Is a Frenectomy Worthwhile?
Estimates are available to show that approximately five percent of infants are tongue-tied. Alternatively called ankyloglossia, the condition refers to a situation where the connective tissue beneath the tongue is excessively short. Children find it challenging to move their tongue because the lingual frenum, the name for the connective tissue beneath the tongue, prevents it from moving correctly. Children have issues with breastfeeding and speech when they are affected by ankyloglossia.
In some cases, children might have a shortened labial frenum which is the piece of connective tissue joining the upper lip to the gums. A short labial frenum also leads to dental development problems and an increased risk of tooth and gum disease because children find it challenging to clean their teeth and gums appropriately. The pediatric dentist 95765 recommends performing a frenectomy on children if they are affected by this specific condition.
What Is A Frenectomy?
A frenectomy is a minor operation that yields profound results for the infant. The surgical procedure helps correct the existence of excessive tissue mentioned above in children’s mouths.
How Is Frenectomy Performed?
Frenectomies, whether for infants or adults, are performed under local anesthesia, ensuring that the patient doesn’t experience discomfort during the procedure.
A lingual frenectomy involves removing the band of tissue attaching the tongue to the mouth floor. A maxillary labial Frenectomy helps remove the band of tissue connecting the upper lip to the gums. Finally, a mandibular labial frenectomy helps remove the lower frenum connecting the bottom lip to the gum.
Frenectomies are performed using lasers to provide quicker treatment and accelerate healing. For example, the pediatric dentist who performs tongue & lip releases in Rocklin, CA, might also use electronic scalpels to speed the process and improve recovery times.
The Benefits Of A Frenectomy For Infants
A frenectomy for children in Rocklin, CA, benefits the child in multiple ways. Some examples are provided below for your understanding.
Children Find Freedom with Breastfeeding
Children with shortened labial or lingual frenum often find it challenging to breastfeed, causing pain to the nursing mother to indicate the need for a Frenectomy. In addition, the problems confronting the child make it difficult for them to move their tongue and swallow. In many cases, children with severe tongue ties are recommended they receive a frenectomy before leaving the hospital. For children having trouble swallowing, you find it beneficial to schedule an appointment with their pediatric dentist to determine whether a short lingual frenum is causing the challenge to receive appropriate advice on whether the child needs a frenectomy.
Freedom from Speech Impediment
As the child begins growing and speaking, you may start noticing speech impediments that you may think are normal. However, if the problem continues with your child, it indicates that a frenectomy is necessary because the short lingual frenum prevents the tongue from moving as needed to produce sounds. In addition, the shortened labial frenum can also cause speech impediments because the upper lip remains affected.
Children Sleep with Their Mouths Open
Children sleeping with their mouths open is not conventional and is an indicator that the child is unable to close their mouth correctly. While there might be different reasons for the problem, the most common cause is having a tight labial frenum preventing their lips from meeting comfortably and sleeping. Unfortunately, mouth breathing can also result in developmental problems with the teeth to need orthodontic treatments later for an open bite.
Children’s Teeth Look Larger Than Expected
When children’s gums recede or pull away from their teeth, the resultant effect is to make their teeth look more prominent than expected. The gum recession occurs when the tightness of the labial frenum constantly pulls on the gum tissue. Besides making your child’s teeth look larger, gum recession also increases the risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease. The pressure applied by the labial frenum constantly on the gums also causes gaps between the front teeth making treatments from orthodontists a foregone conclusion.
If you want your child to benefit from all the above, you must get your child evaluated by the 95765 pediatric dentist to determine whether they will benefit from a frenectomy, a straightforward and comfortable procedure completed by the pediatric dentist within a few minutes providing freedom from the issues affecting them. Therefore if your child is tongue-tied, a frenectomy is undoubtedly worthwhile.
Little Fish Dental performs Frenectomies on many infants with tongue and lip ties to provide freedom from the challenges children confront. If your kid has problems with breastfeeding or swallowing, contacting this practice helps you alleviate your child’s issues in a minor procedure requiring merely 15 minutes.