LLR Policy for Division of Tongue Tie (Ankyloglossia)

Category

Threshold Criteria

Tongue-tie is a birth defect that affects up to 10% of newborn babies. It’s more common in boys than girls.

Normally, the tongue is loosely attached to the base of the mouth with a piece of skin called the lingual frenulum. In babies with tongue-tie, this piece of skin is unusually short and tight, restricting the tongue’s movement. This may prevent the baby feeding properly.

Treatment is not necessary if the baby has a piece of skin connecting the underside of their tongue to the floor of their mouth, but they can feed without any problems. However, where there are feeding problems a procedure called tongue-tie division can be performed. Tongue-tie division involves cutting the short, tight piece of skin connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. It’s a simple and almost painless procedure that usually resolves feeding problems straight away.

Eligibility

Guidance