The number one question that always sends shivers up my spine is when a parent comes to me and asks “so my baby got a tongue tie release, now what?”
The reason this is upsetting is NOT because a parent is asking for help. I am so thankful that they are requesting help and advocating for themselves and their child.
I am concerned when a parent has to ask because that means they did not already have the information!! If a parent has a child that is getting tethered oral tissues (tongue, lip, and/or cheek) released and has no direction whatsoever from their release provider, we have failed that patient and their parent.
Before you get upset with me, please hear my heart and hear me out. I am advocating not only for the betterment of our profession, but also for the best possible outcomes for our patients.
The patient and their family must be ready for a frenectomy (tethered oral release) and educated. A frenectomy in and of itself may seem like a simple procedure. But that simple procedure also involves a team approach with pre-operative interventions (e.g., feeding therapy, body work, etc) to ensure the patient is ready.
Our goal as professionals should always be to set up our patients for success.
Best possible outcomes after a frenectomy come from a team approach.
Not only do we identify that there is a tongue tie present, but we also ensure the patient is ready for the release by assessing oral motor readiness, tension in the body, and educating the patient and parent what to expect before, during, and after.
This also involves making referrals to the appropriate professionals and not performing a release until the patient has demonstrated readiness.
While only the release provider can determine when a frenectomy is needed and the final timing of the procedure, it’s important that all members of the team are familiar with the signs of readiness.
If you’d like to learn more about what it means to be “ready” for a frenectomy and you’re a professional, we would love to see you in The Myo Membership® or The Myo Method®.
