Tongue Ties or Tethered Oral Tissues (TOT's) are restricted tissue in the mouth between oral structures (tongue, lip, cheeks) that has an impact on one’s ability to properly/effectively use those structures. That second part is the key...the IMPACT of the restriction is what should guide the decision to have your baby’s release done.
Pre-Release
Consult with a lactation expert and a well-trained pediatric TOT specialist/dentist
Meet with a myofunctional therapist to ensure proper motor function of the oral structures
Cranial/fascial work to ensure that there isn’t tethering elsewhere from the ties
Release
When the decision was made and immediately before the procedure, we gave our daughter:
Rescue Remedy Kids homeopathic pediatric drops (as directed)**
Arnica pellets (2) held against her cheek until they dissolved**
Immediately Following Release
Every 15 minutes for the first hour: arnica (1) and rescue remedy kids**
Every hour for the next 5 hours: arnica (1)**
Three times a day the next two days and then as needed: arnica**
**Consult with your child’s healthcare provider for appropriate use/dosing
Post-Release
Lots of skin-to-skin time
Myofunctional/feeding therapy
Craniosacral Work
Chiropractic Care
Small frozen breastmilk cubes in a mesh feeding bag
Myomunchee to chew on for comfort sucking
Stretches
Every few hours (in our experience, we did these routinely in the daytime and once overnight when our child woke up)
During diaper changes (avoid feeding time, as you don’t want to add any aversions)
Tongue lift and cross-friction: place baby face up on your thighs, with their head at your knees and use the side of your thumb (or pads of two little fingers) to lift the tongue up and back, and then apply pressure and cross-friction for 2-5 seconds
Lip lift and cross-friction: using the same set-up as above, use both your thumb (inside the lip)/pointer finger pads (outside of the lip) to lift up on the upper lip, pulling out and away, and then apply cross-friction to the release
Buccal/cheek release: Place your pointer finger inside the infant’s mouth with the pad of the finger against the side of the cheek that was released. Use your thumb on the outside of the same cheek and pull away from the infant’s mouth/gums and massage the cheek gently