Tongue-tie
How is tongue-tie treated?
Treatment is not necessary if your baby has a piece of skin connecting the underside of their tongue to the floor of their mouth, but they can feed without any problems.
If feeding is affected, the tongue-tie needs to be divided.
Tongue-tie division
Tongue-tie division involves cutting the short, tight piece of skin connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. It's a simple and almostpainless procedure that usually resolves feeding problems straight away.
TheNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) supports the use of tongue-tie division, as it's safe and there is evidence it can improve breastfeeding.
See the NICE guidelines on Division of tongue-tie for breastfeeding .
The Association of Tongue-tie Practitioners website provides a list of NHS tongue-tie practitioners .
How tongue-tie division is carried out
Inbabies that are only a few months old, division of tongue-tie is usually performed without any anaesthetic (painkilling medication), or with a Local anaesthetic that numbs the tongue.
A general anaesthetic is usually needed for older babies with teeth, which means they'll be asleepduring the procedure.
The baby's head is held securely while sharp, sterile scissorsare used to snip the tongue-tie. Some practitioners may use a laser instead of scissors.
The procedureonly takes a few seconds, and you can start feeding your baby immediately afterwards. Some babies sleep through it, while others cry for a few seconds. In small babies, being cuddled and fed is more important than painkillers.
There should be little blood loss, though some bleeding is likely. A white patch may form under the tongue, which takes 24 to 48 hours to heal, but doesn't bother the baby.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a problem affecting some babies with a tight piece of skin between the underside of their tongue and the floor of their mouth (lingual frenulum).
What istongue-tie?
Tongue-tie is a birth defect that affects 4-11% of newborn babies. It's more common in boys than girls. Normally, the tongue is loosely attached to the base of the mouth with a piece of skin called
Breastfeeding problems
To breastfeed successfully, the baby needs to latch on to both the breast tissue and nipple, and their tongue needs to cover the lower gum so the nipple is protected from damage. Babies with tongue-t
How is tongue-tie treated?
Treatment is not necessary if your baby has a piece of skin connecting the underside of their tongue to the floor of their mouth, but they can feed without any problems. If feeding is affected, the t
Tongue-tie in older children and adults
Untreated tongue-tie may cause no problems as a child gets older, and any tightness may resolve naturally as the mouth develops with age. However, some cases can persist, and may cause problems such
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