Frenectomy Aftercare

The mouth is amazing and can heal very fast! But this creates a challenge: without stretching and massaging after frenum release, the tongue or lip wound can reconnect too tight. Wounds tend to shrink towards the center as they heal. When two raw surfaces in the mouth are close together, they can stick back together.

Tylenol or Ibuprofen (per pediatrician's guidelines) are helpful for pain relief the first day or two. After the procedure, some light bleeding might occur in the first few days, but using a laser helps keep it minimal. If needed, use moist gauze pads to apply gentle pressure. If bleeding continues or seems excessive, contact your pediatric dentist immediately.

Gentle, frequent stretches after the procedure are crucial for the best outcome. These stretches don’t need to be forceful or long. Quick and precise movements are best. Using a simple headlamp, like one used for camping, can help you see better for these stretches until you’re more comfortable with it. To do the exercises described below, place your baby on your lap or lying on a bed with their feet away from you. Keep their arms swaddled at their sides to be more efficient and effective. Before stretching, wash your hands well (you don’t need gloves). Coconut oil can help make sure your fingers aren’t rough or sticky, but the child’s saliva works well too.

This is the easier of the two sites to stretch and we recommend starting with the lip (when the lip needed to be released). Your child may cry since stretching can be uncomfortable, so starting with the lip allows you to get under the tongue easier if the baby opens wide with crying. For the upper lip, place your finger under the lip and move it up as high as it will go (until it bumps into resistance). Then gently sweep from side to side for a second or two. Remember, the main goal of this procedure is to insert your finger between the raw, opposing surfaces of the lip and the gum so they can't stick together. Lifting the lip up to cover the nose then pulling a little left and right stretches out the wound area well also.

With your baby’s feet going away from you, insert both index (pointer) fingers into the mouth. For stability, you can rest your thumbs on the baby’s forehead and your middle fingers on the chin. Then use both index fingers to sweep under the tongue and pick it up, towards the back roof of the baby's mouth (the softer throat side of the palate).

Babies can have weak sucking patterns after their procedure. The following exercises are quick and simple and can be done to improve suck quality. Do these exercises before the stretching session and spend 30-45 seconds on each exercise prior to the lip/tongue stretches (no need to do these sucking exercises during the nighttime stretch).

1. Slowly rub the lower gum line from side to side and your baby's tongue will follow your finger. This will help strengthen the lateral movements of the tongue.
2. Let your child suck on your finger and do a tug-of-war, slowly trying to pull your finger out while they try to suck it back in. This strengthens the tongue itself.
3. Let your child suck your finger and apply gentle pressure to the roof of the mouth. Once the baby starts to suck on your finger, just press down with the back of your fingertip into the tongue. This usually interrupts the sucking motion while the baby pushes back against you. Listen for a seal break and then put your finger back up into the palate to re-stimulate sucking. Repeat as tolerated.
4. With one index finger inside the baby's cheek, use your thumb outside the cheek to massage the cheeks on either side to help lessen the tension.