A short infant tongue and a short tongue tie are not the same thing.
Short tongue refers to the short absolute length of the tongue. A short tongue tie, on the other hand, refers to the shortness of the tie that connects the inner gums of the lower incisors to the tongue. A short tongue tie can cause the infant to be unable to extend the tongue beyond the lips or barely be able to extend the tongue beyond the lips, the child’s tongue cannot be tilted up, and the tip of the child’s tongue is in a W-shape, which can interfere with suckling and articulation.
If the tongue tie is not dysfunctional, no treatment is needed and only observation is required. If the baby is born with a short tongue tie that interferes with suckling, it needs to be treated by a dentist as soon as possible. If there is no effect, the child may be observed until he or she speaks to see if there is any dysarthria. Tongue tie surgery may also be considered in young children with dysarthria.