Office Frenulotomy (1608)

Key points below

What is a Frenotomy?

A frenotomy is a short procedure done in the office to cut the frenulum. This helps the tongue move more freely. The frenulum is the piece of skin that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. It's called tongue-tied if it prevents the tongue from moving upwards, outwards, or side-to-side. This can cause problems with talking and eating.

What happens after my child’s procedure?

You may see an area under the tongue that looks yellow, gray or white. This is a normal part of the healing process.
Your child may drool more for about 3 days afterwards. The drool might have some blood in it.

Activity:

Your child does not need to limit their activity.
Stretching exercises are not recommended as infants move their tongues frequently. Stretching the tongue may cause pain and cause infants to not want to eat.

Pain:

There is very little pain from this procedure. Your child may feel like they bit their tongue. The pain normally does not last long.
Your child may have acetaminophen (Tylenol™) if needed for pain.

Diet:

Your child may breast or bottle feed right after the procedure. It is safe and also comforting.
Work with your lactation consultant and/or speech therapist for any feeding concerns.

Follow-up

Your doctor will advise you on any follow up appointments.

ALERT

Call your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic if you have any questions or concerns or if your child has:

A hard time sucking or feeding or is not drinking.
Swelling, redness or drainage under the tongue.
Severe pain.
Signs of unusual bleeding or bruising.
A fever of 101.2° F (38.5° C) or higher for more than two days.
Any fever that does not get better by using acetaminophen
Special health care needs that were not covered by this information