Infant Tongue- and
Lip-Tie Release Post-Op Instructions

Post-Op Instructions

Care On Day One and Pain Relief

Pain relief is needed the first few days. Give Tylenol or Ibuprofen as directed on the package, based on weight. Some natural alternatives are:
― Camilia teething drops (Highlands Naturals – dissolvable) - premixed and easy
to use.
― Arnica tablets: Arnica 200C (or 30C if you can’t find the 200); 10-15 pellets in a dropper bottle.
― Fill with distilled water (approximately 5mLs) and dissolve/shake.
― Every 60-90 minutes, give 10 drops of that
liquid orally. If fussier, you can do it every 30 min.
Breastmilk “Popsicles” and breast milk ice chips help! When you got your wisdom teeth out, you iced.
TummyTime and head hangs are very beneficial!
Encourage your child to move their tongue and cheeks as much as possible by tracing the gum ridges, playing with the cheeks (fishy face), or playing tug of war with the baby sucking on your finger. If not doing other exercises from your IBCLC, do these 10x each or for 10 sec, as often as possible, but try for 3-4 times a day for 5 weeks.
You can use gloves the first few times if it helps you, but try and switch to clean hands to make it less clinical.

Typical Post-Procedure Activity and Things to Watch For

Drooling is common after a tongue-tie procedure, and a slight fever is normal on the first day.
If the lip-tie was released, your child’s lip may swell up slightly that evening or the next day, making it more sore. It is normal and will go down after a day or two.
The wounds will be sore for a few days, at one week look much better, and at two weeks look almost normal.
In the first few days, feeding and sleeping schedules may be different (longer or shorter times between feeds and longer or shorter stretches of sleep). But it’s ok if they aren’t different right away.
If you’re concerned it is growing back together, come back for a visit or email a picture to drliz@bloomsleepandairway.com.

Dr. Turner will check on you on day one, and then you can reach out after that with any questions!

Good Reminders

Remember, improvements can take time. Babies begin coordinated swallows at 20 weeks in utero, so even if your baby is only a few weeks old they have been learning to swallow for a while! Tension, muscle development, and compensations can take some time to correct. Remember you are doing this to help your baby thrive!
Most importantly…be prepared to just love on your baby. Rocking, shushing, holding, hugging, co-bathing, nursing on demand, feeding on demand, skin to skin, laughing, distracting, playing…give attention, and not just mom! Dad, grandma, grandpa, trusted caregiver…all can be involved in getting through this process.
Try to keep your own stress level low…you may have read how hard this is on the internet…what if you go into it with a glass half full mindset? Your baby can read your stress…let’s make this easier for both of you!

Follow-Up Appointments to Schedule

For specific bottle-feeding and breast-feeding
questions, ask your IBCLC. We encourage a follow-up with them within a few weeks after the release.
Follow-up with an IBCLC and bodyworker (Osteopath, Chiropractor, CST) is recommended for full rehabilitation. We are all about teamwork in our
practice, especially if we want the BEST results!

To promote best healing, Dr. Turner may prescribe or recommend an additional medication.

How to Do the Diamond (Wound) Care

Goal:

Have the frenum heal and re-form as far back as possible. You will see a new frenum form. That is ok.
Our goal is to reposition it and lengthen it.

Watch our demo video here:

Frequency:

Frequency: Repeat four times a day, at various times during the day for three weeks, then three times a day for one more week (4 weeks total). Begin the evening of the procedure.

Do not go more than six hours between stretches (4x/day). If your baby sleeps longer than six hours, yes, you do have to wake them for the stretch. The first stretch in the morning after sleeping is often the most difficult, it will be less difficult if you don’t let more than six hours go by! Don’t be discouraged.

Helpful Tips:

Try to make a game of it, if possible, and keep it playful.

The released area will form a wet scab after the first day. It will appear white or yellow and soft because it is wet. This area 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 healing is still happening! So even though the white scab will heal, you MUST continue the stretching or the new frenum will not be as long as possible and the surgery may need to be repeated.

Tongue-Tie Release

Your goal is to have the frenum heal and re-form as far back as possible.

With a clean or gloved middle finger, STABILIZE the lower jaw by putting gentle pressure where the lower jaw and lip meet (baby will open when you do this). Use your pointer fingers to lift the tongue at the diamond in the middle of the tongue. Push your pointer fingers up and back, lifting the tongue. Your goal is to see the whole diamond open up and lengthen. Hold for five seconds.

It may bleed slightly when it is stretched, especially if there are longer times between stretches. If you see this, add slightly more pressure, or add one more stretch per day.

Lip-Tie Release

The goal is for the frenum to heal and re-form as high as possible.

Pull the lip up as high as possible, high enough to press against the nose. You want to see the whole white diamond open up. Press gently but firmly against the wound to massage it and keep the diamond open. Hold for five seconds.

It may bleed slightly when it is stretched, especially if there are longer times between stretches. If you see this, add slightly more pressure, or add one more stretch per day.

Buccal (Cheek)-Tie Release

The goal is for the frena to heal and re-form as high as possible.

Use your index finger and lift the cheek up and out away from the jaw bone in the area where the cheek tie was, for three seconds. Your finger will be used to stretch the cheek gently outwards and help reduce tension where the cheeks have been compensating. Most families say the cheek ties are the easiest and do not cause irritation.

Share Your Experience With Us

Finally, thank you for your trust in our team. We know this is a challenging time, but we find joy in helping you help your children thrive. If you have feedback, positive or negative,
share your experience with us!

Bloom

Center for Sleep

and Airway Health

303.732.8909
13701 W. Jewell Ave, Suite 101

Lakewood, CO 80228

Infant Tongue- and Lip-Tie Release Post-Op Instructions