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Frenectomy
A frenum is a piece of tissue in the mouth that extends from the lips and the cheek to the gums. You can probably detect one of your frena by placing your tongue in the space between your upper lip and your upper front teeth. There are several different frena in the mouth and they can attach to the inside of the lip, inside of the cheek or to the bottom of the tongue.
In certain cases a frenum can prevent teeth from staying in place after they have been orthodontically moved together. For example, after a patients upper central incisors have been brought together to close the space between them, a prominent frenum can possibly cause the teeth to separate again after the braces are removed.
In your lower jaw, the middle frenum can actually pull the gum away from the teeth and cause recession. When a denture patient’s lips move, the frenum pulls and loosens the denture, which can be a nuisance for the patient. This surgery is done to help the dentures fit better.
- Labial frenectomy – is the removal of the frenum between the upper or lower anterior teeth.
- Lingual frenectomy – is the removal of the lingual frenum. The lingual frenum extends from the tongue to the floor of the mouth and if it is short it will cause a tongue tied condition.
Procedure
The area is anesthetized, and then the frenum is released with an incision and removed. Dissolvable sutures are placed that will dissolve within 5 – 7 days. For children and adolescents, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or oral sedation is used to reduce the patient’s anxiety. The frenectomy site will be sore for 24 – 48 hours, and medications will be given to alleviate the discomfort. This site will be observed one week later to ensure proper healing.
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| Large Maxillary Midline Frenum | Appearance after a Frenectomy |
MARK C. WARING, D.D.S.
COSMETIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT SURGERY - TEMPE, AZ