What Parents Should Know about Tongue Ties and Lip Ties

Posted on August 14, 2026

It might start with a breastfeeding struggle that nobody can quite explain, or a toddler whose speech seems a little harder to follow than other kids the same age. It might be a gap between your child’s two front teeth that’s wider than it should be. One possible underlying issue in all these is something most parents have never heard of: a tongue tie or lip tie.

What Is a Tongue Tie?

Everyone has a small band of tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth. It’s called the lingual frenulum. When that band is too short or thick, or attached too far forward, it restricts how freely the tongue can move. That’s a tongue tie, or in clinical terms, ankyloglossia.

What Is a Lip Tie?

A lip tie is the same idea, but in a different location. The tissue that connects the upper lip to the gum above the front teeth is called the labial frenulum. When it’s too tight or too low, it can limit how far the lip can flare outward.

What Problems Do Tongue and Lip Ties Cause?

The effects depend on how restricted the movement is and which stage of development your child is in.

In infants, a tongue tie might be a problem when breastfeeding is painful or ineffective. The tongue needs to move in a specific motion to draw milk, and, if it can’t, the baby compensates with a shallow latch, which means they get less milk and a lot of discomfort for the mother. Lip ties can make things worse, because it’s hard for the baby to flare the upper lip and create a proper seal.

As children get older and the things go from feeding to speech, tongue ties can make it hard to form certain sounds (l, r, t, d, n, and th are the common problems).

Dental effects tend to show up later.

• A tight labial frenulum is one of the main causes of a midline diastema (that gap between the upper front teeth). It can also make it harder to keep the gum line clean along the upper front teeth, which increases the risk of cavities.
• Tongue ties can affect palate and jaw development over time (the tongue’s resting position and pressure play a role in facial structure).

When and Whether to Treat It

Not every tongue or lip tie needs treatment. A mild restriction that isn’t causing feeding, speech, or dental problems may be worth keeping an eye on but may not need immediate treatment.

However, when a tie is causing real problems, your child might need a quick procedure called a frenectomy. A pediatric dentist or oral surgeon releases the tight tissue, often with a laser, in a matter of minutes.

If you feel like something’s a little off with how your child feeds or speaks, or how their teeth are coming in, this is one of those things worth asking about at your next visit.