Lip Tie Surgery

If baby has a lip tie, but breastfeeding is not affected (no difficulties for baby and no pain for mama), doctors say no lip tie reversal is needed.
If a lip tie is interfering with breastfeeding, it may be wise to consider a revision, no matter what class of lip tie a baby has

What Happens During a Lip Tie Reversal (Frenectomy)?

In most cases, the oral frenectomy procedure is fairly straightforward. Here are the general steps:

After a consultation with your doctor your baby will be brought to the surgical room and an assistant will snuggle your babies’ arms and feet to keep them secure.
Dr. Baldy may apply a topical and local anesthetic to the area to numb any pain.
Dr. Baldy will use a laser to release the frenum.
If the lip tie is severe or more complicated, it may require a couple of stitches to close the incision. These stitches will resorb in a few days.

The entire procedure will likely take 15 minutes or less.

How to Help Baby Heal Naturally Post-Procedure

Healing time is generally only a few days. The mouth heals quickly!

Some babies will seem largely unfazed by the procedure. Others may display signs of discomfort and need a little extra care. Either way, it’s a good idea to use this time to give your baby a little extra love and attention.

Here are some ideas to help manage baby’s pain after lip tie surgery:

Breastfeed immediately before and after the lip tie reversal. This is usually all babies need for comfort and pain relief.
With doctor’s approval, you can use Arnica Montana before and after procedure for pain relief.
Ice the area to reduce inflammation and pain.
Gently rub organic coconut oil on the area.
In cases of extreme discomfort, infant Tylenol or ibuprofen may be necessary. Talk to your child’s dentist/doctor if you think baby needs additional pain relief.

The Importance of Oral Exercises Post-Procedure

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

To prevent this, proper aftercare is crucial. Your doctor/dentist will have a series of lip exercises to keep the tissue from reattaching and promote blood flow/healing.

Upper Lip Stretch

Wash hands thoroughly
Lay baby in your lap, with his/her feet away from you.
Apply coconut oil to your finger, then place your finger under baby’s lip. Move it as high as it will go, then gently sweep from side to side for 1 to 2 seconds.

When to Call Your Doctor

When done correctly, complications with a lip tie reversal are rare. You may notice some minor bleeding for a few days post-procedure and baby may be fussier than usual. Call your doctor if:

Baby is extremely upset and normal pain relief methods (arnica, breastfeeding, skin-to-skin, etc.) don’t help.
There are signs of infection, like fever, swelling around the revised area, excessive sleepiness, or restlessness.
Excessive bleeding