The tongue may be split with a cauterizing laser, a scalpel, or even fishing wire tied tightly through a
Your surgeon may either use local anesthesia (similar to Novocain used by the dentist) or general anesthesia (in which you will be put completely asleep). Once the area is numb, your surgeon will then split your tongue down the middle with a knife, cautery, or a laser.
If you are under 18, it's illegal for someone to perform a body modification on you like earlobe stretching, scarring or tongue splitting. It is illegal for anyone to do this to you, even if you want them to. If you perform a body modification procedure on someone under 18 years old, you will be breaking the law.
Once healed, muscle control of the individual sides can be gained with practice if the split is sufficiently deep. The two halves can be raised up and down opposite each other, spread apart from the other half which makes the split quite apparent and some objects can be grasped onto and held.
Both segments of a bifurcated tongue are able to move independently, meaning that people with a split tongue have more manual dexterity -- which is said to be quite the benefit when it comes to kissing [source: Siegel].
The procedure involves cutting the tongue in half to create a lizard-like forked effect. But experts said it came with the risk of significant blood loss, infection, nerve damage and problems with breathing and swallowing.
If you have your tongue split, the initial healing time will be 1 to 2 weeks. By then you should be able to eat normally, but you will have to retrain yourself to speak without slurring your words or a lisp.
The cutting and sewing during the split will only hit a minimum of taste buds, which will not affect taste sensations. Some "splitters" claim to feel the sweet taste more, which is probably due to the fact that with a jagged tongue they move the food down their throats in a different way.
Tongue splitting is illegal in Delaware, New York, Tennessee, and Texas. In some states, the practice cannot be performed on minors at all. In other cases, it cannot be performed without the consent of the parent. The practice also cannot be done without the consent of the person receiving the procedure.
The first confirmed bifurcation, however, dates to as recently as 1994, referenced in the online body-modification magazine bmezine.com, which in 1997 published the account of an anonymous Italian man who had had his tongue divided surgically by a dentist friend for cosmetic reasons.
In fact, I was eating and talking essentially back-to-normal about two weeks after I split my tongue. And yes, I can still taste everything the same. Mobility when eating is just as unconscious as any person controlling their own tongue while eating food: After healing, it's involuntary.
Cosmetic Surgery answer:
It is possible to fix a tongue that is split and this would normally be done by a maxillo-facial surgeon.
Most cuts on the tongue or palate heal on their own and do not need stitches, unless they are very large or don't stop bleeding on their own. Cuts on the inside of the lip don't usually need stitches.
Can you talk after a glossectomy? It depends on how much of your tongue your surgeon had to remove. People who've had a partial glossectomy may still be able to form most sounds and words. Those who've had a total glossectomy will need to use a pen and paper or technology (such as a tablet or computer) to communicate.
Dentists use anesthesia to induce numbness around the mouth and relieve any pain. In some cases, dental practitioners use anesthesia to keep you calm and relaxed.
Cracked tongue is characterized by one or more grooves running along the tongue's surface. The number and depth of the grooves, or fissures, varies. If the fissures are very deep, the tongue may seem to have distinct sections. In most cases of cracked tongue, a single groove runs down the tongue's center.
Cloverleaf Tongue: This is the most difficult type of tongue-twisting, where the person folds his tongue into multiple bends forming a clover-leaf shape. Some people with this ability can create three bends, while there are others who can even create four bends.
Usage as an idiomatic expression
The phrase "speaks with a forked tongue" means to deliberately say one thing and mean another or, to be hypocritical, or act in a duplicitous manner.
Surgical resections alone create volumetric muscle loss whereby muscle tissue cannot self-regenerate within the tongue. In these cases, the tongue is reconstructed typically in the form of autologous skin flaps.
Brianna Mary Shihadeh is a dreadlock artist living in California, who has a passion for body modification. She has surgically split her tongue and has now said that she can taste two separate things at the same time.
Taste buds are cells on your tongue that allow you to perceive tastes, including sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Taste buds regenerate approximately every 10 days, which means injured taste buds usually repair on their own.
If you have pain, take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. It may help to cool the inside of your mouth with a piece of ice or a flavoured ice pop.
Splitting the tongue may lead immediately to various complications, including excessive blood loss and swelling of the tongue, which can in turn cause difficulty with breathing and, at least theoretically, suffocation.
eating foods that are soft and easy to swallow, such as yogurt, eggs, and cooked vegetables. avoiding acidic, spicy, and salty foods. avoiding tobacco products and alcohol.