Frenulectomy - Emergency Dentist London
Our oral surgeon sometimes faces with cases of frenectomy (also known as a frenulectomy or frenotomy) which is the removal of a frenulum, a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body from moving too far. It can refer to frenula in several places on the human body. It is related to frenuloplasty, a surgical alteration in a frenulum.
There are several frenula that are associated with types of frenectomy:
• Lingual frenectomy (of the tongue) as treatment for ankyloglossia
• Labial frenectomy (of the lip)
• A frenectomy can also be performed to remove a section of tissue (the frenulum) that attached to the gingival tissue between two teeth.
1. Frenulectomy (Tongue-tie surgery): a lingual frenectomy is a form of frenectomy associated with the tongue
The removal of the lingual frenulum under the tongue can be accomplished with either frenectomy or frenuloplasty. This is used to treat a tongue tied patient. It is rumored that, immediately after this minor oral surgery, the tongue can often dramatically extend out of the mouth which it could not before do. However the references here measure the difference in "millimeters" and it may actually shorten the tongue, depending on the procedure and aftercare.
Tongue-tie is a condition in which the free movement of the tongue is restricted due to abnormal attachment of lingual frenulum towards the tip of the tongue. The frenulum may be too short and taut, or it may be attached too far along the base of the tongue. Tongue tie can cause feeding problems in infants, and may cause speech impairments as a child learns to speak. In many cases tongue tie diminishes on its own, however, and surgery is often unnecessary. If tongue tie interferes with a baby’s feeding, feeding difficulties may include problems breastfeeding and sucking, poor weight gain for the baby and poor milk supply for the mother. In such cases, early intervention is usually warranted. In toddlers, an experienced speech pathologist should evaluate your child to determine whether tongue tie may be hindering language development. If the speech pathologist finds that your child’s speech is impaired, then frenulectomy is usually recommended. If there is no speech impediment, you may wish to consider surgery for cosmetic reasons.
Overall, the procedure of cutting the lingual frenulum is relatively simple, and babies may breastfeed immediately afterwards. The surgery may even be done in the office in children less than 3 months of age. Risks of frenulectomy are very low but may include pain, bleeding, or infection.
For children who do require frenulectomy, we use a brief general anesthesia, and cautery to divide the frenulum. A few dissolvable stitches may be placed to re-approximate the mucous membrane of the tongue. The whole procedure takes approximately 15 minutes.
2. A labial frenectomy is a form of frenectomy performed on the lip.
The labial frenulum often attaches to the center of the upper lip and between the upper two front teeth. This can cause a large gap and gum recession by pulling the gums off the bone. A labial frenectomy removes the labial frenulum. Orthodontic patients often have this procedure done to assist with closing a front tooth gap. When a denture patient's lips move, the frenulum pulls and loosens the denture which can be uncomfortable. This surgery is often done to help dentures fit better.
The removal of the frenulum does not cause any adverse effects to the lip and mouth.
Please contact us if you have any question regarding this treatment!
(Forest & Ray's Emergency service does not mean the 24 hours opening time of either the surgery or the customer care office, however we try our best to receive your call in the most flexible time, early and late hours or let you leave a message on our voice mail service to able to get back to you and book an appointment as soon as possible.)
