General Anesthesia Is Not Needed For a Tongue-Tie Procedure

by | Dec 11, 2020

posterior tongue tie release

General Anesthesia (GA) is not needed to treat a tongue-tie in babies (or kids or adults for that matter!) This patient came to us yesterday and told us that their ENT said they would need a barium swallow and would need to have the procedure completed under GA due to it being a “posterior tongue-tie.”

Often, general anesthesia is used by ENTs for many procedures, tonsils, adenoids, tubes, sinus surgery, but for a little baby, the risks far outweigh the benefits of this quick procedure.

The tongue-tie was treated in about 5 seconds, and the lip-tie was treated in about 15 seconds with just a numbing jelly. No general anesthesia or sedation. Most kids we do with no nitrous even.

Almost every patient we can treat in the office with just local anesthetic. You just need the right training and the right tools, and unfortunately, tongue and lip ties aren’t taught in dental school (or medical school).

To start your journey, we’re giving away a free digital copy of our book, Tongue-Tied. Check out tonguetieal.com/book-offer

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Baxter, DMD, MS, FAAPD

Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist  |  Fellow of the AAPD  |  Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery

Dr. Richard Baxter is a board-certified pediatric dentist, Fellow of the AAPD, and Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery. He is an internationally recognized speaker on tongue-ties, instructor of the acclaimed online course Tongue-Tied Academy, and lead author of the bestselling book Tongue-Tied: How a Tiny String Under the Tongue Impacts Nursing, Speech, Feeding, and More. He is passionate about educating parents and healthcare providers about the effects a tongue-tie can have throughout the lifespan. He lives in Birmingham, AL, with his wife, Tara, and their three girls, Hannah, Noelle, and Molly. He is the founder of the Alabama Tongue-Tie Center, where he uses the CO2 laser to release oral restrictions. He had a tongue-tie himself, and all of his girls were treated as infants, so this field is a personal one. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, running, and outdoor activities. He serves as a Faith Trainer at the Church at Brook Hills and participates in global missions projects around the world.

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