Does Tongue-Tie Affect Speech Development?

Tongue-tie, medically known as ankyloglossia, is a condition where the lingual frenulum, the small piece of tissue connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is unusually short, thick, or tight. This can restrict the tongue’s range of motion, leading to various complications, including potential impacts on speech development. For families who need help, we recommend speaking with our pediatric dentists in Okemos, MI.

In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about tongue-tie and how it can affect your child’s speech development.

Early Signs of Tongue-Tie

Tongue-tie can be present at birth and often becomes noticeable during early infancy. Parents may observe difficulties with breastfeeding, as the infant might struggle to latch properly or may have poor weight gain. However, beyond these early challenges, tongue-tie can also have implications for speech development as the child grows older.

Learn More: Signs Your Baby May Have Tongue-Tie →

How the Tongue Affects Speech Development

The tongue plays a crucial role in articulating sounds and forming words. Proper tongue mobility is essential for producing clear and accurate speech. When the tongue’s movement is restricted due to tongue-tie, it can hinder the ability to produce certain sounds, especially those that require the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth or the back of the teeth, such as “t,” “d,” and “l.”

Speech Issues Linked to Tongue-Tie

Children with tongue-tie may exhibit several speech-related issues.

These can include:

• Articulation Problems: Difficulty in pronouncing specific consonants clearly.
• Delayed Speech Development: Slower progression in reaching speech milestones compared to peers.
• Mumbled or Slurred Speech: Speech that sounds less distinct due to limited tongue movement.
• Compensatory Techniques: Using other parts of the mouth or throat to make sounds, which can lead to non-standard speech patterns.

It’s important to note that not all children with tongue-tie will experience speech difficulties. The extent of the impact largely depends on the severity of the tongue-tie and the specific sounds affected. Some children may compensate well and develop normal speech patterns, while others may struggle significantly.

Diagnosis and Evaluation

If a parent suspects that their child’s speech development is being affected by tongue-tie, a comprehensive evaluation is necessary. This can be conducted by a pediatrician, speech-language pathologist, or one of our pediatric dentists in Okemos, MI.

The evaluation typically involves a physical examination of the tongue’s range of motion and an assessment of the child’s speech abilities.

Laser Tongue-Tie Release

Dr. Ramaswami offers laser tongue-tie release at her Okemos dental office. One of the benefits of laser tongue-tie treatment is that it’s typically painless. This means that your child won’t need general anesthesia. Instead, the tongue-tie release is a simple outpatient procedure performed by the same pediatric dentist you already know and trust.

Speech Therapy

In addition to surgical intervention, speech therapy can be highly beneficial. Speech therapists work with children to improve articulation and develop proper speech patterns. This therapy can help retrain the tongue and address any compensatory habits the child may have developed.

Schedule a Tongue-Tie Consultation

Concerned about your child’s speech development? When it comes to tongue-tie, early diagnosis and intervention is key. To schedule an appointment with one of our pediatric dentists in Okemos, MI, call Discover Smiles Pediatric Dentistry at (517) 574-4688. You may also fill out our online contact form and a member of our team will reach out to you soon.