Adult Laser Procedure

Have you heard of a lip or tongue tie? You may think this only impacts children, however, if you have not had this procedure done as a child you may one know that is impacting your life. A tight frenulum can impact your speech, reading, and even your speech. While you may think it is minor and is not impacting you long term, having a laser procedure can allow you to have the benefits of a tongue or lip release.

This procedure is quick and usually takes only one office visit. While a consultation is critical in order for all parties to be on the same page, this can be a great time for you to get all of your questions answered as well as determine the impact of the lip or tongue tie on you. 

While the site may be sore for a few days after you have the procedure, making sure to take care of the site and ensuring you follow the aftercare procedures can help you to get the results you are looking for. You might be surprised at the end result of this release.

For more information on adult laser procedures contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Two Potential Problems of Tongue-Tie

Some parents have found there is very little information on tongue-ties. They may have a baby that is fussy and struggling to latch on properly when breastfeeding. As a new mom, it can become overwhelming and frustrating, and you may feel it is your fault your baby cannot eat. At wits end you seek help and determine your baby is impacted with a tongue-tie. While you may be told to hold off on any procedures because it may 'fix itself', in order to give your baby the proper nutrition, you may have to provide other food sources. Dr. Strutz wants you to know there are risks to waiting to have a tongue-tie procedure and many times it solves the issues related to breastfeeding and much more.

Dr. Judith Strutz, says that some babies who do not get the procedure done relatively quickly after diagnosis may struggle to maintain proper weight. Without eating enough, they are not able to gain the necessary weight to stay healthy. Once the procedure is completed most babies are able to resume their normal eating habits and many breastfeed immediately after.

Then as your child gets older they may struggle to say certain sounds. The tongue in the mouth sits in a particular spot when saying particular sounds. When your child is saying the 's' or 't' sound if their tongue is not able to position itself correctly the sound may become more of a 'w.' While this may seem like a minor problem when they are younger, the older they get the more trouble they may experience with talking.

For more information on the problems of a tongue-tie, contact Dr. Strutz and her team.

Breastfeeding Is A Supply & Demand Business

A few days after your baby is born it may feel like you are going to explode as your milk comes in. Your body is responding to the needs of your baby and you want to give them the best you can. But if your baby has a lip or tongue tie it can impact the supply of milk you are producing.

Dr. Judy Strutz suggests, "when your child latches on to the breast in order to eat, the proper attachment is critical to the success of them getting enough milk." When a baby has a maxillary frenum they may latch onto just the nipple. Sucking and then letting go, then re-latching on. This can become extremely painful for the mother and can leave your child feeling frustrated and hungry.

Sometimes the infant may latch onto the side of the breast to compensate for the fact that their tongue does not move enough in the mouth. When this happens, your child may get some of the let down before the milk really comes in. But then because they do not have the ability to stay on the breast, they may unlatch. The process of latching and then trying to latch again can cause breast pain.. Not only that, but while this cycle continues, your supply of milk could be decreasing. Because your child is not fully getting the milk,  your body may think your baby is not wanting to eat and therefore there is no reason to produce more milk.

While this can be frustrating and lead to mastitis there is help you can get.

For other information on Tongue or lip-ties and for support contact Dr. Strutz & her team today.

How Do I Know If My Baby Requires Tongue-Tie Surgery

Frena is the membranous fold that attaches and restricts the movement of a muscle. In the mouth there are two frena. The plural form of frena is frenum. The first one is located between the inside of the upper lip and the gums. If you slide your tongue up, you can feel the thick piece of skin. While the thickness varies among individuals it should not be between the two front teeth or restrict the tongue from moving back and forward in the mouth. 

The bottom frena should allow free movement of the tongue up and down and should not cause any pain when you move it around.

When your baby is born, you may notice that the frena is thicker and restricts movement, “This is referred to as being tongue-tied,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. This is one sign that may require surgery. While surgery sounds scary for a baby, lasers make this procedure safe and can help to ensure that breastfeeding is successful.

If your baby is struggling to latch onto the nipple during breastfeeding, causing pain and lack of a proper suction you may want to look in their mouth. The frenum should not restrict tongue movement. Your baby should be able to freely move the tongue towards the back of the throat and roof of the mouth.

Contact Dr. Strutzand her team today for more information.

How Tongue Tie Can Impact Breast Feeding

 

Tongue-tie can negatively impact the amazing experience of breastfeeding. In order for your baby to latch on correctly their tongue needs to be in a position where the tongue is against the back of the mouth at the roof. If the thick piece of skin that attaches their tongue to the lower part of their mouth is too thick, it will create a barrier for their tongue to move efficiently in the mouth.  As they attempt to latch on, the tongue-tie may cause them to latch on to the side of the breast instead of the nipple.

If your baby is able to latch on to the nipple, it may still be an issue. When the latch is not quite right it can be painful for you and eventually cause your baby to overcompensate and suck harder. “This takes effort on your infant’s part. Once he is unable to keep up the strength it takes to hold onto the nipple that hard, he may let go,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. “If he lets go too soon, there may be more milk remaining in the breast, causing an increase of pain and soreness for the mother. Your baby will have also not received enough nutrition and then may quickly become hungry again.

Depending on the thickness of the frenum, some babies are not able to latch to the breast at all. While breastfeeding under normal circumstances can cause stress, this situation can create unnecessary strain on you during breastfeeding. Don’t give up. Instead get help.

Contact Dr. Strutz & her team today and have your child evaluated for a lip or tongue tie..

Maxillary Frenum’s Need Your Attention

Frenectomy laser surgery is a must if your child has tongue-tie. While you might believe it will go away on its own, it can actually get worse. If the skin that is holding the tongue in place on the inside of the lip goes untreated, it can get thicker and begin to separate the front teeth. "While a gap between the teeth seems cute when children are younger, it can be detrimental to older children," suggests Dr. Strutz.

Placing the tongue up against the back of the teeth makes certain sounds. When they begin to develop sounds, it is important that your school age child hears the sounds correctly. However, they need to also be able to say the sounds correctly in order to develop reading fluency. There is a small window when speech sounds are being developed and research shows that students who do not learn to speak correctly by early educational grades may never learn to correctly say the sounds. 

Your child’s self-esteem is important and is developed by being secure in their abilities. Children who struggle to state sounds correctly may become insecure as they begin to talk to peers but are unable to be understood. While they are in school, education is built on their ability to share ideas with their peers while the teacher facilitates the learning, for example your daughter walks through how to solve a math problem by talking. Reading is built on your child’s ability to hear and say the sounds correctly.

If you’re concerned about your student’s frenum contact Dr.Strutz today.

Why Your Infant Should Have Frenectomy Surgery

Some doctors may recommend you wait for your baby to have a frenectomy surgery. Dr. Judith Strutz however, recommends having this procedure done sooner in order to increase your baby’s ability to nurse correctly and reduce the risk of a greater impact later on.

When babies are nursing they should be able to comfortably latch on and feed. When your baby has a maxillary frenectomy or tongue-tie it can cause your son or daughter to attempt to latch on at the side of their mouth instead of directly on. It can also cause you an extreme amount of pain if they are latched on incorrectly.   While the first few days of breastfeeding a brand new baby can be very trying, increased pain from an improper feeding position can cause any new mom to give up on the process.

When babies are nursing, if they are not latched on correctly, they may not be getting the necessary amount of food they need in order to maintain their weight and grow. On average after a baby is born they loose a few pounds. Proper nutrition is critical for these little ones to fight off infections and to boost their fragile immune systems.

Tongue-tied babies can almost immediately latch on and eat correctly after the surgery has been performed. Due to modern technology this surgery tends to be very smooth and easy for babies.   A laser is used to cut the extra skin and the wound is cauterized. While it takes a short amount of time to completely heal, your baby should be able to eat almost immediately.

If your little one was born with a frenum issue, contact Dr. Strutz and her team today for more information.