How Long Will It Take for Your Child to Recover from a Frenectomy?

 
If you have recently discovered that your child needs a frenectomy to treat their lip or tongue tie, you might understandably be a bit nervous about the road ahead. After all, your little one has to undergo surgery! The good news is that a frenectomy is a minor procedure, and the healing process is easy for most patients. How long will it take for your child to recover, and how can you help them during their post-op period? This blog post provides some helpful information.
 
Recovery Timeline 
If your child is still an infant, they will likely be able to breastfeed immediately after their procedure. Even though they might cry more than usual for a few days or be extra fussy, they should heal rapidly. In fact, complete healing usually takes just a few weeks.
 
If your child is a bit older, you are still looking at a recovery period of a few weeks. In the meantime, you may need to be careful to limit your child’s food choices so they do not eat hard, crunchy, or very hot foods that might irritate their sensitive oral tissues.
 
Help Your Child Heal

​Here are a few more tips to help your child enjoy an easy and smooth recovery after their frenectomy:
 

• Be generous with love and cuddles. Physical contact with a trusted adult can be a natural painkiller for infants and young children, so you might need to set aside some of your usual chores so you can be available for lots of snuggles and hugs.
• Provide appropriate doses of pain medication. It may be safe to give your child some pain medication. Ask their pediatric dentist for tips to help you do so in a safe and effective way.
• Apply cold temperatures to reduce swelling. Let your child suck on a sugar-free popsicle or another cold treat to reduce swelling during the initial 24 hours after their surgery.
• Keep an eye on the surgical site. Post-op infections after a frenectomy are rare, but you should still keep a close eye on your child’s mouth and call their dentist if you run into questions or concerns.
• Be diligent about oral hygiene. Help your child keep their mouth clean to reduce bacterial buildup and avoid oral infections.

 
Prevent Reattachment 
Your child’s oral tissues might try to reattach even after a frenectomy has removed their lip or tongue tie. You should do your best to prevent that from happening. Their dentist can show you exercises and stretches that can keep your child’s body from undoing their surgery.
 
For example, you might need to run a clean finger under their tongue or behind their lip. Older children can perform exercises on their own, but they might need adult supervision and frequent reminders to comply with post-op directions.
 
The frenectomy recovery process is not too scary! Before you know it, your child should be back to feeling like their normal self.
 
Meet the Practice
 
Dr. Adrienne Archidiacono-Jeanis is a skilled pediatric dentist who is proud to serve families in Aledo and Fort Worth. She uses a gentle soft tissue laser to perform frenectomies; laser-based treatment tends to be easier and have a shorter recovery time than procedures performed with conventional instruments. To learn more about this service, contact Aledo Pediatric Dentistry at 817-406-2025.

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