Can Tongue Tie Cause Speech Delays? | Solutions & Diagnosis

If your child is suffering from tongue-tie, then you must be worried about providing him complete nutrition.

Nutritional deficiency is one of many problems children with tongue-tie suffer from. It comes with other potential challenges as well.

Most parents are also concerned about whether tongue-tie can cause speech delays in children. Similarly, it is also related to other health challenges such as oral hygiene concerns, sleep difficulties, etc.

Though the extent of damage varies from child to child, only an early diagnosis can help doctors develop a workable solution. So, if your child exhibits signs of a problem, book your appointment with the best oral health specialist via Tongue Tie Phoenix.

Now, let’s discuss the tongue-tie condition, its connection with speech delays, and treatment options.

What is Tongue-Tie?

Tongue-tie is a medical condition in which the lingual-frenulum membrane attached below the tongue is too short, thick, or rigid to restrict tongue movement.

Structurally, problems with the membrane part can result. One of the most common challenges is the difficulty of feeding.

The condition usually affects the feeding of children. From making clicking sounds to difficulty latching and being unable to feed properly, these are sure signs of a problem.

Other than this, tongue-tie can also result in dental health problems or poor oral functioning. However, the complications depend on the severity of the condition.

Diagnosis

Based on the symptoms, professionals can diagnose the problem by assessing the following:

Feeding or latching pattern
Efficiency of baby’s tongue while feeding
Ability to stick out the tongue
Level of pain experienced during the feeding process.

Tongue-Tie and Speech Troubles – What’s the Connection?

Many parents are curious if tongue-tie has an impact on the speech development of their children. Some children who suffer from this condition often complain about having speech difficulties.

However, this is only sometimes the case. There are sufficient cases in which tongue-tied children have no speech-related troubles. This varies from case to case, depending on the severity of the condition.

According to the research, tongue-tie has no solid connection with speech delays. Suffering from the condition doesn’t affect the speech outcomes in children.

However, the condition may affect the mobility of the tongue, due to which a child may face difficulty in making certain sounds, such as:

As the child struggles with pronouncing these words correctly, others may find it difficult to understand what a child is speaking, attributing the problem to a restricted tongue attachment. However, the lack of evidence suggests that this tongue attachment problem is not the culprit.

If you are suspicious of the impact of tongue attachment on speech delays in children, then going for a speech pathology assessment is a good idea. It can help evaluate the condition’s overall impact on speech development, enabling you to make better decisions.

Treatment Options for Tongue Tie-Affecting Speech

Once the doctor completes the assessment, you know if the tongue-tie is the culprit behind the speech delays among the children. If the problem is arising because of the lingual frenulum, then there are multiple treatment options to consider:

1- Speech Therapies

Speech therapies are the first resort in these cases. Speech therapists use techniques to improve tongue movement and alter its speech-hindering effect.

After several sessions, your child may or may not show any improvement. Speech-language pathologists can work on the problem for some time before moving to the other options.

2- Tongue-Tie Release

When speech therapies show no improvement, the next treatment option is the surgical removal of the lingual membrane, which restricts normal tongue movement.

This is a completely safe procedure to release the tied tongue that has a significantly positive effect on improving speech delays in children.

The procedure is known as a frenectomy, which an oral specialist performs. The surgeon uses surgical instruments to modify or cut the lingual frenulum membrane for speech improvement.

The procedure usually requires a few minutes, followed by wound healing, after which the condition improves.

There is sufficient evidence to prove the effectiveness of tongue-tie release in speech improvement. However, remember that surgery is not a preventive measure to avoid complications.

3- Laser Frenectomy

This is the non-surgical method of correcting the lingual membrane attachment problem. Unlike the surgical release of the membrane, in this case, the doctor uses a laser beam, producing the same results.

This procedure is non-invasive, has less recovery time, and is easier to perform. Nowadays, doctors prefer laser removal of the tongue-tie over conventional surgical methods.

Sometimes, doctors may recommend your child get speech therapy alongside the removal of the lingual frenulum for early recovery.

Bottom Line

Tongue-tie is a common oral problem in children, bringing feeding challenges and health problems. However, according to the research, it doesn’t impact speech development in children.

However, some patients may experience difficulty making certain sounds because of restrictions in tongue movement. In this case, either membrane release or speech therapy can help improve speech.

However, be mindful that tongue-tie doesn’t affect language development in 100% of patients. So, ensure a complete assessment before clipping the lingual membrane and leaving the decision to the professional.

FAQs

What Happens If You Don’t Fix a Tongue Tie?

The consequences of not fixing it vary from person to person. It may not have any impact in some cases, but it can cause speech delays and similar challenges in some children.

Do Speech Therapists Check for Tongue Ties?

Speech therapists can help determine tongue-tie’s impact on speech development and provide speech therapies for improvement.

What is the Long-Term Impact of a Tongue Tie?

The long-term impact of tongue tie also varies from person to person, depending on the severity of the condition and attachment pattern.

Can Tongue Tie Cause Speech Delays? 3 Key Solutions