Tethered Oral Tissues
Tethered Oral Tissues (Tongue/Lip/Buccal Ties)
Tethered oral tissues (TOTs), otherwise known as tongue/lip/buccal ties, affect appropriate movements of oral structures for adequate food management, swallowing, natural oral cleansing, and speech.
These are the main symptoms associated with tongue/lip/buccal ties:
- In breastfeeding, unsustained and/or shallow latch, colic and/or irritability, gassiness, falling asleep at the breast, extended feedings, frequent short feeds, poor weight gain, clicking, anterior breastmilk loss, gagging; maternal nipple pain/trauma, recurrent thrush/ mastitis, etc.
- Gastrointestinal tract issues including gassiness, hiccups, vomiting, and acid reflux-like symptoms;
- During bottle feedings, clicking, anterior liquid spillage, extended feedings, poor weight gain, GI symptoms (GER, gas, hiccups), frequent short feeds, collapsing bottle nipple, combative behaviors, and gagging;
- During solid feedings, difficulty transitioning to purees and table foods; poor intake and weight gain, gagging, refusals and negative mealtime behaviors, packing, expulsion, difficulties with fibrous, multi-textured foods;
- In speech production, speech related issues with difficulty articulating “t, d, z, s, th, n, and l” sounds.
Following the most advanced recent medical research, we now provide comprehensive:
- Evaluation for presence and impact of tethered oral tissues on your child’s oral function, including proper oral exam and necessary referrals to outside preferred providers to obtain surgical intervention when appropriate;
- Execution of a treatment plan for optimizing oral function in the presence of tethered oral tissues, including active wound management and specific treatment techniques;
- Education and communication with caregivers and other medical professionals regarding identification and treatment of tethered oral tissues, including educational tools and resources.
What to Expect
From your first evaluation to ongoing progress, we guide your family through a supportive, personalized therapy journey.
Initial Evaluation (60-90 min)
Comprehensive functional assessment of your child’s current speech, language and/or feeding skills using standardized tools, observations while following a “whole-child” approach.
Personalized Treatment Plan
Your family receives a clear therapy plan with goals, recommended frequency, and practical strategies tailored to your child’s needs.
Therapy Sessions
Sessions are engaging, supportive, and evidence-based, using play and connection to help your child build meaningful skills.
Progress & Family Support
We provide ongoing updates, caregiver coaching, and collaboration so progress continues beyond the therapy room.
Hear from Our Graduates
Therapy Matters NY has been a lifesaver for our family! Our daughter struggled with feeding from birth, and after just a few months of therapy we saw incredible progress. The therapists are warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely care about each child.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about this practice. My son's speech has improved dramatically and the team made him feel safe and excited to come every week. The whole family feels supported here.
From the very first consultation we felt heard and understood. The expertise here is unmatched - they identified issues other providers had missed entirely. Our little one is thriving thanks to their dedication.
Absolutely amazing practice. We drove over an hour because no one local could match the level of care and expertise. Worth every mile. The feeding therapy approach is evidence-based and the results speak for themselves.
As a first-time mom I was so anxious, but Therapy Matters made me feel calm and empowered from day one. They explain every step of the process, celebrate every milestone with you, and truly partner with families.
Ready to take the first step?
Schedule a free discovery call or contact us for more information