Lip tie in babies is not a serious physical anomaly. Excessive drooling and clicking sounds and issues while nursing can be symptoms of lip tie in babies. Lip ties may interfere with breastfeeding and the development of teeth. Although it is painless, if left unmanaged, there can be complications in the future. Read this post to know the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of lip ties in babies.
What Is A Lip Tie?
A lip tie occurs when the soft membrane of the tissue behind the upper lip tightly attaches to the upper jaw, restricting the movement of the lip (1). Normally, the thin sheet of tissue (medically called labial frenulum) extends from behind the upper lip to the front of the gums of the upper jaw. You can see the tissue on raising the upper lip. But in a lip tie, the frenulum is thick and extends to the ridge of the upper gums, where the teeth appear. Some extreme cases cause the tissue to extend beyond the ridge and towards the upper palate. In such cases, it can create a gap between the teeth. In a lip tie, it is difficult to lift the upper lip. Lip tie is also known as ‘tight labial frenulum’ due to the rigidity of the upper lip.
What Causes A Lip Tie In Babies?
The lip tie is caused by an abnormally connected tissue due to an underlying reason. A fault in the MTHFR gene, which is also responsible for the development of cleft lip, is assumed to be responsible for lip tie in babies (2). Since the condition is genetic, there is no known way of preventing it.
What Are The Symptoms Of Lip Tie In Babies?
You may see a few signs during breastfeeding, indicating that the baby may have a lip tie Symptoms and signs in the babies include (3): Other general symptoms that could be seen in babies with lip tie are difficulty in breathing and falling asleep often while nursing.
Symptoms experienced by the mother:
If you sense that the baby is unable to maintain the latch, then you may check for a lip tie. Gently lift the baby’s upper lip to see the thin sheet of frenulum tissue beneath. If it appears to be attached to the ridge of the upper gums or goes beyond it, then the baby likely has a lip tie. If you notice some other symptoms or are not sure if it is a lip tie, then see a doctor.
What Are The Possible Complications Of Lip Tie?
Depending on the severity of lip tie, a few complications, such as tooth decay, may happen. However, there are no specific clinical studies which could directly relate lip tie to tooth decay in toddlers.
How Is Lip Tie In Babies Diagnosed?
A pediatrician can diagnose the condition by visual inspection alone. If a baby already has a tongue tie (where the tongue is attached to the lower palate), then the doctor will also check for lip tie since the two conditions often occur together (5). The doctor may refer to a lactation specialist or a pediatric dentist for a more accurate diagnosis of the condition. Experts state that lip tie is mostly a benign condition that tends to improve as the baby grows (6). In case it is not, they propose a treatment to deal with the symptoms.
How Is Lip Tie Treated?
The treatment of lip tie is determined based on the class of lip tie diagnosed. Here is what constitutes the treatment of lip tie in babies (7): The frenulum is cut using a laser; stitches may or may not be needed. Less severe cases may require only one cut with medical scissors. The entire procedure takes only a few minutes and could cause mild pain to the baby. Post-treatment, a few steps need to be taken for a complete recovery.
Home Care After Treatment
Here is what you can do to help the baby recover better after the treatment: You may not be able to use a pacifier or teething toy for a certain duration after the operation. Postoperative visits to the doctor are needed to check if the tissue is healing, and the baby can latch on to the nipple correctly. Overall, the healing of the lips after a frenectomy is quick, and the results are usually good. In the section below, we answer some other important questions related to lip tie in babies.
Grade 1: The attachment of the frenulum to the upper gum is minimal and not significant enough to cause any problems.
Grade 2: The frenulum extends further into the upper jaw but mostly attaches to the gingival tissue.
Grade 3: The frenulum tissue attaches to the ridge of the upper jaw gums and occupies the space between the two front teeth of the upper jaw.
Grade 4: It is an extreme case of lip tie where the frenulum tissue extends beyond the upper gum and almost reaches the upper palate of the mouth.
