After your child’s frenectomy, you will receive instructions provided by their lip and tongue-tie specialist. The details should be easy to follow, but as a parent, you’ll want to know what you can do to help them heal at home. How can you help manage discomfort? What should you do if you notice something that appears “off?” Keep reading to learn how you can ensure they heal successfully after treatment.
How Long Will the Post-Frenectomy Recovery Phase Take?
The average timeframe for recovery after a frenectomy is about one week. This varies by patient, depending on how well they follow aftercare instructions. These often include stretching exercises, what to eat and avoid, oral hygiene essentials, and more.
What Can You Do to Help Your Child Recover Successfully?
Most patients don’t experience difficulties when recovering from a frenectomy. As you help your child in the days following their procedure, there are a few things you can do to ensure it remains a smooth process:
- Don’t let your child eat anything while their mouth is still numb. This can cause them to bite down on their lip or tongue and cause further damage.
- The bleeding will subside soon after returning home, but until it does, keep the gauze in place.
- Don’t let your child eat or drink anything spicy, hot, or acidic.
- Keep them on a soft food diet for a few days. They can enjoy oatmeal, smoothies, scrambled eggs, yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc.
- Make sure they continue to drink lots of water to stay hydrated and avoid bad breath.
- Don’t let them engage in physical activity for at least 24 hours.
- Leave any scab that forms in its place.
- If they require pain relievers, make sure they take them as directed.
- Make sure they are careful when cleaning their mouth. Keeping infections out is important, but they must also be gentle while maneuvering around their wound.
Your child may need a follow-up appointment with their lip and tongue-tie specialist in about a week. This will allow them to check the wound to see how it’s healing and if any issues exist.
Successful recovery after a frenectomy is possible. By following the instructions provided and communicating with their specialist, your child will begin to appreciate the benefits of greater lip and tongue movement each day.
About the Author
Dr. Garcia-DeMartino is a lip and tongue-tie specialist in Phillipsburg. She became an expert in soft and hard tissue lasers after attending the International World Clinical Laser Institute. Now, she helps patients of all ages who live with a lip and tongue-tie. Using a dental laser to perform in-office frenectomies, she ensures patients and their families receive essential aftercare details to support a successful recovery. If you are preparing to help your child through this process, visit our website or call (908) 859–5260 to schedule an appointment.