What is it?
A frenum is a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ from moving too far. A frenectomy is done to remove part of the frenum when the frenum is too tight or is causing problems. This procedure is either performed inside the middle of upper lip, which is called labial frenectomy, or under the tongue (called lingual frenectomy). Frenectomy is a very common dental procedure in the dental world and is performed both on children and adults. Frenectomy does not cause loss of function of the remaining healthy structure, instead, it relieves the tongue and/or the upper lip of restriction and encourages normal functioning.
When does your child need a frenectomy?
There are three frena in the oral cavity, the labial frenum which is attached to the middle of the upper lip, the lingual frenum which is on the underside of the tongue, and a frenum inside the lower lip.
Some people have a tight frenum under the tongue. This may prevent the tongue from moving freely, a condition frequently described as “tongue-tie”. Tongue-tie may interfere with feeding in infants. Later, it can cause problems as a child learns to talk.
Sometimes, the labial frenum is attached between the upper front teeth. This may interfere with the eruption of permanent teeth when the child is around age 6 or 7. Furthermore, the frenum may prevent the front teeth from meeting in the middle, leaving an unsightly gap.
Less often, a frenum inside the lower lip may pull the gum away from the lower front teeth, causing gum problems.
In older adults, a prominent frenum may interfere with the fit of a denture.
What does the procedure look like?
Labial (Lip) Frenectomy
Our experienced doctors will first determine if your child is a suitable candidate for labial frenectomy and discuss the details of the procedure with you.
The area of the frenum is numbed with a local anesthetic. The soft tissue and sometimes a small piece of the bone is removed using theErbium Laser.
Stitches are usually not required.
Lingual (Tonuge) Frenectomy
Our experienced doctors will first determine if your child is a suitable candidate for lingual frenectomy and discuss the details of the procedure with you.
Release of frenum with local anesthetic.
Improved elevation and movement of tongue.
For post-surgery home care, please see our Post-Treatment Care page forFrenectomy.
DP DENTAL 