Not another quick-snip tongue tie clinic
Careful assessment, clear decisions, and full support through healing..
If you have already been told your baby has a tongue tie, it can feel as though the next step is obvious: treat the tie as quickly as possible. Sometimes that is the right decision. But outcomes depend on doing it properly, at the right time, and with the right support.
This is where our clinic is different.
Who this appointment is for
This appointment is for families whose baby has already been identified as having a tongue tie and who want assessment and treatment delivered with experience, care, and full support through healing.
How we approach tongue tie treatment
We treat tongue tie as a clinical intervention with a recovery phase, not a one-off procedure.
Every appointment brings together:
• careful assessment of oral function within the wider system, including muscle tone and fascial tension that affect movement and feeding
• treatment where appropriate
• structured after-care to support healing
Many parents are not aware that tightness elsewhere in the body can directly affect how the mouth functions. For example, tension through the shoulder or neck can pull the palate tight at the back, pushing movement forward into the front of the mouth. In these cases, the issue is not the frenulum itself. Feeding is a complex, coordinated process. A baby’s mouth, lips, and tongue rely on over 30 muscles working together during sucking and swallowing.
This is why the difference is not just whether treatment is carried out, but how precisely it is timed and how carefully it is delivered.
Clinical judgement and experience
Having supported thousands of families, we have seen how timing directly affects healing and the risk of reattachment. In practice, when treatment is carried out before the mouth is ready, we often see incomplete releases or rapid reattachment. These are not theoretical risks. They are patterns we see when readiness has not been addressed.
Our approach has evolved over more than a decade of clinical practice, with experience dating back to 2011. Current appointments are carried out jointly by an IBCLC with nearly two decades of clinical experience and a CQC-registered tongue tie practitioner with over 30 years’ experience as an intensive care nurse.
Having two experienced clinicians present allows decisions about treatment to be made carefully, without pressure to proceed, and with both feeding function and procedural safety fully considered.
About after-care and evidence
You may be told there is no evidence for structured after-care following tongue tie treatment. Research in this area is limited and often cannot account for the realities of infant feeding, where muscle tone, compensation, and healing patterns vary widely between babies.
Our clinical experience shows that what happens after the release is just as influential as the release itself. Structured after-care supports healing, reduces the risk of reattachment, and helps ensure the treatment has the best chance of improving feeding. That is why after-care is included as part of every treatment we provide.
After-care is part of the treatment
very tongue tie treatment at our clinic includes structured, ongoing after-care throughout the full healing period.
This includes:
• healing checks based on your baby’s progress
• clear guidance on what normal healing looks like
• how to recognise early signs of reattachment
Parents are not expected to manage recovery alone or rely on online forums or guesswork.
Tongue tie treatment appointments are delivered in collaboration with an independent, registered tongue tie practitioner.
The practitioner providing treatment is responsible for clinical decision-making and delivery of care on the day, including whether treatment is appropriate. Milk Matters coordinates the appointment, clinical intake, and after-care support in line with our service model. Clinical responsibility for treatment sits with the practitioner providing care.
What you will leave with
Every family leaves this appointment with:
• treatment carried out where appropriate, with guidance through healing
• if treatment is not undertaken on the day, an explanation of why and clear next steps, so parents leave understanding what comes next
• clear feeding guidance where appropriate during recovery
If treatment is carried out at a later date
In the small number of cases where treatment is not carried out on the day, the full clinical appointment is still used for assessment, explanation, and guidance.
If treatment is then completed at a later date, this is booked as a short return appointment, charged at £75. This appointment covers clinic time, room costs, and the reassessment required on the day.
Treatment and after-care support are included as part of the original booking and are not charged again.
Who this service is not for
This service is not suitable if you are looking for:
• the fastest possible release
• a one-off procedure without follow-up
There are services designed for speed.
This clinic is designed for outcomes.
Do you treat upper lip tie?
We do not routinely treat upper labial frenula. Our assessment includes checking for abnormal anatomy, and where appropriate we can discuss NHS referral options. Current guidance does not support routine division of the upper labial frenulum for feeding difficulties.