A frenum is a muscular stretch of tissue that connects and holds other tissues in place. Occasionally a frenum might be exceptionally short, thick, or tight, or may extend too far down along the tongue or the gum and results in lip tie or tongue tie. When a frenum is positioned in such a way it may interfere with the normal alignment of teeth, speech or constricts the movement of the tongue or lips. It can be corrected by a surgery called a frenectomy. A frenectomy is simply the removal of a frenum in the mouth.
There are two frena (the plural form of frenum) in the mouth that can sometimes obstruct normal function and are candidates for frenectomies. These frena are called:
Lingual Frenum: which connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth
Maxillary Labial Frenum: which connects the inside of your upper lip to your gums just above your upper two front teeth.
Sometimes, the lingual frenum can run all the way to the tip of the tongue, causing a person to be “tongue-tied.” If the attachment is extends all the way to the tip of the tongue, then a frenectomy may be the only choice to give the child normal tongue function.
A lingual frenectomy is a simple procedure and involves numbing the tongue with an anesthetic. A small incision is then made which will free the tongue from the floor of the mouth. The incision then will be sewn up to allow the tissue to heal.
A soft tissue laser is an alternative method to to address the issue. A soft tissue laser does NOT cut but uses light energy to “vaporize” the tissue with very little discomfort. Additionally there is almost no bleeding from the laser procedure. The healing is very quick with less risk of infection.
If you or your child is experiencing discomfort and is struggling this issue, contact us to schedule a free consultation.
great dentist!! always gets me right in when i need him
I have been going to Dr. Baker for quite a while and what I really love about him is that he has good patients with people who are a little scared also he does excellent work and always makes me feel welcomed and every time .And his staff is super nice to me too thank you so much Dr. Baker and staff you are so wonderful...
This is the second time that Dr Baker has come to my rescue and saved the day. I chipped my tooth during lunch at work today, called immediately for an appointment (expecting an availability sometime next week) and the office got me in at 3:30 the same day! I walked in panicking and left with perfect teeth.. Well perfectly smooth anyway lol. Dr Baker and his staff really are amazing!!