Frenectomy
Frenectomy is a procedure that involves removal of a frenulum, a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body. It is also termed as frenula in various places on the body. Frenectomy is performed inside the middle of upper lip known as labial frenectomy or under the tongue known as lingual frenectomy. It is a very common dental procedure in the dental world and is carried out in both children and adults.
What-is-Frenectomy
People who have large frenums beneath their tongues cannot move their tongue freely, hence they should undergo the process. The condition of limited tongue mobility is referred to as ankyloglossia or tongue tie. Lingual frenectomy will remove the fold of tissue so that the tongue can move freely once again. The following are a few conditions where this procedure is required:
- In infants, tongue tie will interfere with feeding
- When your child starts talking at twelve to eighteen months, sometimes you may notice that they are having a hard time talking
- Teenagers may notice that the frenum under their tongue gets stuck between their teeth
- When frenum is pulling the child’s gum tissue away from the lower front teeth and resulting in periodontal trouble
Frenectomy procedure
Dentist will use a scalpel or a laser to remove the frenum. However, laser can minimize bleeding, reduce the need for sutures and cause less pain but it is expensive. On the other hand, scalpel can result in more sutures. Young children need general anaesthesia while older children and adults may opt for local anaesthesia with or without nitrous oxide. The surgical process will be completed in a quarter of an hour.
Frenectomies will take a couple of weeks to heal. Patients are required to take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to get relief from pain.
If you are interested in Frenectomy, then you can consult the dentists of Vijay dental who have years of experience in providing treatment for various dental issues.