Oro-facial-digital syndrome
Signs And Symptoms of a Lip Tie
If you suspect a lip tie in your child, the most obvious sign will be a tight lip attachment. Other signs that indicate your baby may be having a lip tie include:
- Delayed weight gain
- Reflux after swallowing too much air when breastfeeding
- Irritability
- Longer feedings
- Clicking and smacking noise as the baby feeds
- Leaking milk from the mouth while breastfeeding
If your baby is breastfeeding and has a lip tie, you may experience pain during or after the feeds. Your breasts may also be swollen and painful. This may occur since the baby may have a hard time breastfeeding.
The signs and symptoms of lip tie in an older kid or adult may also include a tight attachment. Other signs include:
- Spacing between the front teeth
- Losing gum between the teeth
- Receding gums
- Difficulty brushing the teeth
- Teeth cavities
- Misaligned teeth
Diagnosing A Lip Tie
The doctor will conduct a physical examination of the child’s mouth to see any unusual lip attachments, especially for lip movement. They may also ask you to breastfeed so they can see how the baby is latching and sucking.
The dentist will diagnose the condition for an older child or adult during a dental examination. The dentist will pull on the attachment. This will help him check if the papilla or the gum between your teeth is moving or turning white.
Lip Tie Treatment
Before considering treatment, you should first work with a lactation specialist. The specialist will help resolve breastfeeding issues. You may consider alternative options such as bottle-feeding the baby.
However, some parents opt for lip tie revision, also known as a frenectomy. The procedure involves cutting off the piece of tissue from the baby’s labial frenulum so it can loosen. The physician will accomplish this through painless laser surgery. They may also use a scalpel or scissors as the child is put under a local anesthetic.
Lip Tie Reversal
A lip tie reversal procedure consists of the steps named below:
- A mother will lay on a dental chair as she holds the baby.
- The baby’s dentist will apply a topical numbing agent, usually a local anesthetic
- The dentist uses handheld lasers to cut a part of the frenulum. The procedure will remove the tie, and the laser will help cauterize the wound immediately.
- The child begins the process of recovery.
- The dentist gives the mother the post-operation instructions.
- A mother may have to return the baby to the dentist or physician for a continued check-up. The dentist will check if the child is recovering well to avoid lip tie reattachment.
If you are considering having lip tie laser surgery, contact us today for a consultation.
