Apple Valley, MN—May 30, 2019—Dakota Dental now offers tongue frenuloplasty services for infants and adult patients living with a malformation of the lingual frenulum. Dr. Ellen Jacobson, the clinic’s infant tongue-tie specialist—who received her frenuloplasty training from The Breathe Institute and AMOT—is laser-certified to perform tongue-tie releases in office. Using a state-of-the-art co2 light scalpel laser, Dr. Jacobson helps ensure a safe and quick procedure that allows for greater tongue and lip mobility.
Tongue frenuloplasty (medically referred to as ankyloglossia), or more commonly known as tongue-tie, is a condition that restricts the tongue’s range of motion by tethering the bottom of the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth. This condition is typically treated with newborns, as it can affect the infant’s ability to successfully breastfeed and receive proper nutrition.
Advances in dentistry have made the tongue-tie release procedure simple and safe so that it can be corrected with newborns, teens, or adult patients.
An untreated tongue tie can lead to negative effects on how an individual may eat, speak, breathe, and swallow. These can range from difficulty pronouncing certain consonants, tooth decay, unnatural spacing of teeth, restricted tongue extension, jaw pain, and migraines. The list of potential health consequences of an untreated tongue tie intensifies from infancy to adulthood. Whether the patient is young or old, a tongue-tie release is a painless procedure that can rectify this condition by removing the tissue or tight frenulum under the tongue.
In addition to offering state-of-the-art tongue frenuloplasty services, Dakota Dental also offers mothers and their infants professional lactation consulting. Mothers can request an appointment with Brittany Clayton, MSN, RN, IBCLC, a Registered Nurse and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant.
Dakota Dental offers consultations for tongue-tie release procedures. During this consultation, parents will learn more about tongue tie releases to help determine the best procedure for their child.