Signs of tongue tie
Some babies are born with tongue tie, and the signs can change as they grow.
Infants
- The tongue staying close to the floor of the mouth
- Trouble attaching to the breast during feeding
- Dribbling milk, or swallowing a lot of air during bottle feeds
- Not gaining weight as expected
- Mouth breathing, or the mouth resting open
- Tension in the jaw and neck
Toddlers
- Trouble moving on to solid foods, or gagging on some textures
- Mouth breathing, or the mouth resting open
- Tension in the jaw and neck
Children
- Difficulty lifting the tongue to the roof of the mouth or poking it out
- A low tongue resting position
- Slow or messy eating, or avoiding chewy foods
- Difficulty with some speech sounds
- Mouth breathing
- Tension in the jaw and neck
Teens and adults
- Difficulty lifting the tongue to the roof of the mouth or poking it out
- A low tongue resting position
- Mouth breathing
- Tension in the jaw and neck
What happens with a release
A release, also called a frenotomy or frenectomy, is a simple procedure that releases the frenulum so the tongue can move more freely. It is most commonly performed by a trained dentist, such as a myofunctional dentist.
We do not perform releases. Our role is to support you on either side of one:
- Before a release: assessing tongue movement and function, and preparing the tongue with exercises
- After a release: gentle care and exercises to help the tongue keep moving freely
- On either side of a release: gentle bodywork for the jaw, neck, diaphragm and body, including the deep front line
- For babies: gentle, low-force care alongside your lactation consultant's feeding support
Not every tongue tie needs a release. A release is usually considered when tongue tie is causing problems, such as with feeding. That decision is made with your family and the practitioner who performs releases.
Bodywork and the deep front line
The tongue does not work on its own. It attaches to the jaw and to the hyoid, a small bone at the front of the neck that connects to the muscles of the neck, chest and shoulders. When the tongue has been restricted, the body often works around it, and we commonly see tension in the jaw, neck, diaphragm and posture as a result.
As a chiropractor as well as a myofunctional therapist, Dr Daniel De Witt (Chiropractor) looks beyond the mouth. Bodywork is gentle hands-on care for these areas, given before and after a release and alongside your exercises.
The deep front line
The deep front line is a chain of fascia (connective tissue) often described as running from the tongue and jaw, down the front of the neck, through the chest and diaphragm, and on to the deep hip muscles and into the feet. It describes how tension in one area can relate to another, and it guides where we work.
Bodywork may include:
- Gentle work for the jaw, under the chin and the front of the neck
- The chest, ribs and diaphragm, which move with every breath
- The neck, upper back and posture, including how the head is held
- For babies, gentle light touch bodywork, with you in the room
Part of the whole plan. Bodywork sits alongside myofunctional exercises, feeding support from your lactation consultant, and care from the practitioner who performs the release.
How we support you
Every plan follows the same five steps, adapted to age.
Listen
For babies, feeding, pregnancy and birth history. For older children and adults, eating, speech, breathing and jaw comfort. Please bring any reports you have.
Assess
We gently check how the tongue lifts, moves and rests, along with the lips and jaw, and for babies their sucking, swallowing, head and neck movement.
Explain
What we found, how we can support you before or after a release, what we suggest and what it costs. Then you decide.
Care and practise
Gentle, low-force techniques and bodywork for babies, with you in the room. For children and adults, bodywork alongside myofunctional therapy exercises practised at home each day.
Review
We review progress at set points and keep your lactation consultant, dentist or GP updated with your permission.
What the evidence says
Pregnancy, Birth and Baby and a systematic review of myofunctional therapy for tongue tie found:
- Tongue tie can make breast or bottle feeding more difficult, and a lactation consultant can help
- A release is the main treatment when tongue tie is causing problems
- Myofunctional therapy is emerging as a complement to a release, with better results reported when both are combined
That is why we work alongside the practitioners who perform releases, and review your progress closely.
What you can do at home
- Work with your lactation consultant on feeding positions and attachment.
- Follow the aftercare from the practitioner who performed the release.
- Practise the exercises you have been shown, little and often.
- Keep it playful for children, with tongue games in the mirror.
- Note what you see, such as feeding changes or tongue movement, to share at your next visit.
Who we see with tongue tie
- Newborns and babies
Feeding concerns, alongside your lactation consultant.
Paediatric chiropractic- Children
Mouth breathing and development concerns, alongside your dentist or speech pathologist.
Myofunctional therapy- Teens and adults
Before and after a release later in life, with exercises planned around it.
Myofunctional therapy
Questions about tongue tie
What is tongue tie?
Tongue tie is when the strip of fascia under the tongue, called the frenulum, is shorter or tighter than usual. It can limit how the tongue moves, and some babies are born with it.
Do you perform tongue-tie releases?
No. We support you before and after a release, and work alongside the dentist, GP or other practitioner who performs it.
How does myofunctional therapy help with tongue tie?
Exercises can prepare the tongue before a release and help keep it moving freely afterwards. Research suggests better results when myofunctional therapy is combined with a release.
What is bodywork for tongue tie?
It is gentle hands-on care for the jaw, neck, diaphragm and body, given before and after a release alongside myofunctional exercises. It includes the deep front line, a chain of fascia often described as linking the tongue and jaw with the neck, diaphragm and core.
Can babies have care for tongue tie?
Yes. For babies we use gentle, low-force techniques alongside your lactation consultant's feeding support, and you stay in the room throughout.
Does every tongue tie need a release?
No. A release is usually considered when tongue tie is causing problems, such as with feeding. That decision is made with your family and the practitioner who performs releases.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly online or by phone. Please bring any reports from your lactation consultant, dentist, GP or the practitioner who assessed the tongue tie.
Related conditions and services
Sources
- González Garrido MDP, et al. Effectiveness of myofunctional therapy in ankyloglossia: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022;19(19):12347.
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby. Tongue-tie.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Book an assessment for advice about your own situation.
