Unresolved Tongue Tie | A Professionals Perspective on Adult Tongue Tie + Video Lectures by Dr Zaghi

Read time | 3 minutes

Well before I became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), I supported families of tongue-tied babies.

I would get messages and calls from distraught, frustrated parents who, after seeing one (or more) IBCLC(s), still struggled with infant feeding.

Sometimes these parents would seek my support having already completed a tongue-tie release, but were yet to see results because the proper aftercare or oral strengthening exercises were not discussed with them.

I mention all that to say that my experience with supporting oral dysfunction caused by tethered oral tissues far surpasses my time as an IBCLC.

Not all parents choose to release

And over the years I’ve met families that, for a myriad reason, have chosen to not release their baby’s oral restriction.

In these cases, my role is to provide the best support possible to facilitate safe infant feeding, followed by creating a game plan for pain-free nursing when direct breastfeeding is desired. I encourage all families who suspect tongue tie to seek bodywork from a provider experienced in working with babies and I suggest tailored postural and oral exercises to help improve overall oral function.

When a release is truly needed, the above steps are all we can do to hope the best possible outcomes.

Not releasing is a valid option, and I hope that it’s not coming across as I am looking down on parents who choose not to revise. I clearly am biased FOR tongue tie release, in conjunction with bodywork, oral exercises, and IBCLC support,when it’s indicated, but waiting or completely abstaining is a valid choice that I respect 100%.

What I try to tell families, however, is that tongue-tie is not just a breastfeeding issue.

Because it is a limitation in optimal and expected movement, and because the tongue is connected by the deep front line throughout the whole body, tongue-tie can and often does lead to long term health discomforts and issues.

So even if breastfeeding is pain-free, bottle feeding is safe, eating solids is problem-free, and speech is unaffected, the impact that ties can remain.

Note: I’m not making the argument for preventive releases, just clarifying the bigger impact ties can have.

Listening to the experts

Dr. Ghaheri is a leading expert on oral restriction in babies.

Dr. Zaghi is a leading expert in oral restriction as a cause of sleep and breathing issues in children and adults. He regularly lectures on the impact ties can have on things such as sleep apnea and oral development, and he uploads tongue-tie release videos on his youtube channel.

The way he does his releases is a bit different than the way it’s done in babies, but the goal with both is to have a complete release of the tight, or short fascia that is limiting tongue lift and mobility.

I could make an argument that a revision as an older child has benefits over a release as an infant (more time to conduct a complete revision), but as I see babies who are having symptoms due to the limited oral function, it’s generally not something I recommend. Nor does time afford that as an option in most cases.

For this blog post, I wanted to share with you some of Dr. Zaghi’s lectures so you hear from an expert in ADULT Tie releases the impact of long-standing oral restriction can have.

The goal with this post to introduce you to a professional’s perspective on adult tongue-tie in order to help you in your decision-making process of whether or not releasing ties would be better for your family when your little one is younger or when they’re older.

Additionally, as many parents of tied babies also have ties, it might help you decide if you should get a release yourself.

Please note that though many of the same case studies are presented in each of these lectures, there is new information not discussed in each of them. They’re long but worth watching.