Lip & Tongue-Tie Patient Aftercare – Palm Harbor, FL
Taking the Next Steps
Even after a successful frenectomy, your work won’t be done yet. While pain will be kept to a minimum during the procedure, your child might experience some discomfort over the next few days. They’ll also need some help learning to use their lip or tongue properly once it’s no longer being restricted. You can count on us to continue helping you throughout the process of lip and tongue-tie patient aftercare with our Palm Harbor, FL dentist; call us if you have any questions about what you need to do or if there’s an unexpected development.
Stretches
The mouth shows significant healing in the first few days, with complete resolution of healing occurring between 7-14 days. During the recovery period, it is very important for your child to stretch the tongue and lip area. This ensures that the tissues that were separated during the procedure don’t reattach and contract again. In other words, your child needs to practice using their new-found oral mobility or else they may end up losing it very quickly. We’ll recommend specific stretches based on your child’s needs.
Lip-Tie Exercise
The upper lip is particularly easy to stretch. All you need to do is place your finger under the lip and gently lift it upwards as high as possible. You can then sweep the lip from side to side in one or two seconds. The main goal of lip-tie exercises is to prevent the upper lip from sticking to the gums so that they don’t join with each other again as your child’s mouth heals. If your child needs to stretch their lip and their tongue, it’s generally easier to start with the lip.
Tongue-Tie Exercise
There are several different exercises involving the tongue, and in many cases, they need to be performed in conjunction with each other. Like with the lip, you can gently lift the tongue as high as you can for one or two seconds at a time. Additional exercises will focus on stretching the “diamond” at the treatment area to make sure that it heals properly. There are some exercises you can have your child perform before their treatment that will help them learn certain motions that will make this part of the treatment easier.
Pain Management
Small feedings and skin-to-skin time can go a long way towards helping your child feel better after a frenectomy. The discomfort normally only lasts for about 24 to 48 hours. If they need a little extra help to find relief, you can discuss infant or children’s Tylenol with Dr. Maggie. Of course, every child has different needs; Dr. Maggie can help you figure out the proper dosage of pain medication and make additional suggestions for controlling pain as needed.
Some Things You Can Try to Calm Your Little One
You’ll be taken to one of our private nursing & post op rooms after the procedure. A breastfeeding session along with other forms of skin-to-skin contact can go a long way towards calming your child down. Taking liquids can also help soothe them, though it may be uncomfortable for them at first. We’re here to help you if you need additional assistance in helping your little one relax after the treatment, so don’t be afraid to ask then or during the follow up that will occur seven days later.
Re-Check with Dr. Maggie
Approximately 3-7 days after the procedure you are encouraged to return for a complimentary re-evaluation of your child’s tongue or lip tie release. We will evaluate for any re-attachment and reassess your child’s symptoms so that we may offer tailored suggestions directed toward your unique child. We will ensure you are comfortable performing the stretches taught to you. We will also clear your child to begin any needed therapy with a lactation consultant, myofascial therapist, speech-language pathologist, or other medical professionals.