Understanding Tongue Ties & Lip Ties
Expert care from the Florida Tongue Tie & Pediatric Airway Center
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What is a Tongue Tie?
A tongue tie (the medical term is ankyloglossia) happens when the band of tissue under the tongue is too short, too thick, or too tight. This tissue is called the lingual frenulum, and when it's restrictive, it keeps the tongue from moving the way it should.
Your tongue does a lot more than you probably think about. It's responsible for nursing, eating, swallowing, speaking clearly, and even breathing properly. When a tongue tie gets in the way, all of those things can become harder.
What is a Lip Tie?
A lip tie affects the upper lip. There's a band of tissue that connects your upper lip to your gums (the labial frenulum), and when it's too tight, it can make it tough for babies to latch during breastfeeding and general oral motor function.
Types of Tongue Ties
Not all tongue ties look the same.
Anterior tongue ties are easiest to spot. The restriction is right at the tip of the tongue. When your baby tries to lift their tongue, it might look heart-shaped or stuck to the bottom of their mouth.
Posterior tongue ties sit deeper under the tongue and can be hard to see, even when they restrict movement. Because they’re less visible, they’re often missed during checkups, but they can still affect feeding, speech, and airway function.
How Common Are Tongue Ties?
More common than you'd think. Studies show that – 10%--- of newborns have tongue ties, though some experts believe the actual number is higher once you include posterior ties that often go undiagnosed.
A few patterns we see:
- They run in families. If you or your partner had one, your child is more likely to have one too
- They happen across all ethnicities
Tongue ties are present from birth. They don't develop over time. But the problems they cause might not show up right away.
Common signs & symptoms of tongue & lip ties by age
Click on your child's age below to see common signs & symptoms. If you're noticing several of these signs, your child may need an assessment.
Why correcting Tongue Ties Matter
Tongue and lip ties typically persist unless treated, and their effects may become more noticeable over time.
Impact on Feeding
For babies, the tongue is everything when it comes to eating. If it can't move right, your baby can't create the suction they need to breastfeed or bottle feed effectively. That leads to poor nutrition, weight gain issues, painful nursing for mom, and often giving up on breastfeeding after weeks or months of struggle.
Impact on Speech
To make sounds clearly, the tongue has to move freely. Kids with tongue ties often have articulation challenges. They might get speech therapy, and that can help to a degree, but therapy can't fix the physical restriction. You have to address the tie itself.
Impact on Growth & Development
The tongue shapes the mouth. When it rests on the roof of the mouth like it's supposed to, it naturally widens the upper jaw and makes room for teeth to come in straight. But if a tongue tie keeps it sitting low, you end up with a narrow palate, crowded teeth, bite problems, and a lot more orthodontic work down the road.
Impact on Breathing & Airway
When the tongue can’t rest where it should (on the roof of the mouth), it can affect airway development. Children may begin breathing through their mouths, which can lead to poor sleep, snoring, behavioral changes, and in some cases, contribute to sleep-disordered breathing or mild sleep apnea.
Impact on Quality of Life
Beyond the physical stuff, tongue ties can impact confidence, social life, school performance, and overall happiness. Kids might avoid speaking up in class, feel embarrassed eating in front of people, or struggle with behavior problems because they're not sleeping well.
How We Diagnose Tongue & Lip Ties
At the Florida Tongue Tie & Pediatric Airway Center, we perform a full functional assessment to determine whether a tongue or lip tie is affecting health, comfort, or development.
What we look at:
Mobility & Range of Motion
Can the tongue lift to the roof of the mouth? Move side to side? Sweep around the lips? Cup upward (super important for nursing)?
Function
We check how the restriction is affecting feeding, speech, breathing, sleep, and eating habits.
The whole picture
The tongue and lip don't exist in isolation. We also look at palate shape, jaw alignment, head and neck posture, and breathing patterns.
Your Input
What you're seeing at home matters. You know your child better than anyone. We listen.
A good assessment isn't just about what the tissue looks like. It's about how it's affecting function and quality of life. Because the tongue is part of a complex system that impacts so many things, we take a comprehensive and collaborative approach to make sure we're setting your child up for the best outcome.
What Happens Next?
If we determine that a tongue tie or lip tie is affecting your child's function, we'll discuss treatment options, explain our CO2 laser procedure, and create a personalized care plan.
The good news? Treatment can be transformative, improving feeding, speech, sleep, and overall quality of life.
The Florida Tongue Tie & Pediatric Airway Center is part of Kids United Pediatric Dentistry.
Serving families across Palm Beach, Broward, and South Florida.
Boca Raton, FL
8903 Glades Road
Suite D-4
Boca Raton, FL 33434
561.483.9334
