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.
Dr. Baker and staff are very professional, I drove from another county for this appointment and I am definitely now a repeat customer. Great job folks!!!
I appreciate the care, that not only I've received, but the care of my entire family. God bless each of you.
Very caring and friendly staff. They take their time to make sure you are comfortable. The extraction was not an easy one and the Dr took his time to stop and check on me throughout the procedure I will be making Dr. Baker my permanent dentists, and we will be seeing a lot of him in the future. Build up those muscles Dr. Thank you for making me feel welcome.
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Dr. Baker's office provides excellent service and his dentistry skills are excellent. The work that they do is explained thoroughly and completed with excellent quality. The charges for their work are fair and they process all of the required documents so that the customer receives maximum insurance benefits.
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Andi takes great care and is gentle with cleanings. I had a real bad experience at the Dentist years ago and now Dr. Baker and his assistants have restored my faith in that not all Dentists or hygienists are equal in the talent they possess...A++++++
The title of my review says it all. It's always a pleasure to visit Dr Baker's office he & his staff are completely honest and always provide me with all my options. Thank you for doing an awesome job! Candice
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