Does treatment have an immediate effect?

Treating a tongue-tie or lip-tie is, relatively speaking, a minor surgical procedure and is often an attempt to improve the existing situation. This applies to babies, children and adults. However, it is important to remember that it is still a surgical procedure.

In general, the younger the patient is at the time of treatment, the greater the likelihood of improvement.

However, the success of treatment in babies also depends on other factors, such as the birth experience, whether your baby has a preferred head position, and how your baby was feeding at the breast or from a bottle before the procedure.

Babies need to learn how to use their tongues correctly again and have often developed compensatory behaviours, such as clenching their jaws, to help them drink milk.

It can sometimes take several days to several weeks before improvements become noticeable.

Your baby may be unsettled or fussy during the first 24–48 hours and may temporarily refuse the breast or bottle. If your baby refuses to breastfeed, offer milk using a bottle, a small spoon or a syringe to ensure they continue to get enough milk.

We recommend scheduling a follow-up consultation at our clinic. During this appointment, we can review the exercises with you and check the wound to assess how it is healing.