Frenectomy

What is a frenectomy?

A frenectomy is a surgical procedure that removes or alters a frenulum, a small band of tissue that connects parts of the mouth.

What’re some reasons to get a frenectomy?

As an infant, the primary reason for a frenectomy would be feeding issues and a difficulty to latch. As you get older, certain speech impairments may be alleviated by a frenectomy. During orthodontic treatment, a frenulum may need to be removed so that two teeth can be pushed together, eliminating the gap between them. Lastly, if the frenulum attachment is close to the roots of teeth, it can cause gum recession when the lip is pulled over time.

What types of frenectomy?

There are several types of frenectomies:

Lingual frenectomy: this removes the lingual frenulum, the tissue that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. This procedure is also known as tongue tie or ankyloglossia.

Labial frenectomy: this removes the labial frenulum, the tissue that connects the lip and gum issue. There are maxillary and mandibular labial frenectomies.

How is it done?

There are two common ways a frenectomy is performed. After administering some local anesthesia to the area in question, the doctor can cut or change the frenulum with either scissors/scalpel or laser. Our office chooses to use a soft tissue diode laser. This fast procedure inherently controls the bleeding and provides a faster healing process.