What to Consider
In recent years, many adults with tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) have sought surgical procedures, sometimes referred to as clipping a tongue-tie. This is done to release the restricted tissue under their tongue. In considering this step many wonder what the disadvantages of clipping tongue tie in adults might be.
The release of tethered oral tissues can bring amazing benefits for most. But the decision to undergo a tongue-tie release as an adult may not be straightforward for all.
Here, we dive into the potential disadvantages of clipping tongue tie in adults. Looking into the challenges you may face with this procedure to help you make an informed decision.
Team Approach To reduce Disadvantages of Clipping Tongue Tie in Adults
Often when an adult figures out they have a tongue tie they head to the nearest ENT or Dentist. Here they have an evaluation to determine the necessity for surgical intervention.
One of the biggest mistakes is not seeing a speech therapist trained in myofunctional or oral motor interventions first.
The surgeon plays a big yet small role in the entire process. The surgical release will take less than 10 minutes in the office. Likely this will be one of the quickest procedures you ever have.
Your surgeon is important and choosing a skilled provider is a high priority. But you will spend most of your time with your chosen therapist.
Your myofunctional therapist will be much more integral to ensuring a good outcome. This therapist will address your oral muscles, and improve patterns for speech and feeding purposes. They will also make the appropriate referral to body workers.
Body workers such as PT, OT, Chiropractors, and craniosacral therapists are often beneficial in addressing neck, back, hip, pelvic floor, and rib cage restrictions. These whole-body restrictions are often associated with restricted oral frena.
Choosing a team approach will create the most successful tongue-tie release as an adult. Lessening the chance of negative outcomes.
But if you are to see a team of therapists what does that mean to your bottom dollar?
Financial Investment
Cost As a Possible Disadvantage of Clipping Tongue Tie in Adults
If you are considering surgical release of a tongue tie and a team approach is best, we should consider what each piece of that team may cost.
Speech Therapist Cost
State by state or regionally within a state we can see varying rates offered by speech therapists. Rates may also be impacted by the therapist’s years of experience and their specialty training.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $80 to $200 for an individual oral motor myofunctional therapy session.
Typically, you want 6-8 sessions or approximately 2 months of therapy before a surgical release of an adult tongue tie.
Then, you would anticipate at least four consecutive sessions following the release to occur weekly. If your progress is going well, you may feel comfortable continuing with biweekly sessions for another 2 months and then monthly sessions for two months depending on your needs.
If you factor in an average of 20 sessions over a 6-7 month time frame then the estimated cost would be between $1600 to $4000.
Physical Therapist/Occupational Therapist/Craniosacral Therapist Cost
The same estimates apply to these professions and depending on the work being performed out of pocket costs could range between $1600 to $4000 over a 6–7-month time frame.
Surgical Cost
The average cost of clipping an adult tongue-tie is $1500-$2500 and is dependent upon how many frenula, tongue, lip, and or cheeks are being surgically released. Another factor to consider is anesthesia, which if required is an additional cost.
If you add these together you are looking at spending out-of-pocket $4700 to $10,500 from the beginning to end of your tongue tie release journey.
Now remember this is not an upfront cost to you, it will be spread out over several months and you can manage it in bite-sized pieces.
Insurance Coverage
There is some good news for you on this cost estimator! Insurance can cover most of the therapy and may cover a large portion of the surgical release for an adult with a tongue-tie. The surgical releases can be submitted to both medical and dental portions of your health insurance to receive the most reimbursement possible.
Speech and Physical therapy are often covered by insurance, and you would be smart to contact your health insurance company to ask what your in and out-of-network coverage is for these services.
In-network coverage would equate to possibly paying a deductible and then meeting a session copay amount. Co-pays typically range from $10-30 and keep the cost of therapy low.
Out-of-network coverage may have a higher deductible to meet but would then have a similar co-pay as in-network. You may have to pay upfront to the therapist and then submit a form to insurance yourself to get a reimbursement paid directly to you from your healthcare provider.
If a therapist does not accept your insurance, don’t give up, you can still submit for yourself out of network and get some reimbursement. The therapist will provide you with an invoice or a superbill to be used for claim submission. This is worth the time if cost is a factor for you.
Of course, if you have a good health insurance plan that is accepted by the team you choose, then the cost of therapies and surgeons will not be a financial disadvantage to you.
Time as a Disadvantage of Clipping Tongue Tie in Adults
Adults are busy! An adult looking to get a tongue tie released can have a family, job, and demands upon their time that may make it difficult to participate in weekly therapy.
No matter how good a team is that you have selected to help you navigate the tongue-tie release journey, if you don’t have the time to complete the program laid out for you, you will be disappointed in your outcomes.
Therapists routinely note that patients who consistently attend therapy sessions and complete a home program report increased levels of satisfaction with their overall outcomes.
If you’re an adult considering a tongue-tie release, plan for it. Ensure your spouse or significant other is on the same page as you and will be supportive. Choose a time of year when you tend to be slower at work with fewer time demands on your schedule.
Post-Surgical Discomfort and Healing Time
Clipping, or frenotomy, involves snipping or lasering the tight tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Fear of pain and discomfort can be a disadvantage of clipping tongue tie in adults for most considering the process.
For adults, this tissue is often thicker and more fibrotic than in infants or children. Which can make the procedure more challenging and potentially more painful.
Post-operative discomfort is common, and healing times can vary significantly from one person to another.
After the procedure, adults may experience soreness, swelling, or even minor bleeding, which can make eating, drinking, and speaking uncomfortable for days or even weeks.
While most return to normal activities the next day, some report significant discomfort and find it hard to work or talk for over a week.
This downtime can affect daily routines for family responsibilities, work, and social life, especially if the discomfort is more than expected.
We also hear reports of increased headaches during this healing time. Headaches can be due to postural changes, changes in breathing patterns, or changes in jaw tensions secondary to the tongue tie being released.
It can be emotionally challenging to go through these weeks of post-surgical release when your expectation was simply to feel better. Feeling worse can be disappointing and lead to self-doubt about your decision.
This points strongly to not going it alone. A team of professionals who can guide you through along with family and friends can make all the difference. Turning this disadvantage of clipping tongue tie in adults into a short few days of minor discomfort.
Altered Oral Sensation
Another disadvantage to consider is the change in sensation that some adults experience post-procedure.
For those who have lived with a tongue-tie for decades, the tissue under the tongue is familiar. When surgically released, this area can feel different—often more sensitive or even numb.
This altered sensation may take a few days to adjust to. While most enjoy the feeling of reduced strain and tightness and report a sense of freeing movements, others feel uncomfortable.
This may relate more to how much pre-release myofunctional therapy one has participated in. Acting as an indication that your muscles need attention to learn how to move correctly.
Altered sensations can interfere with eating, swallowing, and speech. These changes can be disorienting, affecting oral functions and comfort, and can take a while to adjust to.
There is also the 7-10 day rebound of tension that many adults report. For these patients they note having felt great following the release, better than ever. Then between days 7-10 they have a recurrence of the tension and some pain due to adjusting structures post-release.
Impact on Speech and Myofunctional Patterns
Clipping alone doesn’t always address the root functional issues associated with tongue-tie, especially in adults.
Many adults with tongue-tie have adapted their swallowing, chewing, and even speech patterns over time.
Clipping the tie doesn’t automatically reset these habits, and without targeted myofunctional therapy, individuals may still struggle with residual speech issues or improper oral resting posture.
The pre-surgical release exercises would target your specific concerns and needs and have allowed for improved muscle function. Once surgically released these muscles now know how to move more effortlessly.
But for those who have not been able to access myofunctional therapies, improvements will be slower and more effortful. Having adapted to their tongue-tie, a sudden change in range of motion can lead to frustration. Relearning or retraining their orofacial muscles post-surgical release will be difficult.
Working with a myofunctional therapist before and after a tongue-tie release can greatly improve outcomes. But it does require time, effort, and financial investment.
Slurring of speech is common for up to a week. A busy work season can be inconvenient when you need to speak frequently at meetings but are slurring your speech.
Planning for time off and scheduling the procedure during slower work seasons can lessen frustrations. This will allow you time to heal and regain function.
Risk of Scar Tissue and Reattachment
For adults, the risk of scar tissue forming after a clipping procedure is rare if working with a trained therapist, but still a serious consideration. One of the disadvantages of clipping tongue tie in adults is the fear of reattachment.
Scar tissue can lead to reattachment of the frenulum, meaning the tongue-tie might recur over time. Some people require additional releases, which only increase healing time and the potential for further scarring.
When scar tissue forms in the mouth, it can limit mobility, sometimes even worsening the tongue’s range of motion. Some adults who have undergone clipping have reported feeling that their tongue mobility remains limited, despite the procedure.
Myofascial releases around the site of the frenulum are greatly beneficial to reducing scar tissue and allowing for an improved range of motion.
With proper therapies in place, you can avoid this common disadvantage of clipping tongue tie in adults.
Orthodontic Changes as Possible Disadvantage of Clipping Tongue Tie in Adults
One reason to seek tongue tie release is to improve airway and breathing issues. If we get that tongue off the floor of your mouth and up into the palate where it belongs, your airway will open.
This is a positive. But what is the disadvantage of getting your tongue up into your palate? People often call the tongue the body’s natural palate expander. Expanding the palate to fit the tongue.
This expansion directly improves airway functions. But when the palate moves, it also moves the teeth anchored into it.
It can be a good thing if you’ve dealt with crooked teeth and misalignment all your life. It can be a disadvantage if they move to a point where you’d need to straighten them up.
Incurring another cost of an orthodontic visit and the possibility of adult braces is a serious consideration for those weighing the disadvantages of clipping a tongue tie as an adult.
Palate expanders and braces can often become a part of the treatment plan for adults looking to clip tongue ties.
.The advantage, of course, is that a beautifully shaped and functioning mouth brings great benefits to your overall health. But the disadvantage of clipping tongue tie in adults and then needing orthodontic work is a long time and financial commitment to get these benefits.
Final Thoughts on Disadvantages of Clipping Tongue Tie In Adults
While a tongue-tie release can offer benefits, it’s essential to weigh the potential disadvantages carefully.
Working closely with a knowledgeable professional, like a myofunctional therapist, and understanding the commitment to the pre-and post-procedure journey can improve your chances of a positive outcome.
Each case is unique, so consulting with specialists in tongue-tie management can provide a personalized path forward, tailored to your needs and goals.
Developing a financial plan and knowing how your insurance works for in and out-of-network coverage can significantly lower your financial out-of-pocket costs.
For more information on adult tongue-tie concerns, visit our articles on Lynn’s Tied Together Hub, where we discuss myofunctional therapy and holistic approaches to managing tethered oral tissues in adulthood:
https://lynnstiedtogetherhub.com/blog
For an honest update of advantages and disadvantages of clipping tongue tie in adults from a fellow tongue-tied woman please see this account on YouTube: