When is an Oral Frenectomy necessary?

Is this procedure current or outdated? What are the negative side effects of this procedure (if any) or is there a better way to treat the separation of buck teeth?

When is an Oral Frenectomy necessary?
Oral Frenectomy





There are several different frenulums in the mouth and they can attach to the inside of the lip, inside of the cheek or to the bottom of the tongue. When any of these frenulums are much shorter than normal, they can limit the movement of the tissues they attach to.





The removal of the lingual frenulum under the tongue is called a lingual frenectomy and can help a tongue tied patient. Immediately after this minor oral surgery, the tongue can often dramatically extend out of the mouth which it could not do before. This can help improve speech and promote proper tooth arch development in growing children.





The labial frenulum often attaches to the center of the upper lip and between the upper two front teeth. This can cause a large gap and gum recession by pulling the gums off of the bone. A labial frenectomy removes the labial frenulum. Orthodontic patients often have this procedure done to assist with closing a front tooth gap. When a denture patient's lips move, the frenulum pulls and loosens the denture which can be quite upsetting. This surgery is often done to help dentures fit better.
Reply:You've got something screwed up here. A frenectomy is done to free the tongue and give it more movement, doesn't have anything to do with an overbite (buck teeth).



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