Laser Dentistry in North Vancouver

Your tongue needs to be able to move around freely in the mouth which allows it to clean the teeth, swallow, and move properly for speech. The tongue should move around freely and for newborns, this mobility is vital for swallowing to create an effective latch for breastfeeding. Infants swallow with their jaws parted and the tongue positioned between gum pads. This produces a vacuum for swallowing called the “infantile swallow.” 

Although the primary or baby teeth all are forming in the jaws, it is not until the ages of 2-3 that they erupt. It is at this time the infant swallow becomes an adult swallow. The tongue will now raise and press against the back of the upper teeth and the jaws will close together.

A “tight “ tongue tie will restrict movement of the tongue and this can cause a lot of developmental issues for children such as some or all of the following:

• Inability to latch resulting in difficult breastfeeding, low weight gain and malnourishment. Constant feeding due to inability to gain sufficient milk during feeding. Nipple pain, cracks and blisters for mothers as the infant gums or chews nipples. Reflux, colic or gassiness from swallowing air during feeding. Choking on milk, excessive drooling or clicking noises are potential signs of a tongue or lip tie.
• Abnormal swallowing patterns
• Orthodontic problems which can occur later in life, such as an open bite and crowded teeth
• Impaired speech 
• Dental decay 

A lip tie occurs when the ligament connecting the lip and the gums are restricted due to its length being too short, the position of attachment being at the crest instead of halfway up, or the lip tie having too much width which again can limit movement of the lip. This can occur on the upper or lower lip as well as on the sides of the mouth but is most common and most problematic when it occurs in the middle of the upper lip.

A tight lip tie can have negative effects on both the baby and the mother, during breastfeeding by reducing the ability of the newborn to latch properly onto the breast.

Lip ties can be detected in newborn babies and can result in some of the following issues for the baby:

• Reflux, colic, gassiness due to swallowing air
• A clicking sound while feeding along with grinding and biting on the breast
• Choking on milk, popping off the breast to gasp for air
• Poor weight gain
• Recurrent breaks in feeding, short feedings and frequent feedings. Stools that are green or yellow which indicate that the child may not be able to latch long enough to get to the “fatty” part of the milk
• Slow weight gain or inability to gain weight
• Incapable of opening his or her mouth widely and latching onto the breast

Dr. Van As works with experts in the field including Chiropractors familiar with Craniosacral Treatment for your newborn. He and his team have completed many laser frenectomies.

Frenectomies, or upper lip and tongue ties revisions as they are commonly called, are procedures that are often done on newborns, toddlers or children who have lips and tongues that are held too tightly by their frenum.

These ligaments that attach the lips and the tongue to your gum and jaw bone can be too tight and limit movement of these parts of your mouth. Revising these tight attachments early in life can prevent many problems including difficulty with latching on for breastfeeding, inability to clean the mouth with your tongue, speech issues, gaps between teeth, gum recession and other issues.

Dr. Glenn Van As has the experience to perform laser frenectomies on for anyone who suffers from tongue and lip ties. Revisions to the lip and tongue ties with the lasers allow for greater mobility of the lip and tongue.

Lip and tongue tie revisions are quick with the laser, often taking 1-2 minutes each to complete. A small amount of topical anesthetic and local anesthetic are administered to minimize discomfort during the procedure, and stretching exercises in the following three weeks during the day ensure that the lip and tongue tie when they attach will not reattach in the original position.

Dr. Van As performs frenectomies through a dental operating microscope that magnifies the area he is working on to ensure the procedure is completed during the initial appointment, which decreases the risk of future retreatments being necessary.