Laser Dentistry for Lip and Tongue Ties

What is Lip-Tie, Tongue-Tie, and How Do They Work?

Our mouths contain several frenula. They are probably something that you didn’t identify, but they are definitely there.

Frenula refers to the soft tissue, thin layers that support our lips and tongues. There are two frenula that your child has in their mouth: the lingual and the maxillary frenulum. The maxillary labial frenum is the fold of tissue connecting the middle of your upper lips to the gum tissue. It’s located between your top two front teeth. The lingual frenulum is the tissue fold that connects the floor of your mouth to the base of the tongue.

Most children’s maxillary laboratoryial frenulums and lingual frenulums function well and don’t cause any problems. However, there are times when children are born with a maxillary labial frenulum too thick or thin, restricting the movement of the upper lips (lip-tie), and a lingual frenulum too short and thick, restricting the ability of the tongue to move (tonguetie).

How Do You Get a Frenectomy?

The procedure of frenectomy removes the maxillary frenulum and lingual frenulum. The frenulum is released by a soft tissue laser at The Pediatric Dental Studio. The entire pediatric laser procedure takes just a few minutes.

When Are Frenectomies Performed?

The Pediatric Dental Studio will only perform frenectomies if a tongue tie is adversely affecting a patient’s life. We ask for referrals from pediatricians, speech therapists, speech therapists, and orthodontists before scheduling a frenectomy consultation.

What are the potential problems that tongue-ties or lip-ties can cause? Some children do not have any problems with tongue-tie or lip-tie. Others may have any of these symptoms.

• Ineffective latches are responsible for breastfeeding difficulties, including reflux, insufficient milk transfer, and poor weight gains.
• Speech problems and/or
• gum recession.

The frenectomy can be used for “releasing” the tongue-tie or lip-tie in order to reduce or eliminate these problems.

Sometimes, a lip-tie could also cause gaps between two child’s front teeth. If this happens, an orthodontist may request that a pediatric dentist remove the maxillary labial frenulum. This prevents the two front teeth from becoming separated after orthodontic correction.

Dr. Rose will work closely alongside your child’s pediatrician and speech therapist to determine if your child is a good candidate for a frenectomy.

Benefits of Laser Surgery for Children

In the past, tongue-ties or lip-ties could be released with scissors or scalpels. The Pediatric Dental Studio offers cutting-edge soft tissue laser technology for frenulum treatments.

Laser surgery offers many benefits over scissors and scalpels. Laser technology

• helps patients bleed less;
• The frenectomy and healing process are less painful for your child and easier for you.
• Reduces the likelihood of complications post-operatively, such as swelling or infection.