Discovering you have an adult tongue tie can be a transformative moment. Many adults live for years, or even decades, unaware of how their restricted lingual frenulum impacts various aspects of their health and well-being.
This article will delve into the nuances of adult tongue tie, covering identification, associated health issues, and dental implications. For more detailed resources, visit Lynn’s Tied Together Hub.
Identifying Adult Tongue Tie
Adult tongue tie, or ankyloglossia, occurs when the lingual frenulum—the thin band of tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth—is unusually short, thick, or tight. This restriction can limit the tongue’s range of motion, impacting various oral and systemic functions.
There are two types of tongue ties to be aware of.
Anterior Tongue Tie
This is the more visible type, where the restriction occurs at the front of the tongue. The frenulum may pull the tip of the tongue downward, making it challenging to lift or extend the tongue tip.
This type is more easily identified in infancy. It is more often caught and corrected in the first few months of life.
Posterior Tongue Tie
Less obvious and often overlooked, a posterior tongue tie restricts the tongue’s movement at its base. This can create tension in deeper structures, affecting speech, swallowing, and breathing patterns.
This is often missed because it does not involve the tip of the tongue and can be visually hidden. Some adults had an anterior tie released as an infant or young child but unknowingly continued with a posterior restriction.
Identifying a tongue tie as an adult often involves recognizing compensatory habits. For instance, do you frequently rest your tongue low in your mouth or experience tension in your jaw and neck? These may be signs of an underlying tongue tie that has gone unnoticed.
To help you in identifying if you have a tongue tie please grab our free Tongue Tie Self-Check and it will be delivered directly to your inbox.
Oral Issues Due to Adult Tongue Tie
The oral cavity is a complex system that relies on the tongue’s mobility for optimal function. When tongue movement is restricted, it can lead to difficulty in several areas.
Pronouncing Certain Sounds
Sounds such as R and L or words that have these sounds in combination (world) can be awkwardly pronounced. Altered speech patterns or compensations become ingrained movements causing imbalance throughout the oral facial muscles.
A feeling of strain when speaking for extended periods, and for some short periods is the norm. Tension under the tongue and fatigue are not normal but it’s all one knows who has lived a lifetime tied.
With age all the compensatory movements utilized to maintain a speaking voice with clarity begin to break down. This is when an adult may begin to have unexplained pain in their tongue, jaw or neck. Which may cause an increase in headaches.
Inadequate Oral Hygiene
Due to the tongue’s inability to sweep debris from the teeth and gums bacteria may linger longer and build up causing tooth decay, cavities and gingivitis.
Difficulty Swallowing
For some individuals relying on compensatory movements like tilting the head back, sliding the jaw forward, or thrusting the tongue forward between the teeth is the norm.
But these patterns of movement are actually the reverse of normal swallow patterns. Over time as one ages the compensatory movements end up causing pain and breakdown of the jaw joint and oral muscles.
TMJ issues referred to as Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a group of more than 30 conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and muscles that control jaw movement. “TMDs” refers to the disorders, and “TMJ” refers only to the temporomandibular joint itself.
The jaw is the base of support to oral muscles, and it will move and compensate for lack of movement and range of motion in the tongue. When swallowing is aided by excessive jaw sliding, the joint will break down.
These issues are often compounded by years of compensatory behavior, making intervention crucial for adults with tongue ties.
Common Health Issues Associated with Adult Tongue Tie
The impact of a tongue tie extends far beyond the mouth, affecting systemic health in surprising ways. Let’s explore some of the most common issues:
Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Restricted tongue mobility can contribute to a low tongue posture, which often leads to airway obstruction during sleep.
This increases the risk of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), conditions that can severely impact sleep quality and overall health. Treating a tongue tie may help open the airway and improve breathing during sleep.
A consistent goal in Myofunctional therapy (a therapy targeting the oral muscles to improve strength, range of motion and coordination) is to improve tongue resting posture.
The resting tongue should be sealed into the palate or roof of the mouth. When sleeping if the tongue is low in the mouth, it can fall back into the throat area blocking the airway.
Also, when not compressed into the palate, the nasal cavity does not have the balance to breathe in easily. This leads to open mouth breathing. When open mouth breathing the risk for snoring increases. As snoring increases so does the risk for apnea.
Teeth Grinding
Grinding of the teeth may occur during the day or night, or both. Often associated with stress, the root cause is frequently missed. Tooth grinding at night may be the jaw compensating for the tongue falling down and back into the airway.
That jaw likes to help out the tongue and grinding is a way to attempt to lift and move the tongue out of the airway.
Night guards prescribed for grinding do one thing, protect the teeth from breakdown. But they do not address the underlying cause of the grinding, nor reduce its occurrence.
Digestive Issues
The tongue plays a critical role in chewing and swallowing. A tongue tie can interfere with proper mastication, leading to poorly chewed food entering the digestive tract.
This can contribute to: Acid reflux or heartburn, difficulty digesting fibrous or hard foods, and general digestive discomfort such as bloating and gas.
Therapy to improve tongue function often alleviates these issues by restoring efficient chewing and swallowing patterns. The mouth is the first stage of digestion!
The solution to your need for ant acids may be this little band under your tongue!
Pelvic Floor Issues
While it may seem unrelated, the tongue and pelvic floor are connected through fascia and postural systems. Dysfunction in tongue mobility can create tension patterns that extend throughout the body, potentially contributing to pelvic floor tightness or pain, urinary incontinence, and poor core stability.
Addressing a tongue tie often leads to a cascading improvement in these seemingly unrelated areas.
Dental and Orthodontic Problems for Adult Tongue Tie
Tongue ties can significantly impact dental and orthodontic health. Here’s how:
Tension from Tethered Tissue
The constant pull of tethered tissue can create tension in the jaw and surrounding structures, exerting force on the teeth. Over time, this may lead to: Crooked or misaligned teeth, Gaps between teeth, Jaw pain or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
Tongue’s Improper Placement
A tongue tie often results in a low tongue posture. This is where the tongue rests improperly at the bottom of the mouth rather than against the palate. This can undermine proper dental alignment in the maxillary arch.
It may also place undue force against the mandibular arch pushing the bottom row of teeth out of alignment.
With compromise to both the maxillary and mandibular arches there’s an increased risk of bite issues, such as an open bite or crossbite.
Adults with tongue ties have reported 2-3 rounds of braces to correct these issues. Most are frustrated that their dentist or orthodontist never thought to examine tethered oral tissues.
Knowing it can be a factor, adults who release their tongue ties report better orthodontic results that last.
For adults with tongue ties, dental and orthodontic therapies often go hand-in-hand with addressing the tie itself. A comprehensive approach ensures long-term oral health and functional improvement.
Specialists called airway dentists take great consideration of the impact of tethered oral tissues and will align treatment with myofunctional intervention. Consideration for palate wideners and then braces is made in an effort to allow more room for the tongue to rest on the palate.
When searching for preferred providers this website is helpful Tongue Tie Life as it provides a state-by-state list of providers who are more familiar and specialize in adult tongue ties.
Myofunctional Therapy for Adult Tongue Tie
Perhaps the best advice on adult tongue tie is to seek out a myofunctional therapist. A speech therapist trained in oral motor or orofacial techniques can be the best place to start.
Other professionals can obtain training in myofunctional oral motor techniques, but they will not typically have the background in speech and feeding knowledge to pair with an exercise program.
Professionals such as Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapist and Dentist may all have myofunctional training. Take your time and find the right fit for you.
An oral motor exercise program will be developed from an in-depth assessment of the oral muscles. Checking for additional ties or tethers is important to include.
Once the assessment is complete exercises can be implemented with specific goals for improving tongue function.
Check our full blog post dedicated to Myofunctional therapy HERE
Surgical Release for Adult Tongue Tie
Next you will want to consider the surgical release of the tie. This is an important step to full recovery and relief of symptoms.
Patients often feel significant improvements just from myofunctional therapy alone. But once you stop doing daily exercises, you risk slowly regressing back into dysfunction if the tie is not surgically released.
The surgery is quick and lasts less than 10 minutes.
Typically, a laser is used as the preferred release instrument. This is due to uniquely cutting and sealing the wound. Some surgeons or dentists prefer to add a stitch in to help the wound heal without reattachment or scar tissue.
Some simply leave the wound open to heal slowly.
This procedure is done in office, similar to any dental work you’ve had done, reclined in a dental chair.
The area will be numbed, then the frenulum will be released. You will be shown to a recovery room where office personnel will demonstrate after-care procedures and a stretching routine.
This stretching routine will be added to the myofunctional therapy exercises you’ve been doing with your therapist.
The best outcomes are generally seen when the patient has pre myofunctional exercises, surgery, post myofunctional exercises and continues with the plan for up to 6 months. This is especially important when dealing with issues of swallowing and speech.
Retraining of the muscle patterns takes time and dedication to the program. But the results are well worth it! Set up a consistent routine (brushing teeth in the morning -stretch!) and stick to it.
Summary: Adult Tongue Tie
Discovering and addressing an adult tongue tie can be life-changing, improving not only oral function but also overall health.
From oral issues like speech difficulties and dental misalignment to systemic concerns such as sleep apnea and digestive challenges, the ripple effects of a tongue tie are extensive.
It can be a lengthy journey with ups and downs. Joining local support groups on Facebook can help one to feel supported on the journey.
For a free guide on what to expect on this Adult Tongue Tie journey grab our FREEDOM TO THRIVE guide today!
If you suspect you have a tongue tie, consult with a trained professional such as a speech-language pathologist or airway centric dentist.
These specialists can assess your condition and recommend interventions, such as myofunctional therapy or a frenectomy procedure, tailored to your unique needs.
You’re not alone, three are many adults going through this discovery and remediation process too. We’re here to help leave any questions you might have in the comments, and we will get answers for you!
For more insights and support, visit Lynn’s Tied Together Hub, where you’ll find resources and guidance to navigate your journey toward better health and well-being.