Resources for Adults
A person may have gotten along in life just fine to a point. Eating, speaking, sleeping may have been acceptable throughout life but then symptoms occur.
There is a very wide range of degree of symptoms, from very mild to severe.
These are some of the symptoms shown by adults that may have TOTS:
- Gagging on foods more than expected
- Headaches, neck aches, shoulder aches that don’t respond to therapy
- Forward head posture
- Varying degrees of mouth breathing/snoring/noisy breathing
- Sleep apnea diagnosed after a sleep study
- Poor tooth alignment (Open bite, cross bite)
- Tongue thrust
- Orthodontics that didn’t hold/ teeth moved after braces removed
- Can’t move tongue far enough around inside the mouth to clear foods from inside the cheeks
- Can’t protrude the tongue far enough to lick the lips “normally”
PREPARE FOR THE VISIT
The most common reasons for treating adults are related to poor sleep, and head/neck/shoulder/jaw pain that has not responded to other treatment. Evaluation and therapy by a qualified Speech and Language therapist, Oral myologist, Occupational Therapist, etc. is REQUIRED prior to treatment to balance and strengthen muscles so they are prepared for the changes that will happen after surgery. This increases the chances for success. If sleep is an issue, a sleep study MUST be done prior to frenotomy so that Before and After effect can be compared. Therapy MUST continue after surgery to give the body every chance for a successful outcome.
Have pain medication on hand. If prescription strength pain relievers are necessary a prescription will be provided at the visit.
POST OP THERAPY
Give medicine as discussed. Expect to be quite numb for several hours. This will make speaking difficult. Swallowing may also be difficult so plan on having nothing that requires chewing until the numbness wears off. It's not unusual to drool fluid, so plan on drinking very carefully until feeling returns.
Stitches may be placed, so plan on a return visit.
Plan on continuing therapy with the appropriate therapist.
AFTER THE VISIT
Take the appropriate pain medication as recommended at the visit. Avoid hard, crispy, acidic and excessively hot foods for at least 2 days. Plan to use a blender if necessary. Once the scabs have well-formed the diet can return to normal. Begin the post op therapy as directed, beginning that evening or the next day. Plan to return for more therapy with the appropriate bodyworker. Timing for a follow-up sleep study will be discussed. If sutures are placed, plan to return in approximately 1 week for follow-up care and suture removal.
Please contact us or give us a call at 937-293-6387 to request an appointment.