While most severe tongue-ties or lip-ties are addressed in infancy or childhood, some individuals make it to adulthood with these conditions. Adults with tongue or lip-ties have likely struggled with speech, obstructive sleep apnea, orthodontic issues and other symptoms since they were kids. At South Carolina Tongue Tie Center, we offer a fast and minimally-invasive solution to fix tongue and lip-ties in adults. We offer tongue-tie surgery for adults using a dental laser at our clinic in Charleston.

Symptoms of Adult Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie

Tongue-tie and lip-ties are congenital, so adults with these conditions have had these conditions their entire life. For adults with these conditions, the symptoms may begin to change as they get older. Living with these mouth restrictions can cause complications along with the original struggles. Some of the symptoms and complications of lip and tongue-ties include:

• Speech impediments – speaking clearly or making certain sounds
• Difficulty swallowing pills
• Slurring words even with small amounts of alcohol
• Kissing
• Self-confidence and esteem issues surrounding speech
• Clicking or pain in jaws
• Migraine or shoulder/neck pain
• Dental/orthodontic problems and difficulty wearing dentures

The small frenulum under the top tip and under the tongue can cause big problems in the long run. It is an ongoing problem for many adults that have lived with this issue their whole lives. The good news is that a tongue-tie or lip-tie can be resolved in a quick, outpatient laser surgery.

The tongue-tie or lip-tie procedure for adults is similar to children. Our doctor will numb the area and use a hand-held dental laser to release the frenulum under the tongue or upper lip. The procedure only takes less than a minute to perform once the area is sterilized and numb. There is no downtime needed after the treatment.

It is never too late to relieve the effects of a tongue or lip-tie. After the procedure, we will give you exercises to restore complete mouth movement to help eliminate your symptoms. To learn more about adult tongue-tie or lip-tie surgery, contact us at South Carolina Tongue Tie Center in Charleston.