Frenulectomy: Why Should I Get It Done?
What is a Frenum?
Your frenum (also called frenulum) is the little piece of tissue that connects your cheeks, tongue, or lips to your gum area. You have several frenums in your body. However, the ones that typically require frenulectomy are inside your mouth. You may have wondered why this seemingly insignificant piece of skin has such a big impact. Here’s a dentist’s perspective on why removal or repair may be a game-changer!
Frenectomy in Adults Can Fix
1.Difficulty Eating
A tight frenulum can interfere with your eating. While chewing, food gets pushed towards your esophagus automatically, but to do this, your tongue needs to move freely in your mouth. When you have limited tongue movement, the food you eat isn’t moving on the regular path it should be, causing you to have difficulty swallowing. This can keep you from eating the foods you enjoy or even lead to malnutrition. A frenectomy can fix this problem.
2.Dental Health
When a frenulum problem keeps your food from moving through your mouth quickly as it’s supposed to, it can cause poor dental health. You’re not able to clean your molars with a swipe of the tip of your tongue between meals, and this leads to food particles sticking around in your mouth and on your teeth longer. Rinsing your mouth after you eat can help. However, it’s much easier to have your frenulum fixed.
If your frenum is pulling at your gums and is causing them to recede, a frenectomy can help to halt this oral issue.
3.Dentures
You may need a frenectomy if you’re getting dentures and your frenum position is interfering with how your dentures fit. In some cases, a frenectomy is needed when you’re getting braces.
4.Trouble Talking
You may need a frenectomy if you’re getting dentures and your frenum position is interfering with how your dentures fit. In some cases, a frenectomy is needed when you’re getting braces.
5.Problems with Kissing
Now, this topic gets a little risqué but let’s all be adults here. This is a normal and necessary part of human affection. If you feel you’re not skilled enough or don’t enjoy kissing, it could just be that you’re facing physical limitations. When your frenulum is too tight, it can make it difficult to kiss properly.
6.Difficulties Playing Certain Instruments
You may decide to get a frenectomy if frenulum issues are interfering with playing certain musical instruments, such as the trumpet, where your lips and tongue tip are involved.
Frenectomy in Children Can Fix
- Some children have large frenum under their tongues, preventing them from moving their tongue freely. This often interferes with their speech and causes them to be tongue-tied (ankyloglossia).
- Children may experience ankyloglossia symptoms such as:
- Nursing/breastfeeding interference as an infant
- Difficulty talking
- Frenulum beneath tongue getting stuck between teeth
- Difficulty sticking tongue out far
- Receding gums that cause periodontal issues
- Delayed Eruption of teeth
- Select speech issues that in conjunction with speech therapy can be resolved
GOING TO THE DENTIST POST COVID: WHAT’S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT
EXPECT TO GO DIGITAL
From email communication to digital intake forms, you should expect your dental office to get in touch with you more frequently for practice and guideline updates. Dentists are asked to make guidance decisions for their small businesses more frequently as per CDC and state dental board guidelines.
You’ve heard of Tele Med, but what about Tele Dent visits?
Dentists are implementing ways to visit with patients that fall under high health risk categories or patients are simply unable to come into the office.