As a result of the case we published yesterday on the clinic's social networks, several parents around me, patients or not, asked me some questions, so I decided to write this article.
A frenectomy is a minimally invasive surgery that consists of the removal of the frenulum, but to understand why it is performed and why this type of intervention becomes necessary, we must first answer several questions, the first of them:
What are oral braces?
When we refer to oral health, we usually tend to think about our teeth, but we forget about the soft tissues and the rest of the parts that make it up, such as oral braces, for example. And I speak in plural because there are three of them, although they all have the same function: to connect two parts of the mouth, one of which we can move with another that we cannot. Specifically, they are:
Lingual frenulumThe one that joins the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
Upper labial frenulumThe upper lip and the upper gum are joined by the upper lip and the upper gum.
Lower labial frenulumThe lower lip and the lower gum are joined by the lower lip and the lower gum.
And how did the need for surgery arise?
Although braces are nothing more than a small layer of tissue, they can cause certain complications, mostly due to their size, which can lead to difficulties in pronouncing certain words, eating or purely aesthetic problems.
Frenectomy or frenectomy surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that is mostly performed on children and is intended to restore phonetic, chewing and aesthetic function to the patient by removing a frenulum.
They are performed under local anaesthesia, but at fairly low doses, and recovery is quick and easy, with practically no postoperative period. In fact, in some cases, stitches are not even stitched after surgery.
If the problem is in the lingual frenulum, the operation makes a small incision in the tongue to free it from the floor of the mouth and allow full mobility.
If the problem is in the upper labial frenulum, it is most likely due to its hypertrophy. In other words, its thickness is greater than usual, which causes it to be positioned between the two central incisors, resulting in a greater interdental separation than it should be. In these cases the difference is usually really noticeable.
In fact, this is the case that we posted on the networks yesterday:
Do you see the difference? With just one incision and in a very short and risk-free procedure, we achieve a spectacular change.
If you have any doubts about whether a frenectomy would be good for your child, make an initial appointment with us, we can advise you.