Lip Tie and Tongue Tie: What the Medical Terms Mean

The medical term for a lip tie is a tight or thick maxillary labial frenum, the small band of tissue that connects the upper lip to the gums. The medical term for a tongue tie is ankyloglossia, which means the lingual frenum under the tongue is short or tight. Everyone has these bands, called frena. They only become a "tie" when they're tight enough to limit how the lip or tongue moves. Learn more about tongue and lip ties.

Normal Versus Abnormal Frena

A normal frenum is thin and very stretchy, allowing unrestricted mobility of the lips and the tongue, which is essential for normal talking, chewing, and swallowing. If the tongue or upper lip frenum is unusually tight or thick, it can restrict movement and make each function harder. This is a lip tie or tongue tie.

A person with a tongue tie may not be able to lift their tongue to touch the roof of their mouth, causing significant difficulties in chewing, word pronunciation, and swallowing. A person with a lip tie may have a higher risk of gum recession or a large gap between their upper front teeth. In infancy, they may not be able to latch while breastfeeding effectively.

How We Treat Tongue and Lip Ties

Fortunately, with modern dentistry, there’s an easy fix for tongue and lip ties. Our practice is now offering SOLEA laser procedures. Solea enables us to do most hard and soft tissue procedures in our office with virtually no anesthesia, and soft tissue procedures are done with almost no bleeding. Blood-free and anesthesia-free procedures represent a significant leap forward in dentistry, as we can execute multi-quadrant dentistry, fillings on the fly, and soft tissue procedures in a single appointment.

Our Sawgrass kids will now be able to receive the care they need in a fraction of the time.

With Solea, your child can go out to lunch or right back to school without that numb sensation following their appointment.

Your Dentist Can Diagnose a Lip or Tongue Tie

For most of us, frena aren’t something we ever have to think about because they aren’t causing us problems, but if you believe yours or your child might be interfering with the normal function of the lips or tongue, schedule an appointment with the dentist to find out.

Taking care of our patient’s smiles is what makes us smile!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the medical term for a lip tie?

A lip tie is a tight maxillary labial frenum, sometimes called an upper lip tie or a tethered upper lip.

What is the medical term for tongue tie?

Ankyloglossia. It happens when the lingual frenum under the tongue is short, thick or tight.

Can a lip or tongue tie affect breastfeeding?

It can make it harder for some babies to latch. A pediatric dentist can check whether a tie is part of the problem.

How are lip and tongue ties treated?

It starts with an exam. When treatment is recommended, Sawgrass Untied uses a gentle laser procedure.

The content on this blog is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.