Tongue and Lip Ties

What is a Frenectomy?

A frenectomy is a procedure used to correct a congenital condition in which the lingual (tongue) or labial (lip) frenulum (tie) is too tight, causing restrictions in movement that can cause significant difficulty with breastfeeding, and in some instances, other health problems like dental decay or spacing, speech difficulties and digestive issues. When it affects the lingual frenulum, this condition is commonly called a tongue tie (the medical term is ankyloglossia). Approximately 5% of the population has this condition, so your lactation consultant or doctor may feel that a procedure is warranted to improve symptoms.

Infant Frenectomy information

What to expect

Dr. Sanders will evaluate your child, taking into account your report of how breastfeeding is going and the mother’s symptoms. If she believes that your child could benefit from a tongue or lip tie release you will have the option of having it performed that day.

If you elect to have the procedure done at this time, a small amount of topical anesthetic will be applied to the area(s) to be treated. This medication works very quickly.

The procedure is very quick, the actual time of lasering being generally under 1 minute.

Crying and fussing are common during and after the procedure.

You may breastfeed, bottle-feed or soothe your babe in any manner you would like following the procedure.

Stretches

I feel that post-procedure stretches are key to getting optimal result. These stretches are NOT meant to be forceful or prolonged. It’s best to be quick and precise with your movements.

The main risk of a frenectomy is that the mouth heals so quickly that it may prematurely reattach at either the tongue site or the lip site, causing a new limitation in mobility and the persistence or return of symptoms. The exercises are best done with the baby placed in your lap (or lying on a bed) with their feet away from you.

A small amount of spotting or bleeding is common after the procedure, especially in the first few days. Because a laser is being used, bleeding is minimized. Wash your hands well prior to doing stretches (gloves aren’t necessary). Apply a small amount of Coconut oil or Vitamin E oil to your finger prior to performing stretches.

The released area will form a wet scab after the first day. It will appear white and soft because it is wet. This is nature’s “bandaid”. This is what you will be pressing against. The healing will be happening under the scab, just like a scrape anywhere else on your body. The white area will get smaller each day, but the HEALING IS STILL HAPPENING! So even though the white scab will heal you MUST continue the stretching or the new frenulum will not be as long as possible and the surgery will need to be repeated.

The Upper Lip – is the easier of the 2 sites to stretch. If you have both sites to stretch I recommend starting with the lip. Typically, babies don’t like either stretches and may cry, so starting with the lip allows you to get under the tongue easier once the baby starts to cry. For the upper lip, simply place your finger under the lip and move it up as high as it will go (until it bumps into resistance). Then gently sweep from side to side for 1-2 seconds. Remember, the main goal of the procedure is the insert your finger between the raw, opposing surfaces of the lip and the gum so they can’t stick together.

The Tongue – should be your next area to stretch. Insert both index fingers into the mouth (insert on in the mouth and go towards the cheek to stretch out the mouth, making room for your other index finger.) Then use both index fingers to dive under the tongue and pick it up, towards the roof of the baby’s mouth. The tongue needs three separate stretching motions:

  1. Once you are under the tongue, try to pick the tongue up as high as it will go (towards the roof of the baby’s mouth). Hold it there for 1-2 seconds and then relax. The goal is to completely unfold the diamond so that it’s almost flat in orientation (remember, the fold of the diamond across the middle is the first place it will reattach). The key to the success of this stretch is that your fingers are placed deep enough prior to lifting the tongue up. I recommend placing your finger on either side of the diamond and pushing into the sides of the diamond before lifting up on the tongue. To make the stretch effective, make sure the tongue goes up and not backwards.
  2. With one finger propping up the tongue, place your other finger in the middle of the diamond and turn your finger sideways and use a lifting motion from front to back to try to keep the diamond as deep as possible. Use a lifting motion where you sweep through the diamond, trying to separate the horizontal fold across that diamond. Make sure your finger starts within the diamond when doing this stretch.

Repeat the stretches 6 times a day, at various times during the day. Go no more than 6 hours between stretches (preferable every 4 hours). Continue for 3 weeks.

Sucking exercises

It is important to remember that you need to show your child that not everything you are going to do to the mouth is associated with pain. Additionally, babies can have disorganized or weak sucking patterns that can benefit from exercises. The following exercises are simple and can be done to improve suck quality.

  1. Slowly rub the lower gum line from side to side and your baby’s tongue will follow your finger. This will help strengthen the lateral movements of the tongue.
  2. Let your child suck on your finger and do a tug-of-war, slowly trying to pull your finger out while they try to suck it back in. This strengthens the tongue itself.
  3. Let your child suck your finger and apply gentle pressure to the palate, and then roll your finger over and gently press down on the tongue and stroke the middle of the tongue.

After the procedure

Expect at least 48-72 hours of discomfort and fussiness.  This is due to using new muscles and soreness at the wound sites.  Some swelling in area is also normal, this is most often seen in the lip after release of thicker lip ties.

I recommend lots of nursing and skin to skin time to soothe your baby. For many this is enough to help them manage discomfort.

If you suspect there is discomfort, give Tylenol as directed on by your pediatrician, Ibuprofen if over 6 months old or use arnica as a natural alternative.

A general guide to Tylenol dosing is (but please follow your pediatrician’s instructions):

• 6-11 pounds – 1.25mL
• 12-17 pounds – 2.5mL
• 18-23 pounds – 3.75mL
• 24-35 pounds – 5mL

Arnica tablets: Arnica 200C (or 30C if you can’t find the 200); 10-15 pellets in a dropper bottle. Fill with distilled water and dissolve/shake. Every 60-90 minutes, 10 drops of that liquid orally. If fussier, can do every 30 min.

If solid foods are being eaten, avoid crispy, spicy foods for five days.

It is essential that you follow-up with your lactation consultant after the procedure to ensure optimal results. Additional resources for bodywork and suck training are available if necessary.

Call our office for any of the following:

  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Refusal to nurse or take a bottle
  • Fever > 101.5

Resources

Adult and children Frenectomy information

For adults and older children who have been functioning for some time with their tongue tie it is very important for best results to re-train the tongue on how to function. This is best done by working with a myofunctional therapist. We will discuss this further as well as start on some exercises in office.

https://www.myotherapymt.com/