Is My Baby’s Crying Due to a Lip or Tongue-Tie Causing Colic?

There’s nothing worse than being unable to help your baby when they’re crying. If they have a lip or tongue-tie, it can make nursing or bottle-feeding much harder because of their inability to latch properly. But you may not realize these tethered tissues can also result in colic. If you are in this situation and need help, don’t feel bad about reaching out to your pediatric dentist. In fact, you can learn more about ways to address this problem by reading the article below.

How is a Lip or Tongue-Tie Linked to Colic?

If your baby is excessively crying for several hours at a time, multiple times a week, for three to four weeks, there is a good chance they have colic. This unfortunate reality occurs in 10-40% of infants and develops when the child is unhappy for any reason. Whether it is gas or hunger that is the underlying problem, there is a reason that colic is often a side effect of a lip or tongue-tie.

When the tethered tissues located behind the upper lip or underneath the tongue remain short and restricted, it prevents your baby from being able to fully latch. No matter if you’re breastfeeding or using a bottle, poor feedings can make it easy for your little one to swallow air and experience painful gas, resulting in fussiness and excessive crying.

Without proper treatment for your little one’s lip or tongue-tie, the problem can continue, leading to poor weight gain and other speech and eating problems as they get older.

How Can a Frenectomy Help?

Fortunately, there is a solution that can alleviate the discomfort your baby feels as well as improve their ability to nurse and/or bottle-feed more easily – a frenectomy.

This common procedure is completely safe even for the littlest baby, but it must be performed by a skilled and qualified professional. Having your child see a pediatric dentist can be a great first step to addressing the symptoms of a lip or tongue-tie, especially colic.

After a thorough examination, the dentist will determine if a frenectomy is necessary. If so, you can expect the procedure to be quick and cause little discomfort. Many dentists use a soft tissue laser for a more comfortable experience, as the concentrated beam of light delivers precise removal of the restricted band of tissue. It helps minimize bleeding and discomfort and reduces the chance of any post-operative infection.

Once it is complete, your child’s dentist will provide helpful instructions and stretches you can use at home to ensure reattachment does not occur. What you will be left with is a happier baby who can freely move their lip and/or tongue and get the nutrition they need.

Choosing to move forward with a frenectomy will give your little one the care they need so that they no longer experience the challenging symptoms that come with these restricted bands of tissue. Should you need additional information about the procedure or have questions about the process, don’t hesitate to contact their pediatric dentist for help.

About the Author
After being raised in India, Dr. Ramu Vuppala earned his dental doctorate from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Passionate about working with young patients, he offers safe and reliable solutions deemed highly beneficial when treating infants and children suffering from lip or tongue-tie. As a member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, he uses only the most advanced technologies to deliver fast and effective results, leading to happier and healthier babies and children. If you believe your child might benefit from a frenectomy, visit our website or call (432) 315-0195.