The National Tongue Tie Centre, a leading provider of medical and therapeutic services for oral restrictions, has launched its educational platform, The Tongue Tie Toolbox. The toolbox is a comprehensive collection of courses to help educate healthcare professionals in identifying and addressing the needs of patients with oral dysfunctions.
The tongue is involved in how we breathe, sleep, chew, swallow, and talk. If dysfunctional, it can have knock-on effects throughout the body, including on posture and development. Tongue tie creates tongue dysfunction and affects approximately 5-to-10 per cent of the population. It occurs when the tissue that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth (the frenulum) is short, thick, or inelastic, restricting the tongue’s range of movement.
Co-directors of the National Tongue Tie Centre and Creators of the ‘Tongue Tie Toolbox’, Dr Justin and Kate Roche, have the benefit of over two decades of work with tongue ties and are at the forefront of treatment for this condition.
Kate Roche said: “Tongue tie is a condition that is poorly understood and underestimated, both in its implications for infants and for an individual’s long-term health. As awareness of tongue tie grows, professionals are being asked to advise their patients without adequate training in this subject. The training that we are offering will help professionals better understand the condition and improve patient outcomes in the long run.”
The Tongue Tie Toolbox offers a comprehensive array of learning opportunities. Healthcare professionals can choose to dip in as they like and build the ‘toolkit’ they need, depending on their patient’s needs and their own scope of practice.
The first course will focus on equipping lactation consultants and therapists who work with infants with an understanding of when to suspect a tongue tie and a comprehensive set of treatment techniques when tongue tie has been diagnosed.
This initiative underscores the National Tongue Tie Centre’s mission to set new standards in tongue tie management and support better outcomes for patients of all ages. Throughout the year, more courses will be introduced, including modules tailored to provide surgical insights and further therapy, as well as dedicated sessions for infants, children, and adults.
In addition to the formal courses, the Centre will foster an ongoing community through its monthly online live discussions, ‘Tie Talk: Comprehensive Care Conversations’. These sessions will feature expert-led discussions on case studies with founders Justin and Kate Roche. They will provide opportunities for healthcare professionals to share insights and experiences and build a platform for advancing collaborative care.
Find more details at https://www.tonguetietoolbox.com/.
