Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat to Look ForOptional or Required?Effect on GrowthWill it Hurt?StretchesFeeding Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What to Look For
Optional or Required?
Effect on Growth
Will it Hurt?
Stretches
Feeding Tips
A lip tie is a condition in which the lipfrenumorfrenulum, the piece of tissue that attaches your lip to your gums, is too short, thick, or stiff. It can be present either on the upper or lower lip. It’s a concern in babies when it impacts lip mobility and feeding.
Catherine Delahaye / Getty Images
Identifying Lip Tie in Babies: What to Look For
Ways in which the frenum can attach the lip to the gum include:
A lip tie can result depending on where the frenulum is attached, how short and stiff it is, and how much it affects lip mobility. A lip tie can cause symptoms in the infant and the breastfeeding or chest-feeding parent, primarily related to breastfeeding.
Infants may experience difficulty latching onto the breast to feed, have trouble breathing while eating, fall asleep or become very tired during feeding, make a clicking sound while nursing, have excessive fussiness, or have slowed weight gain.
Lip Tie Correction: Optional or Required?
Lip ties do not always require intervention. Because the frenulum changes as a child gets older, a lip tie may shrink and correct itself over time. Furthermore, an infant may have a lip tie that does not interfere with their ability to feed and obtain adequate nourishment, in which case intervention is unnecessary.
On the other hand, some lip ties may be so severe that they inhibit a child’s ability to obtain proper nourishment. They may even be stiff and short enough that they begin to make the gums pull away from the teeth, which should prompt a conversation about treatment options with a healthcare provider.
Some providers may refer you to an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) for nonsurgical approaches. An IBCLC will provide support and offer noninvasive approaches, such as changing breastfeeding positions or switching to pumping and bottle-feeding.
While lip ties during infancy may interfere with the ease of nursing, untreated lip ties are less likely to cause significant problems later in life. Some pediatricians suspect that having an untreated lip tie may be related to a higher risk for tooth decay due to plaque accumulation, though the evidence is inconclusive.Additionally, lip ties may be the cause of certain speech difficulties and may contribute to sleep disruption in kids.
Overall, there is limited research on surgical lip tie procedures and breastfeeding outcomes and, therefore, there is no standard guidance regarding intervention.Some studies have concluded that correcting a lip tie can significantly and nearly immediately improve breastfeeding, but it’s important to note that this is not the only option.
The procedure to correct a lip tie is called a frenectomy. It’s an outpatient procedure, meaning infants do not need to be admitted to the hospital overnight. Some pediatricians may perform the procedure in their offices.
The frenectomy is often done using a laser or sterilized surgical scissors.Usually, no pain medication is used as the procedure causes little pain,although bleeding may result.
Stretches to Heal Lip Tie After Removal
After you undergo specific surgical procedures, you may be prescribed stretches, movements, or other physical therapy to encourage full recovery and range of motion. The same is true following a lip tie procedure.
Older children and adults recovering from a frenectomy may practice making intentional, gentle movements with their tongues and lips. For example, tracing the lip with the tongue or gently moving the lip in and out, left and right, to discourage reattachment during the healing process and optimize the range of motion. This helps retrain the lips and tongue.
What Is Breastfeeding?
Summary
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Priyanka M, Sruthi R, Ramakrishnan T, Emmadi P, Ambalavanan N.An overview of frenal attachments.J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2013;17(1):12-15. doi:10.4103/0972-124X.107467
Kotlow LA.Diagnosing and understanding the maxillary lip-tie (superior labial, the maxillary labial frenum) as it relates to breastfeeding.J Hum Lact. 2013;29(4):458-464. doi:10.1177/0890334413491325
Freeman CG, Ohlstein JF, Rossi NA, et al.Labial frenotomy for symptomatic isolated upper lip tie.Cureus. 2022;14(12):e32755. doi:10.7759/cureus.32755
Alaska Native Medical Center.Ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) and tied maxillary frenum (lip-tie) – guidelines.
Binti Zaaba NAA, Rajasekar A, Kk SS.Evaluation of healing following frenectomy.Bioinformation. 2021;17(12):1138-1143. doi:10.6026/973206300171138
So RJ, Jenks C, Ryan MA, Tunkel DE, McKenna Benoit MK, Walsh JM.Upper lip tie: A novel classification scale with improved inter-rater reliability.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2022;7(5):1611-1617. doi:10.1002/lio2.889
Baxter R, Merkel-Walsh R, Baxter BS, Lashley A, Rendell NR.Functional improvements of speech, feeding, and sleep after lingual frenectomy tongue-tie release: A prospective cohort study.Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2020;59(9-10):885-892. doi:10.1177/0009922820928055
Shekher R, Lin L, Zhang R, et al.How to treat a tongue-tie: An evidence-based algorithm of care.Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2021;9(1):e3336. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000003336
Patel J, Anthonappa RP, King NM.All tied up! Influences of oral frenulae on breastfeeding and their recommended management strategies.J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2018;42(6):407-413. doi:10.17796/1053-4625-42.6.1
Freeman CG, Ohlstein JF, Rossi NA, McIntire JB, Neve LD, Daram S, Pine HS.Labial frenotomy for symptomatic isolated upper lip tie.Cureus. 2022 (12):e32755. doi: 10.7759/cureus.32755.
Ghaheri BA, Cole M, Fausel SC, Chuop M, Mace JC.Breastfeeding improvement following tongue-tie and lip-tie release: A prospective cohort study.Laryngoscope. 2017;127(5):1217-1223. doi:10.1002/lary.26306
Crippa R, Paglia M, Ferrante F, Ottonello A, Angiero F.Tongue-tie assessment: clinical aspects and a new diode laser technique for its management.Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2016;17(3):220-222.
Stanford Medicine.Frenotomy.
Zaghi S, Valcu-Pinkerton S, Jabara M, et al.Lingual frenuloplasty with myofunctional therapy: Exploring safety and efficacy in 348 cases.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2019;4(5):489-496. doi:10.1002/lio2.297
Joshi H, Magon P, Raina S.Effect of mother-infant pair’s latch-on position on child’s health: A lesson for nursing care.J Family Med Prim Care. 2016;5(2):309-313. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.192373
Hanna S, Wilson M, Norwood S.A description of breast-feeding outcomes among U.S. mothers using nipple shields.Midwifery. 2013;29(6):616-621. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2012.05.005
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
