You’ve probably heard of tongue ties in babies, but what if we told you that adults can have tongue ties, too? Something as small as a tight band of tissue under your tongue might be behind your jaw pain, speech fatigue, or even mouth breathing!
At Lake Forest Smiles, we see this often: adults who’ve spent years compensating for restricted tongue mobility without even realizing it. Let’s dive into how a tongue tie might be quietly holding you back and what we can do to help.
Can Adults Can Have Tongue Ties Too?
Most people assume tongue ties are a pediatric issue, but if a restrictive lingual frenulum wasn’t diagnosed or treated in childhood, those limitations don’t just go away. Instead, your body adapts and not always in the healthiest ways.
Some signs of a tongue tie in adults include:
- Jaw or neck tension, especially when talking or eating
- Clicking or popping in the TMJ (jaw joint)
- Chronic headaches or clenching
- Difficulty swallowing pills or certain foods
- Speech fatigue during long conversations or presentations
- A lifetime of mouth breathing
- Snoring or disrupted sleep
Sound familiar? These aren’t random symptoms, they’re often interconnected!
The Connection Between Your Tongue and Your Airway
Your tongue plays a big role in how you breathe. If it’s stuck low in your mouth because of a tie, it can block your airway (especially when you sleep). That’s a fast track to mouth breathing, poor oxygen flow, bad posture, and even interrupted sleep.
Tongue ties can impact everything from your bite to your energy levels. One little flap of tissue really can cause all that!
How Lake Forest Smiles Can Help Untie the Problem
We’re not just here to polish your teeth, we’re trained to look at the whole mouth and how it functions. At Lake Forest Smiles, we go beyond the basics:
- We check for tongue ties during comprehensive exams.
- We collaborate with myofunctional therapists, sleep specialists, and ENTs when needed.
- We perform laser frenectomies (a quick, gentle procedure to release the tie and get you back to full function).
- We take your whole-body wellness seriously, using advanced tech to assess how your tongue tie may be affecting your mouth and body.
After a frenectomy, most patients feel a difference right away!
Solutions for Jaw Pain Too?
Your body’s been trying to make the best of a restricted tongue for years. Once we release that tie, everything from chewing to chatting to just relaxing gets easier.
Suddenly, your tongue fits where it’s supposed to, and your jaw will be way less cranky!
Myofunctional therapy to help with tongue ties can also relieve jaw pain.
Why Hasn’t My Dentist Caught this Before?
You’re not the only one wondering that! Tongue ties in adults often go undiagnosed because many dental and medical providers simply weren’t trained to look for functional oral issues. They check teeth and gums, but miss how the tongue impacts your entire system.
At our office, we take a different approach. We’re trained to recognize the subtle signs of tethered oral tissue and how it affects your speech, breathing, posture, and jaw health. We don’t just look at what’s in your mouth, we look at how it works.
Free Your Tongue, Free Your Life!
If you’re constantly chewing with one side of your mouth, avoiding certain foods, waking up tired, or feeling like your jaw’s doing overtime, it’s time to take a closer look. Your tongue shouldn’t be causing you to struggle.
Book your functional exam at Lake Forest Smiles today and let us help you breathe easier, talk clearer, and chew without complaint! Call us today!