Tongue Tie Chiropractors in Sydney (Mosman)
The complexity made simple with co-management | Gentle Baby Chiropractic
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Tongue tie is the improper development of the anchoring of the tongue to the mouth, which results in limited tongue movement. The frenulum, which is what attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is too short, too thin, or too tight to allow for proper tongue use.Being tongue tied isn’t just a figure of speech—it’s a very real medical condition. Tongue tie affects oral and facial development and has a range of other serious health consequences that may not appear for decades.
We all have a lingual frenulum (or frenum) under our tongue. If you lift your tongue and look in the mirror, you’ll see it. The frenum is the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
Normal lingual frenulum function means that the tongue, with the mouth closed, rests on the top of the mouth and touches the back of the front teeth.
In some people, the frenum is tighter or thicker than it should be, which can physically restrict the movement of the tongue.
A tongue tie can also be referred to as ankyloglossia, short frenum, anchored tongue, or tethered oral tissue (TOT).
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There are a few ways to classify or identify tongue ties, but it’s an art, not a science—and experts don’t agree on diagnostic criteria. Not all tongue ties can be seen with the naked eye, and some “normal” looking tongues suffer from limited range of motion and must be treated.
Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are the ones to properly diagnose. We see them frequently and can generally recognise it but we won’t be the one to tell you you definitely have a tongue tie. In this case we will refer to you a lactation consultant for the definite diagnosis.
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The system developed by Hazelbaker in the 1990s uses slightly different measurements and includes additional information to identify ties:
Type 1, 100% Tongue-Tie: Anterior tongue tie less than 2 millimeters from the tip, attached to the alveolar ridge, frenulum can be thin, thick, restricted, or elastic
Type 2, 75% Tongue-Tie: Anterior tongue tie, 2-5 millimeters from tip, attached to the alveolar ridge, or base of ridge/mouth floor, frenulum may be tin, thick, restricted, or elastic
Type 3, 50% Tongue-Tie: Mid tongue tie, 6-10 millimeters from tip, attached to alveolar ridge/mouth floor, frenulum may be thin or thick but is more restricted, as more of the tongue is “free”
Type 4, 25% Tongue-Tie: Posterior tongue tie, 11-15 millimeters from tip, attached to mouth floor/base of alveolar ridge or on the alveolar ridge, frenulum may be thin or thick but is less restricted
Type 5, Submucosal Tongue-Tie: Posterior tongue tie, more than 15 millimeters from tip, attached to mouth floor or base of alveolar ridge, frenulum is typically thin and shiny when tongue is lifted
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Weight gain problems in newborns
Mastitis
Poor latch / orofacial relfex issues
Speech issues
Jaw pain, clenching, and grinding
Headaches
Head, neck, and shoulder tension
Forward head posture
Snoring, sleep disordered breathing, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), and sleep apnea
Increased risk of cavities and gum disease
Slower orthodontic treatment
Orthodontic relapse
Feel supported through tongue Tie
Our team of caring, dedicated chiropractors in Mosman will be with you and your family every step of the way through your tongue tie, lip tie, buccal tie journey.
Helping you to navigate through what can be a difficult time
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This is done by a dentist or paediatrician. In most cases, tongue ties are treated with a minor surgical procedure to release the tie. Either with laser or scalpel depending on the practitioner. This procedure is called a frenectomy but is also known as a frenotomy or frenulectomy.
The frenectomy is a simple, very low-risk procedure that only takes a few minutes. It’s usually done in-office by a dentist or ENT using a laser, scalpel, or sterile scissors without general anesthesia.
I recommend finding a specialist who’s very experienced at performing the procedure. If it’s not done correctly, or released enough, there’s a high chance the frenectomy will need to be done again.
For severe cases in older children or adults, a frenuloplasty might be required. This is a more complex version of the tongue tie surgery that does require general anesthetic.
After the frenectomy, caring for the wound is also critical. The mouth and tongue are great at healing, so it’s possible that the tongue will reattach, meaning it will literally heal back down the way it was.
So, we meet with our clients immediately following the release to guide them through caring for the wound and to teach them new gentle exercises. This allows the tissues to heal without reattaching and affecting the end result.
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Associated issues with
Birth Trauma
Complicated pregnancies
TMJ (Jaw) / Hyoid/ Cranium / Occiput / C1/2 restrictions from in-utero or cause by the birth process whether it’s long, short or intervened with forceps, vacuum or necessarily pulled with hands
Muscle or fascia imbalance
Sacral imbalance
The triad - can’t poo, won’t sleep, or eat… well
The other triad - torticollis, DDH developmental hip dysplasia, club foot
There’s so many things that can alter the function of the tie. We all have tissue underlying our tongues… but how much is it causing a problem?
We will work with your team to help resolve the underlying issue and work with you if you need it revised.
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What causes a tongue tie? The answer is still unclear.
Recent research is showing that tongue ties are linked to a mutation in the MTHFR gene and/or nutrtitional deficiencies. The science behind this is quite complicated but basically, what’s happening is that a specific gene isn’t quite working as it should.
In this case, the mutation involves a process known as “methylation”, which affects the body’s ability to deal with folate—an important element in prenatal nutrition. Tongue ties are just one of many conditions linked to this mutation.
Because tongue tie is linked to a genetic cause, it was once thought to be hereditary. I see this a lot in my practice; parents will reach out to me for help with a tongue tied child, only to find out that they’re tongue tied as well.
Interestingly, though, heritability of tongue tie hasn’t been well-established. In fact, some sources find no statistically significant family heritability for it at all.
Boys are more likely than girls to be born with tongue ties.
Newborn Chiropractic
Care is tailored to each baby and techniques used are so gentle… it’s likened to checking the ripeness of a piece of fruit.
Why Bring a Baby to the Chiropractor?
Birth! — even the most beautiful and natural birth — is physically demanding on a baby’s body.
Tension, misalignment, or nervous system stress may show up as:
🌸 Difficulty latching or feeding on one side
🌸 Reflux, colic, or excessive gas
🌸 Flat head or head favouring (plagiocephaly/torticollis)
🌸 Constipation or unsettled behaviour
🌸 Sleeping in a stiff or curled position
🌸 Developmental delays or arching through the body
Our goal is to support the function of your baby’s spine, cranial bones, and nervous system to promote balance, ease, and healthy development.
We work collaboratively with
IBCLC’s (lactation consultants), speech patholiogists, myofacial therapists and dentists for feeding issues.
We’re the go-to clinic for tongue / lip tie body work pre/post revision for bubba’s.
It takes a Tribe
We will work collaboratively with whomever you need to help you and your baby with their tongue tie. Lactaction Consultants (IBCLCs), Dentists, Paediatricians, Speech Pathologists, Physios, Osteos… you name it. We’re all for collaboration. they’re only a text message away when it comes to you and your baby.