Parents often hear about “lip ties” or “tongue ties” from a friend, pediatrician, or online search, and understandably, it can leave them with a lot of questions.
Could a tie be affecting their baby’s feeding? Might it contribute to speech concerns later on? And does it actually affect how a child’s mouth develops?
In this guide, we’ll explain the main difference between a lip tie and a tongue tie, what each may and may not affect, and how we evaluate these conditions.
Lip Tie vs. Tongue Tie: What’s the Difference?
First, let’s look at how they differ.
Location
A tongue tie involves the frenum underneath the tongue, which connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
A lip tie involves the frenum that connects the upper lip to the gum. Since both types of tissue can be seen in the mouth, they are often confused with one another.
Movement
Tongue ties are mainly related to tongue movement. When the tissue under the tongue is tight or attached close to the tip, the tongue may have trouble lifting, extending, or moving from side to side.
Lip ties are different. Nearly every child has some tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum, and many children with a visibly tight frenum have normal lip movement and no related concerns.
How Can a Tongue Tie Affect My Child?
In Infants
Some common signs of a tongue tie in infants can include:
- Trouble getting a deep latch during breastfeeding
- Poor milk transfer, even after a long feeding session
- Feedings that take a long time or happen very frequently
- A latch that keeps slipping and requires frequent repositioning
- Gassiness or excessive spit-up
These signs can have several possible causes, so seeing one or more of them does not necessarily mean your baby has a tongue tie. An evaluation can help determine whether restricted tongue movement may be contributing to feeding difficulties.
In Older Children
As children get older, a tongue tie may affect certain oral movements. Some children have trouble sweeping food from their back teeth with their tongue or show differences in their swallowing patterns.
Speech is another topic many parents ask about. A tongue tie does not automatically cause speech problems, and many children with tongue ties develop typical speech without treatment. Some children, however, may have difficulty with sounds that require the tongue tip to lift, such as L, Z, R, or TH.
How Can a Lip Tie Affect My Child?
A lip tie can affect some children in a few different ways, particularly with feeding and oral hygiene. Some possible concerns include:
- Difficulty latching during breastfeeding or bottle feeding
- Difficulty creating a good seal with the lips
- Difficulty brushing the upper front teeth or changes in tooth positioning
- A gap between the upper front teeth in some children
A lip tie can contribute to a gap between the front teeth in some children. However, many gaps close on their own as the permanent teeth come in, and many children with a tight frenum never develop a gap.
One other point to keep in mind is that nearly every baby is born with a visible piece of tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum. This is typical anatomy and does not automatically mean there is a problem.
Read more: Tongue-Tie in Infants and Young Children: Signs to Look Out For
Do Lip Ties and Tongue Ties Need Treatment?
For children with tongue ties, some minor cases may improve with time, but tongue ties rarely “fix themselves” on their own. Like other congenital conditions, tongue ties are often best addressed early to help with proper development.
A lip tie, however, does not always cause issues as a child grows.
Read more: Tongue- and Lip-Ties: Addressing Common Misconceptions
Our general approach is to focus on the functional concerns. Treatment decisions are based on each child’s individual needs, including how the tongue or lip tie may be affecting feeding, speech, or other areas of development.
When treatment is appropriate, the procedure used is called a frenectomy. It is a laser procedure that releases the restricted tissue.
We talk with parents about lip ties and tongue ties often, and it is easy to confuse the two or assume they cause the same concerns.
An evaluation with a provider specializing in lip- and tongue ties can give you a better understanding of what your child’s anatomy may mean for feeding, speech, or oral development.
Read more: Why Early Feeding, Speech, and Airway Screenings Matter for Your Little One
Our pediatric dental team in Lafayette specializes in diagnosing and treating tongue and lip ties, and we are recognized as one of Louisiana’s recommended providers for this type of care. If you have questions about your child’s feeding, speech, or oral development, give us a call to book an appointment.