What Are Frenectomies and Why Are They Performed?
A frenectomy also referred to as a frenotomy, is the meaning of any process where the body’s binding tissue is modified or cut.
Frenotomy procedures are pretty standard, especially during infancy. Genital Frenectomies like circumcision are procedures that frequently happen in the US. However, in most cases, frenectomy refers to an oral method to fix a tongue-tie or a lip tie. In your mouth, the soft tissue connecting your lips and gums is known as the frenum. When the fraenum is too tight or too short, it interferes with breastfeeding, swallowing, and speech development. This article covers all the information about oral Frenectomies.
Lingual Frenectomy
Your tongue is connected to the mouth by the lingual fraenum. When you touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue, you will feel the lingual fraenum stretching beneath the tongue. The size of the lingual fraenum varies between people. In some cases, people are born with incredibly short lingual fraenum. The shortened fraenum inhibits the free movement of the tongue.
The condition is known as a tongue-tie or ankyloglossia and affects approximately five percent of infants, being more common in boys than in girls. A tongue-tie interferes with breastfeeding during infancy, and speech development as a child begins to grow.
Michael A Josephs, DDS, performs a quick procedure to give the tongue a better range of motion by performing frenectomy treatment.
Maxillary Frenectomy
Your top lip is connected to the gum area above your front teeth by the labial fraenum. If the fraenum is shorter than required, it causes difficulty in speech development. This condition also affects dental development, making it challenging to clean the front teeth and gums thoroughly. It increases the risks of gum disease and other dental complications. A maxillary frenectomy performed by Palm Beach, FL, provides the frenectomy benefits needed by the child.
How Does the Doctor Perform a Frenectomy?
An oral frenectomy is a straightforward procedure in most cases. After a consultation with your pediatrician or doctor, the child getting the frenotomy must be secured lying face up. You must hold the child during the procedure. Your doctor applies a topical anesthetic to numb pain in the area. The doctor snips the fraenum using a scalpel or a cauterizing instrument. Stitches may be required if the lip tie is complicated. The entire procedure is completed in approximately 15 minutes or less.
Adult and Child Frenectomy
Lip and tongue ties are generally identified in children. Babies having these conditions are inefficient at breastfeeding resulting in slow weight gain or weight loss. Mothers breastfeeding the child may experience pain if the baby is affected by either condition. Frenectomies are relatively easy to perform on infants. Healthcare providers or dentists perform Frenectomies in an in-office setting. Minimal risks of complications accompany this procedure.
An adult frenectomy is different because the oral cavity of the adult changes significantly. If the adult confronts no challenges when eating or drinking, they may not need treatment for a lip or tongue tie. However, the chances of the fraenum pulling the gums away from the lower teeth are present and can lead to gum recession. It also restricts the mobility of the tongue or the ability to move the lips. In such cases, adult frenectomy must be considered. The procedure for adult frenectomy requires a longer time for recovery compared to infant frenectomy.
Recovering from Frenectomies
The recovery following an oral frenectomy is pretty straightforward. For babies, the area must be kept clean, which is simple. Adults may need to limit the foods they have for the initial few days. Food trapped in the surgical area raises the risks of infections. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to prevent infections of complications after oral Frenectomies. The site of the surgery begins to heal in a couple of days. After a week, the area starts to scar over. Adults can resume their normal activities in a week.
Oral Frenectomies are straightforward procedures performed in the office. These procedures have become common in recent times as some people from the medical fraternity feel it can help with breastfeeding and speech development. Releasing a lip or tongue tie is vulnerable to the risks of infections and complications. However, the healing process starts right away. It will help if you speak to your doctor if you think you or your child has a lip or tongue tie.