Frenotomy

What is tongue-tie?

The frenulum is a bit of tissue that attaches the tongue to the muscle on the base of your mouth. If this tissue is very short or tight, it can cause tongue-tie, which can lead to breast feeding problems or speech problems in infants.

What is a frenotomy?

Also known as tongue-tie release, a frenotomy is a procedure to treat tongue-tie. Your GP or specialist consultant can determine if a frenotomy would benefit your child. This procedure is usually performed on children younger than one year of age.

What happens during a frenotomy?

A frenotomy is a very short procedure, usually performed in the clinic office.

Your consultant will apply local anaesthetic to numb your baby’s mouth. Once the anaesthetic takes effect, they will simply lift the tongue and snip the frenulum. You may see very minor bleeding.

Recovery from frenotomy

Most children recover very quickly from a frenotomy. You can breast feed your baby immediately after this procedure.

Complications of a frenotomy

Complications are very rare, but may include:

• excessive bleeding
• infection
• recurrent tongue tie.

The healthcare team will do their best to minimise any risks. Make sure you discuss any concerns you have about these complications with your consultant.