Table of contents
What Is a Frenectomy?
A frenectomy is sometimes called a frenotomy, and both are the same procedure. Tongue tie surgery is a quick treatment that can be carried out in our comfortable dental office. During treatment, the frenulum, located underneath the tongue, is cut, allowing the tongue to move more freely.
When Is a Frenectomy Used?
The mouth has multiple frenula, which connect to different structures, including the upper lip and upper gum. Currently, the only frenulum recommended for cutting to address breastfeeding issues is the lingual frenulum, located underneath the tongue. This may be necessary if the lingual frenulum is too tight and the tongue cannot function as it should.
How Can I Tell If a Frenectomy Is Necessary for a Baby?
When a child needs a frenectomy, they will need a thorough exam from a pediatrician. The pediatrician will assess the infant for other causes of breastfeeding problems. Sometimes, this condition can be caused by the anatomy of the mouth or head, or it may be due to disorders affecting the nervous system.
Getting an exam is important because, otherwise, tongue tie treatment will not be effective. If tongue tie is identified as an issue, your pediatrician may recommend investigating other solutions first, such as adjusting your breastfeeding position. However, if this doesn’t help, a frenectomy may be necessary.
What to Expect during a Laser Frenectomy for an Infant
Treatment is extremely quick and involves making a tiny cut in the lingual frenulum. The lingual frenulum is a small piece of tissue that connects the underneath of your baby’s tongue to the floor of their mouth. Once the tissue is cut, your baby will be able to move their tongue more easily and feed properly.
Traditionally, this small piece of tissue was cut with scissors. However, using a dental laser is a much more modern and effective procedure. Dental anesthesia isn’t needed for this treatment, and after the laser cuts the tissue, it automatically seals any blood vessels. This helps aid faster and more comfortable healing.
After treatment is complete, we may recommend that you breastfeed your baby immediately. This is to comfort them. Some parents will notice an immediate improvement, but it can take a week or two for the full impact of a frenectomy to be obvious.
Sometimes speech therapy is necessary to help a child gain complete movement of their tongue.
How to Tell if a Frenectomy is Necessary for an Older Child or Adult
Some older children and adults may have a mild case of tongue tie and have grown up living with it, adapting to it accordingly. However, some signs can indicate more limited tongue mobility, which include difficulties with:
- Eating and drinking.
- Breathing.
- Speaking.
- Kissing.
Other signs can include problems sticking out your tongue so it extends in front of the lower front teeth. It can be trickier to touch your upper teeth with your tongue or move your tongue from side to side.
People with tongue tie may notice that when they stick out their tongue, it appears to have been notched and may have a heart-shaped appearance.
Is It Necessary for Older Children and Adults to Get Treatment for Tongue Tie?
A mild case of tongue tie may not require treatment, but this condition can still impact oral and overall health. Problems caused by tongue tie can include the following.
Poor Dental Health
Having limited tongue mobility makes it harder to remove food from teeth and to swallow food properly. When it’s more challenging to maintain oral hygiene, the risk of oral diseases such as tooth decay and periodontal disease increases.
Tongue Thrusting
Tongue thrusting can be an adaptation in response to tongue tie, potentially causing a gap to develop between the lower front teeth or other bite problems. Some individuals with tongue tie tend to have narrower and smaller mouths than others.
Temporomandibular Joint Problems (TMJ)
Individuals with tongue-tie can develop an abnormal swallowing pattern. Usually, as you swallow, your tongue rises upward so it can push food to the back of the mouth. Someone with tongue tie will find it harder to move food around the mouth during eating.
This issue can cause problems with the temporomandibular joints, resulting in a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), where these joints become inflamed and painful. It may also cause problems with tooth misalignment.
Sleep Apnea
Tongue tie problems can cause breathing difficulties, such as sleep apnea, a sleep disorder where the airway collapses during sleep and prevents normal breathing, sometimes hundreds of times a night. This is because tongue tie can affect the development of the roof of the mouth and the alignment of teeth, making the airway more likely to become obstructed during sleep.
Treating Tongue Tie in Older Children and Adults
A frenectomy can be carried out at any age, but sometimes a different approach may be tried, such as using specific exercises to increase tongue mobility.
If a frenectomy is appropriate, the procedure should still be quick and simple to complete using laser dentistry. Complications afterward are rare.
Alternatively, if the lingual frenulum is particularly thick, a surgical procedure may be necessary, which can be completed under general anesthesia.
FAQs
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Do I Need to Stretch or Massage the Wound after Treatment?
You might have heard that some people recommend stretching or massaging the wound after it to help you recover more quickly. However, there is no real evidence that this helps.
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Can Tongue Tie Cause Speech Disorders in Older Children?
If an older child has speech issues, a frenectomy may help, but speech therapy could also be appropriate. Many people with tongue-tie do not experience speech disorders, and there is limited evidence connecting the two issues.
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How Long Will a Frenectomy Take?
A frenectomy typically takes a few minutes. A frenectomy using scissors is quicker, and using a dental laser can take a bit longer since we need to prepare it, but it should be more comfortable for your baby.
NYC Dentistry Center6 E 45th St #801
New York, NY 10017
(45th St. btw 5th Ave / Madison Ave)
(212) 518-6096