Did you just find out that your baby was born with either lip tie or tongue tie? If so, you may be surprised to hear that these conditions are a lot more common than you might think.

Some recent reports have revealed that over 10% of babies are born with lip ties or tongue ties. Fortunately, most of them are able to go through lip tie procedures or tongue tie procedures through a Georgetown dentist to help them overcome their conditions.

If your baby has lip tie or tongue tie, calling a pediatric dentist for lip tie or tongue tie treatment would be a great idea. A kid’s dentist in Georgetown should be able to put your child through the right lip tie treatments or tongue tie treatments to take care of their condition.

You should also learn about what the recovery process typically looks like following lip tie treatments. Keep reading to see what you can expect.

What Is Lip Tie?

If your baby has been diagnosed with lip tie, your child’s doctor or dentist may have already explained what lip tie is to you. But just in case, we’re going to go over it again since it’ll be important for you to have a good understanding of what lip tie is and how it could affect your baby.

So, what is lip tie? Well, it’s a condition that often leads to the skin from a baby’s upper lip getting attached to their gums. It can make it difficult, if not impossible, for a baby to move their lips. And in a worst-case scenario, a lip tie can result in a baby being unable to breastfeed.

After hearing what lip tie is, it should be relatively obvious why parents need to be diligent about checking their babies for lip ties and scheduling lip tie procedures right away. It’ll put them in a position to be able to start feeding again like normal.

How Do Lip Tie Procedures Work?

Lip tie procedures have certainly come a long way over time. Lip tie treatments used to be very complicated. But these days, they’re performed quickly and easily in most cases through the use of a LightScalpel Carbon Dioxide Laser.

This LightScalpel Carbon Dioxide Laser is utilized to carry out what’s called a frenectomy. It involves vaporizing the tissues that are attaching a baby’s upper lip to their gums. The laser that is used is actually so precise that it can remove just a few cells at a time until lip tie has been corrected.

The good news for parents is that this lip tie procedure will be virtually painless for their babies since LightScalpel Carbon Dioxide Lasers are used. Parents have also come to appreciate that this procedure is usually over and done within a matter of just a few minutes, if that.

What Is the Lip Tie Procedure Recovery Process Like?

In the immediate aftermath of a lip tie procedure, a baby will be able to begin breastfeeding again. It might take a baby some time to adjust to the change that has been made to their upper lip. But most babies don’t have too difficult of a time getting the hang of things.

Once a baby is done breastfeeding, though, there will be a short lip tie procedure recovery process that’ll need to take place. Your baby might need to spend a day or two bouncing back from their lip tie treatment.

In some cases, your baby might be in a little bit of pain following a lip tie procedure. This is perfectly normal, and you can help treat this pain by maintaining skin-to-skin contact and possibly providing your baby with acetaminophen as long as this is okay with their doctor.

You might also need to get your baby to participate in lip stretching exercises after they go through a lip tie treatment. Your Georgetown dentist will be able to provide you with information on which exercises you might want to try with them.

How Long Does Lip Tie Treatment Recovery Take?

Every baby is going to respond to a lip tip procedure a little differently. Some will need to take more time to recover than others.

But the majority of babies who go through lip tie procedures involving LightScalpel Carbon Dioxide Lasers are able to make a full recovery in a few days. It’s not a very invasive procedure, so your baby should be able to recover very quickly.

Just make sure you choose the right Georgetown or Lexington pediatric dentist to help you. Google “pediatric dentist tongue tie near me” to see what your options are and aim to work with the best pediatric dentist of the bunch.

What Are the Benefits of Lip Tie Treatments?

After your baby is able to recover from a lip tie procedure, they’ll enjoy a long list of benefits that come along with lip tie treatments. Here are a few of the biggest benefits you’ll notice:

  • Allows for nursing and feeding with fewer problems and less pain for you
  • Improves breathing and grants access to more oxygen
  • Makes falling asleep and staying asleep easier

Your child will also be able to continue to benefit from lip tip treatments in the years to come. Children who have gone through lip tie treatments are often able to speak more clearly and even improve their ability to eat and digest food. It’ll make you glad you decided to schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist for lip tie treatment.

Do You Need a Pediatric Dentist for Lip Tie Treatment? Contact Us

Not every kid’s dentist in Georgetown is going to be able to provide parents with the lip tie treatments they need. But Pediatric Dentistry of Hamburg has a special Tongue and Lip Tie Center set up for parents interested in scheduling lip tie procedures.

If you’re ever in need of a pediatric dentist for lip tie treatment, we would be more than happy to provide you with one. It’ll give you the ability to take full advantage of having a lip tie procedure performed on your baby.

Touch base with us today if you would like to get more information on lip tie treatments.