Frenectomy
For a tongue-tie or a lip-tie that gets in the way of eating, speaking, cleaning or braces, in children and adults.
A frenum is the thin fold of tissue that joins the tongue to the floor of the mouth, or the lip to the gum. When one is short or tight enough to cause a problem, a frenectomy releases it with a small cut while the area is numb.
Signs of a tight tongue or lip.
- Your child cannot push the tongue past the lower front teeth, or the tip pulls into a heart shape.
- A speech-language pathologist thinks a tight tongue is part of a speech problem.
- A thick band under the upper lip runs down between the front teeth and pulls on the gum when the lip moves.
- Braces closed a gap between the front teeth and the frenum is pushing it open again.
- As an adult, a tight fold makes the lower front teeth hard to clean, or stops a denture sitting down.
A frenectomy, step by step.
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01
Checking the tie
Dr. Malik looks at how far the tongue or lip can move, where the fold attaches, and what it is actually getting in the way of. Not every tight frenum needs releasing, and he will say so if yours does not.
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02
Freezing first
A numbing gel goes on first, then a little freezing. A parent stays with a child the whole time, and nitrous oxide is there for one who needs help settling.
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03
The release
The fold is released with a small cut, and a stitch or two may close it, usually the kind that dissolve. It is a short procedure, and we stop if anyone needs a break.
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04
Stretches at home
After a tongue-tie release you are shown gentle stretches to do for a few weeks, so the area does not heal back tight. Each one takes seconds.
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05
Follow-up
We check the healing a week or two later. If speech was the reason, keep working with the speech-language pathologist: the release gives the tongue room, and learning to use it is separate.
How we bill a frenectomy.
A frenectomy is usually one short visit plus a quick check as it heals, and a tongue-tie and a lip-tie released together are priced as two. Many dental plans pay part of it.
Ask us what it will costFrenectomy, answered.
Does a frenectomy hurt?
The area is numbed, so it is pressure rather than pain. It is tender for a few days afterwards, and soft, cool food helps.
Will releasing a tongue-tie fix my child's speech?
It can remove a physical limit, but it does not teach new sounds. Plenty of children with a tie speak clearly, and many speech problems have nothing to do with one, so an assessment comes first.
Does a gap between my child's front teeth mean the lip-tie has to be cut?
Not usually. Gaps between the front teeth often close as the other adult teeth come in, so a lip-tie is usually left alone until that is clear, or until braces have closed the gap.
Can you treat a baby with a tongue-tie?
Tell us your baby's age when you call. Feeding trouble in a newborn is usually assessed with your doctor or a lactation consultant first, and Dr. Malik tells you whether he is the right person to help.
