The sublingual bridle is a special membrane located under the tongue and connecting the bottom of the oral cavity with the tongue. It can be of different lengths for different people. However, the short frenum of the tongue in the child (ankyloglossia) is considered a pathology.
Signs of a short tongue frenulum
It is possible to diagnose the presence of a short frenum from the first days of a child's life, since with this feature of the structure of the oral cavity, it is difficult for a child to take a breast in his mouth, he can suck it for a long time, bite, and as a result, and generally refuse breastfeeding. The incidence of this pathology among boys is higher than among girls.
Causes of a short frenum in a child
All the vital organs of the child are formed in the process of intrauterine development, including the ligamentous apparatus. However, there are a number of reasons leading to the formation of a short frenum in a baby:
- heredity in one of the parents;
- bad ecological conditions;
- intrauterine infections of the fetus;
- trauma in the abdomen of a woman during pregnancy;
- the age of a woman bearing a child exceeds 35 years.
Is it necessary to prune a bridle to a child?
In case of detection of the presence of a short sublingual frenum in the maternity home, immediately undercutting it (frenulotomy). However, most gynecologists direct a young mother with an infant to see a dentist for the procedure. It is absolutely painless for the baby, since there are no nerve endings in the membrane. This makes it possible to trim the bridle using special scissors. As a rule, anesthesia is not applied. To stop bleeding after the procedure, the baby is given a breast or a bottle with a mixture.
It should be remembered that the pruning of a bridle to a child under local anesthesia is carried out only at the age of up to nine months. After execution to the child of 9 months the bridle becomes dense enough and its or her dissection by scissors it is not obviously possible. In this case, use special electroscissors or an electrocoagulator, which cuts the bridle in the transverse direction.
However, not always a short frenum in a child requires intervention from the dentist, while the baby is breastfed. If he does not experience difficulties in sucking, then the bridling is postponed indefinitely. But at an older age, there is still a need to prune it, because it can cause difficulty in the movement of the tongue. In this case, the child may have difficulty pronouncing the letter "P" and hissing sounds. The child can talk indiscriminately, as a result of which he will have difficulties in communicating with others.
Also, the presence of a short frenum contributes to the violation of the formation of the lower jaw, which can lead to periodontitis and gingivitis.
A child older than four years with a violation of sound quality is not always the primary cause may be a short frenum. Sometimes even surgery may not have the desired effect. In this case, a speech therapist is needed.
What if the baby has a short sublingual frenulum?
In case of damage to the bridle, excessive bleeding is possible, which must be stopped by improvised means. After this, it is important not to allow the situation when the child climbs his hands in his mouth. Otherwise, he can carry an infection. As a disinfectant, you can use miramistin or solkoseril dental paste, which does not allow harmful bacteria to enter the wound.
However, it should be remembered that simply because a bridle of normal length will not break. So your child had a short bridle, which you probably did not know about. And if the child broke it, then nothing terrible happens. This simply eliminates the need to do additionally the procedure of pruning a short frenum.
Treatment of a short frenum with non-drug methods
In case of unwillingness to resort to surgical intervention for cutting a short frenulum, it is possible to conduct special logopedic exercises at home, aimed at stretching the ligamentous apparatus:
- the child should as often as possible put out his tongue and shove it back;
- Invite the baby to lick the saucer, which will also contribute to the lengthening of the bridle;
- every day it is necessary to perform the exercise: when the mouth is open, the tip of the tongue stretches to the nose and chin alternately;
- It is necessary to make motor movements with the tongue from side to side along the upper lip.
It should be remembered that in order to achieve a positive effect from speech therapy sessions, it is necessary to devote a lot of time to classes and to be patient.