At Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, our team regularly performs restorative surgical procedures. A common procedure we perform is a frenectomy. Simply put, a frenectomy is a procedure to remove the frenum, or muscular attachment between two tissues, from the mouth. This naturally occurring muscle attachment is normally seen between the front teeth (either upper or lower) and it connects the inner aspect of the lip with the gum.
Most patients who come to us for a frenectomy have enlarged frena beneath their tongues. This prevents their tongue from moving freely and can interfere with speech due to limited tongue mobility. A lingual frenectomy will remove the fold of tissue so your tongue can once again move freely. This is mostly seen in children who suffer from the following symptoms:
- Trouble feeding
- Difficulty speaking
- Lack of ability to extend tongue out of their mouth
- The frenum pulling child’s gum tissue away from the lower front teeth
There are times where the frenum is attached between the two upper front teeth. In order to remove it, a procedure called a labial frenectomy is performed. This condition is usually seen in children after their permanent upper front teeth have erupted in their mouths.
Visit us in our Philadelphia, Clifton Heights, or Folsom, PA location to learn more about this procedure and whether or not you are in need of it. For more information about this procedure, please visit www.oralsurgerypa.com.
