Tongue-Tie Release and Myo-Functional Therapy

Treating muscle imbalances and abnormal muscle pulls.

Tongue and Lip Tie Releases

At Montrose Dental Care, tongue ties and other abnormal frenum attachments such as lip ties are released with a few drops of anesthetic and a dental laser to release and cauterize the tie.

Tongue ties can cause:

• speech issues
• low tongue posture
• incorrect swallow patterns

Low tongue posture and incorrect swallow patterns cause muscle imbalance and may lead to incorrect tooth position and dental arch development. The cheek muscles are pushing in but
without the tongue in the roof of the mouth to push out, the oral muscle forces are imbalanced
and a small maxilla with anterior and/or posterior crossbites and crowding may result.

Tongue ties are only released with myofunctional therapy exercise instructions before and after the release to strengthen and stretch the tongue muscles to prevent reattachment.

Myofunctional Therapy

Incorrect oral muscle function can cause problems with dental occlusion and arch development including constricted dental arches, crossbites and crowded teeth.

Improper muscle function includes:

• tongue thrust
• open mouth posture from developed habit
• open mouth posture from obligate mouth breathing due to nasal airway blockage
• low tongue posture from tongue tie or mouth breathing habit

Oral muscle imbalance and tongue thrusts can cause issues in orthodontic case finishing and stability. If a tongue thrust has caused an anterior open bite, the case may be difficult or impossible to close and is likely to relapse without muscle balance correction.

Myofunctional therapy is a set of techniques and exercises used to strengthen weak oral muscles, develop correct tongue posture/function and create oral muscle balance. The
Montrose Dental Care team screens for airway issues and myofunctional imbalances and may
recommend myofunctional therapy as part of orthodontic care for adults and children or for
proper oral development in children.