{"id":869,"date":"2018-02-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/frenulum-holding-back-2\/"},"modified":"2018-02-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T00:00:00","slug":"frenulum-holding-back-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/frenulum-holding-back-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Frenulum Holding You Back?"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

\"\" YOU\u2019VE HEARD OF<\/strong> being tongue-tied, but what about lip-tied? Both are actually legitimate medical conditions, and the culprits are pieces of tissue in our mouths called frenula. <\/p>\n

Tongue Ties And Lip Ties<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We all have a frenulum<\/a>\u00a0(or frenum) that connects our upper lips to our upper gums, one that connects our lower lips to our lower gums, and one that connects our tongues to the floors of our mouths. Normally, they are all thin and highly elastic, allowing free movement of our lips and tongues. If someone is literally tongue-tied, it means the lingual frenulum (the one under the tongue) is large enough to restrict the movement of their tongue<\/strong>, causing difficulties with speech, chewing, and swallowing. Having a \u201clip tie,\u201d on the other hand, means one of the labial frenula is so thick and\/or tight that it restricts movement of the lip it\u2019s attached to. Being lip-tied can lead to problems such as a large gap between the teeth<\/strong>, gum recession, and, in infants, not being able to latch<\/a> while breastfeeding.