Tongue-tie treatment for babies and children

Tongue-tie Treatment for Babies and Children in London.

If feeding has been painful or difficult, a tongue-tie may be the cause, though it is not always. You get an honest assessment from a consultant at a children's hospital who will tell you whether dividing it would actually help, for babies and older children alike.

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Consultant Paediatric Plastic Surgeon
Evelina London Children's Hospital
13+ years in plastic surgery

Consultant-led children's care An honest view before anything is recommended. Tongue-tie treatment at Evelina London Children's Hospital.

Not every tongue-tie causes a problem, and not every feeding problem is caused by one.

The division itself is brief. In young babies it is done without anaesthetic, takes a few seconds, and feeding can start straight afterwards. Older children have it under a light general anaesthetic, usually as a day case.

Who it is for: Babies and children from birth to 18
In young babies: No anaesthetic needed, feeding can start immediately
Older children: Light general anaesthetic, usually a day case

Availability Same-week appointments

Feeding trouble and its causes

Feeding Trouble Is Not Always a Tongue-tie

Painful, slow or constant feeding wears a family down fast. A tongue-tie is one possible reason, but feeding can be hard for several reasons, including the way a baby latches. What matters is not how the tongue looks, but how well it moves.

A tongue-tie may be the cause if your baby struggles to latch, makes a clicking sound when feeding, feeds for a very long time, or is slow to gain weight. Breastfeeding mothers often notice sore or damaged nipples and a drop in milk supply.

These signs, which NHS guidance on tongue-tie also lists, are the ones worth having checked, rather than the appearance of the tongue on its own.

NHS guidance on tongue-tie

What a tongue-tie actually is

What Matters Is How the Tongue Moves

A tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, is a tight band of tissue under the tongue that limits how far it can move. The band is shorter, thicker or tighter than usual, and it is there from birth.

It can sit at the front of the tongue, or further back where it is harder to spot, known as a posterior tongue-tie.

Plenty of babies have a tongue-tie and never have any trouble with it. What counts is whether it actually restricts feeding now, or speech later on. A careful look at the tongue in action is the only way to know if it matters.

Whether to divide it

A Tongue-tie Does Not Always Need Dividing

Dividing a tongue-tie helps when a tight tie is genuinely getting in the way of feeding, and sometimes later when it affects speech. Where the tongue moves well enough, division may not be needed at all.

It is also worth knowing that dividing a tongue-tie does not always resolve feeding on its own. Feeding is complicated, and a tie is sometimes only part of the picture, so support with latch and positioning often goes hand in hand with treatment.

A proper assessment gives you that honest steer from the start.

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The procedure

Young babies are awake. Older children are asleep.

How the division is done depends on age. Either way, your child goes home the same day and heals within about two weeks.

01 Young babies A brief procedure while awake.

In young babies the tie is divided in a few moments with fine sterile scissors, with no anaesthetic.

That part of the mouth has very few nerve endings, so there is little bleeding and your baby can feed straight afterwards. The small wound heals over a week or two.

No anaesthetic
Fine sterile scissors
Feed straight after

02 Older babies and children A light general anaesthetic for a safe, still procedure.

Older babies and children need a light general anaesthetic so that they stay safely still.

They sometimes need a dissolvable stitch. Problems are rare either way. Very occasionally a tie can reattach as it heals, which is checked at follow-up.

Light general anaesthetic
Sometimes a dissolvable stitch
Home the same day

I assess and treat your child myself.

I carry out the assessment and the division personally, and stay reachable afterwards.

A full children's hospital around your child.

Care is at Evelina London Children's Hospital, with the infant feeding team alongside and safe anaesthetic for older children when it is needed.

An honest view first.

If dividing the tie is not the right step, or if feeding support is the better answer, I will say so.

Trained across the breadth of plastic surgery.

My training spanned more than thirteen years, including burns, trauma and children's reconstruction. I see children in English and Spanish, usually within the same week.

Step 01 / 05 Enquiry

Enquiry

You contact the team and we reply the same day, then arrange your first appointment, in person or online.
Assessment

I check how your baby's tongue moves and how feeding is going, then explain honestly whether dividing the tie would help.
Clinic letter and quote

You receive a written summary and a clear quote for any procedure, confirmed in writing before anything goes ahead.
Treatment

For a young baby the division can often be done at the same visit. For an older child it is booked under anaesthetic at a time that suits you.
Aftercare

Your child goes home the same day with clear advice and my contact details, and I follow up to check all is well.

Private treatment fees

What Treatment Costs

A first assessment with Miss Torres-Grau is £250. At that appointment you get an honest opinion on whether your child needs anything done, and if a division is right, a written quote follows before you commit.

Cost depends mainly on age. A young baby's division is done without anaesthetic, which makes it simpler and less expensive. An older child needs a light general anaesthetic, which adds to the cost.

Young babies: no anaesthetic needed
Older children: light general anaesthetic required

The hospital publishes starting-from prices that give a useful guide. Your own quote is based on your child specifically.

All care is private and self-pay. Follow-up is included in the price.

Concerned about your baby's feeding? An assessment will tell you whether a tongue-tie is the cause.

No obligation, and no pressure to go ahead.

Tell us your concerns

Clear answers before you decide

Open any question to read more. At consultation, Miss Torres-Grau will talk through what is most relevant for your child.

What is a tongue-tie?

Tongue-tie is a tight band of tissue under the tongue that limits how far it can move, and it is present from birth. It only matters when it restricts feeding, or sometimes speech later on, as many children have one with no problems at all.

Does my baby's tongue-tie need dividing?

The answer depends on whether it is genuinely affecting feeding rather than on how it looks. Where the tongue moves well or feeding settles with better support, division is often not needed. That is what the assessment is for.

Does tongue-tie division hurt?

In young babies the division is almost painless, since that part of the mouth has very few nerve endings, and your baby can feed straight afterwards. Older children have it under a general anaesthetic, so they feel nothing during the procedure.

Will dividing a tongue-tie improve breastfeeding?

Dividing a tongue-tie can improve feeding when a tight tie is the cause, but feeding has many parts, so support with latch and positioning often goes alongside it.

Does my older child need a general anaesthetic?

Older babies and children usually need a light general anaesthetic for the division, so they stay safely still during it. Young babies do not, because their division is quick and the area has little feeling.

How much does it cost?

Your first assessment is £250, and if a division is needed you receive a written quote beforehand. What the treatment costs depends mainly on your child's age and whether it is done awake or under anaesthetic.

Get in touch

Book a tongue-tie treatment consultation

Fill in the form and the team will be in touch, usually the same day. There is no obligation, and I will always give you an honest view of whether tongue-tie treatment is the right choice for your child.

We aim to reply the same day
A GP referral is not needed, though helpful if you have one
Consultations in English and Spanish
Honest advice on whether ear correction surgery is right for your child, and the best age to consider it

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Assess first, then decide.

One thing matters more than anything else with a tongue-tie: have your baby's tongue movement and feeding properly assessed before deciding to divide it. A proper assessment tells you whether a tie is really the issue, whether dividing it will help, and whether feeding support is part of the answer, so you can make a calm, informed decision.

020 7188 9687 Ask a question by email

Get in Touch A clear, no-pressure first step.

Miss Jana Torres-Grau · Evelina London Children's Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH

Tongue-tie Treatment for Babies and Children in London.

What to expect from the first appointment.

Feeding Trouble Is Not Always a Tongue-tie

What Matters Is How the Tongue Moves

A Tongue-tie Does Not Always Need Dividing

Young babies are awake. Older children are asleep.