Tongue-Tie Update: How Oral Restrictions Impact Feeding, Speech, and Sleep Across the Lifespan

It seems everywhere you turn, parents and professionals are discussing, concerned about, and asking questions about tongue and lip-ties. With so many opinions, objections, and success stories, it’s hard to cut through the noise. This evidence-based and clinically-informed presentation will clarify the real struggles and quality of life issues a restricted tongue or lip can impact. Healthcare providers are well-positioned to screen for, diagnose, treat, or refer these patients with a team-based approach to manage these common conditions. A review of the relevant literature, clinical cases of all ages, diagnostic criteria, assessment techniques, treatment videos, and recommendations will be discussed in this comprehensive lecture. Dr. Baxter will share the knowledge, successes, and struggles from his practice and experience in treating thousands of patients with these conditions. A question and answer session will follow the didactic learning with plenty of time for attendees to ask questions and learn how best to help their patients. 

Learning Objectives 

• Describe the literature relating to tongue and lip-ties and the best practices where research does not yet exist. 
• Conduct a thorough exam on a baby, child, or adolescent; classify the degree of tongue or lip restriction; and screen for common symptoms related to these conditions. 
• Know if the attendee wishes to treat these patients in the office as part of a multidisciplinary team or refer them for care by a trained provider. 
• List the steps involved in assessing, diagnosing, referring to other specialists, and treating when indicated children with tongue restrictions.

Dr. Richard Baxter is a board-certified pediatric dentist, Fellow of the AAPD, and Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery. He is an internationally-recognized speaker on tongue-ties, instructor of the acclaimed online course Tongue-Tied Academy, and lead author of the bestselling book Tongue-Tied: How a Tiny String Under the Tongue Impacts Nursing, Speech, Feeding, and More.