A frenulum is a small fold of tissue that anchors a loose organ, prohibiting it from moving around too much.
The body has many frena, including two in the mouth. One frenulum anchors your tongue to the floor of the mouth, while the other anchors your upper lip to the gums.
While the frena are designed to anchor these structures, they can sometimes be too tight, a condition known as a tongue or lip tie.
These ties can cause serious complications. Optimum Oral Surgery & Dental Implants can help with a frenectomy.
Tongue And Lip Ties
Tongue and lip ties are conditions that appear at birth. A tongue tie is a condition in which the frenulum that anchors the tongue to the floor of the mouth is too tight.
In some instances, the frenulum may be attached too close to the tip of the tongue. With a tongue tie, the tongue is unable to move properly. This can affect the ability of an infant to nurse or bottle feed effectively.
A tongue tie can affect speech development as well as the development of the mouth and bite. It can also affect the ability of a child to enjoy simple pleasures, such as sticking out their tongue, enjoying an ice cream cone, or catching snowflakes in winter.
A lip tie is a condition in which the frenulum that anchors the upper lip to the gums. Much like a tongue tie, a lip tie can affect the ability of an infant to nurse or bottle feed properly.
It can also affect oral development, leading to the formation of a diastema, or space between the two front teeth. This gap increases the risk for cavities and tooth decay in addition to affecting the smile. While the gap can be closed with orthodontic treatment, it can reopen if the lip tie is not treated.
Treating Ties With A Frenectomy
Tongue and lip ties can be treated with a frenectomy. Today, this procedure is done using a dental laser.
The laser uses a very thin, concentrated beam of light to effectively release the tie and restore proper movement. The light cuts the frenulum, cauterizing the tissue as it does to limit bleeding. The laser is also incredibly accurate.
We can cut only the necessary tissue while limiting the amount of tissue trauma experienced. Because of this, pain and swelling following a frenectomy are greatly reduced, as is the recovery period.
What Are The Benefits Of A Frenectomy?
Releasing a tongue or lip tie with a frenectomy provides several significant benefits. These benefits include:
- Improving feeding abilities. An infant can nurse or bottle feed more effectively.
- Reduced pain for a nursing mother. A tongue or lip tie in an infant can cause significant pain for a nursing mother. Following a frenectomy, an infant can feed effectively, which helps to greatly reduce pain for the mother. This can also help to improve the nursing relationship between mother and child.
- Your child can develop proper speech patterns.
- The mouth can develop properly.
- Orthodontic treatment following the release of a lip tie can help to ensure effective closure of a diastema.
A frenectomy helps to release a tongue or lip tie, enabling effective movement and proper oral development. If you or your child has a tongue or lip tie, call Optimum Oral Surgery & Dental Implants at (856)778-8686 to schedule an appointment today.