Today, there are still many people who believe that all newborn children should have their tongues cut (tongue lengthening) so that there will be less bleeding and they will not be affected by learning to speak later. Therefore, during our regular consultations at the Guangzhou Women’s and Children’s Medical Center, we often see parents holding their babies (3 months to 1 year old) and asking for “tongue lengthening”. So, do these babies really need treatment? As the tongue and teeth develop, the front of the tongue lengthens into a rounded tip and the ligature gradually recedes towards the tongue root, increasing the flexibility of the tongue. The tongue ligament, a strip of tissue between the tongue and the floor of the mouth when the tongue is opened and lifted. Under normal circumstances, the tongue moves freely and the tip of the tongue sticks out of the mouth naturally. However, many infants with a short tongue tie do not need to have it cut. Usually, infants are able to adapt to this state without any effect on their articulation or feeding. As the baby grows older and the tongue, jaws and teeth develop, the position of the tongue tie usually changes to accommodate the developing oral structures. If the baby is 2.5 years old or older (when all the baby’s teeth have erupted) and has slurred articulation and dysarthria, the surgery is needed only if the oral surgeon assesses that the lingual ligament is too short, causing inaccurate articulation of coarticulation, palatal and lingual sounds and slurred vocalization. (There is a special case: a particularly short tether may have been traumatized when the lower milk front teeth grew out and repeatedly formed ulcers.) What kind of lingual tethering requires surgery? 1. The lingual tether is attached between the lower incisors, creating a gap between the lower incisors; 2. The force generated by the attachment of the lingual tether tilts the lower front teeth toward the lip or tongue; 3. The tip of the tongue cannot be upturned to the palate; 6.