Child & Adult
Post-Op
(Children)
(Adults)
Healing
After the release, there will be a diamond-shaped wound under the tongue (if no sutures were placed) and/or lip. It takes about 2 weeks for the wound to heal (sometimes a bit longer). The healing will begin almost immediately after treatment, and the wound will often be larger than you would expect. If sutures are placed, they will fall out about 7-10 days after surgery. There is no cause for concern if they fall out a little sooner.
A tongue tie release with sutures
This is a video of Dr. Aaronson's 7-year-old daughter's lip tie release as it healed, starting on day 1 and ending on day 13.
There are two important concepts to understand about oral wounds:
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Any open oral wound likes to contract towards the center of that wound as it is healing (hence the need to keep it dilated open).
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If you have two raw surfaces in the mouth in close proximity, they will reattach.
The purpose of the exercises is to ensure that a new frenum heals with increased flexibility. Please do one round of exercises before bed on the day of the procedure. On the following day, you may start the exercise protocols listed below. Consistency is key. Do NOT exceed more than 6 hours between exercises.
Stretches
Your myofunctional therapist will help guide you through pre- and post-op exercises and stretches. Here is an example of some post-op exercises you may be asked to do (note: post-op exercises will vary from patient to patient.)