Infant Aftercare

Common post-operative healing consequences:

  • Rarely there can be a small amount of swelling of the surgical site. This does not require any treatment
  • Low grade fever (99-102 degrees F)
  • Slight bleeding of the surgical area for one to two days: IF bleeding does not stop with nursing or pressure with gauze within 10-15 min, contact Dr. Prather.
  • Extreme fussiness and frustration the first day.
  • Improvement with breastfeeding may not be immediate. It can take time for your baby to learn how to use his/her tongue and other orofacial muscles in an effective manner.

NO IMMEDITATE RESTRICTIONS: You may breastfeed, bottle feed and give a pacifier to your baby immediately following surgery.

COMFORT MANAGEMENT: Most babies experience minimal discomfort after the procedure. However minimizing and preventing the discomfort is recommended. Tylenol or Motrin can be given to help with discomfort **NOTE: Dosage schedule may be obtained from the pharmacist or pediatrician and is always based on your baby’s weight. There are also other natural options you can try such as Arinca, CBD and other homeopathic remedies. MOTRIN SHOULD NOT BE USED UNTIL AFTER 6 MONTHS OF AGE.

GUIDING HEALING: Your baby’s mouth heals quickly and guiding healing after the procedure is very important for optimal results. Before starting, make sure that your hands are clean and your fingernails are short. This process are NOT meant to be prolonged. Keep it short and sweet! Sing a happy song, provide a soothing environment and talk in a sing song voice to your little one to lessen their stress.

  • Buccal Tie Aftercare: Place your middle fingers in the cheeks and roll up and beside the jaw bone pulling out and as you push up toward the cheek bones.
  • Lip-Tie Aftercare: Using your thumb and middle finger in a pincer grasp firmly grasp the upper lip and lift out and up over the nostrils. Hold for a few seconds while pressing your index finger across the surgical site once. Repeat every 4 hours for 21 days with the exception of night one.
  • Tongue-Tie Aftercare: Using 1 finger to anchor the jaw down just inside the lower lip, open the mouth as wide as possible and use the other index finger to press the pad of the index finger down into the floor of the mouth under the tongue. Maintaining downward pressure begin moving the index finger back toward the base of the tongue and push the tongue back and toward the throat. You will press over the surgical site as you do this and you need to put enough pressure to cause it to open and lengthen. Hold the stretch for a few seconds. Switch and do the same thing on the opposite side. Repeat every 4 hours 21 days with the exception of night one. If the baby is biting and opening the mouth is difficult try using a finger as a bite prop back between the jaws in the molar area and use the opposite finger to push down and back under the tongue.
  • If the wound site(s) is/are still open or the area feels tight at the 21 day point these sessions should be continued for an additional 7-14 days 3 times during the day. Night time sessions are not recommended after the 21 days.

Tonight do aftercare before bedtime. DO NOT wake baby tonight for aftercare or feedings unless weight gain is a concern and baby is less than 2 weeks old. Tomorrow please start every 4 hours for the next 21 days

**In case of emergency call (615) 669-7610**

Contact Us

Send Us an Email

Our Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Lunch is from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Monday:

8:00 am-4:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-4:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-4:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-4:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am - 4:00 pm (Administrative Day)

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed