Frenectomy

If your child has issues with eating, speaking, or swallowing due to extra connective tissue in their mouth, they may need a frenectomy. At My Tooth Place in Westminster, California, Aury Arroyo-Lourenco, DDS, and the team are dedicated to making this procedure a comfortable and effective one for your child. To learn more about frenectomies, call the office or request one online today. 

What is a frenectomy?

A frenectomy is a simple procedure in which the team at My Tooth Place releases one of the connective membranes, the frenulum, in your child's mouth. The lingual frenulum is under the tongue, and the labial frenulum is between the upper lip and the gums.

Why would my child need a frenectomy?

Some children have overly thick or overly tight frenulum tissue. This causes problems like tongue-tie and lip-tie, conditions that can make it hard for your child to eat or speak normally. Babies may be unable to breastfeed.

A too-thick, too-tight, or otherwise problematic frenulum can also cause other problems, including:

• Gum recession
• Gap between front teeth
• Teeth misalignment
• Difficulty in brushing teeth

If your child has any of these issues, or it appears that your child is at risk for these issues in the future, the team at My Tooth Place may recommend a frenectomy.

What is the frenectomy procedure like?

A frenectomy is a laser procedure. Your My Tooth Place provider directs the laser light in a specific way to essentially vaporize the excess frenulum tissue that's causing problems for your child. There's little to no bleeding, and the process is well-tolerated by the majority of children.

What is healing like after a frenectomy?

As the site heals, your child's tissue around the procedure site looks white or yellow. This is part of the healing process and is completely normal. If your child experiences any discomfort, you can use a teething gel or other pain reliever recommended by the team at My Tooth Place.

Your child needs to do gentle stretching exercises to prevent the frenulum tissue from reattaching. Depending on your child's age, you may need to do gentle lip or tongue manipulations for them.

Your My Tooth Place provider can demonstrate and explain the stretching exercises so you know exactly what to do and when to do them to get the optimal result from your child's frenectomy procedure.

If your child needs a frenectomy, you can depend on the experienced pediatric dentists at My Tooth Place for compassionate and skilled care. Call the office to learn more about frenectomies or request a consultation online today.