Frenectomy

The frenectomy is a surgical procedure in which one or both of the frena are disconnected from the mouth. Frenum is the connecting tissue that serves as an attached membrane within the mouth. Frenectomies are necessary in infants that are not nursing properly or feeding as they should from a bottle. Such a tongue tied infants end up with speaking difficulties down the line unless a frenectomy is performed. Your child should not have to live with an elongated frenum as he or she will find it is difficult to extend the tongue as is necessary. The child might even find it is hard to swallow unless a frenectomy is performed. Thankfully, this procedure performed by Dr. Edward Perdue DDS is fairly quick and causes minimal discomfort.

The ideal time for the surgery to be performed is within the first couple weeks following birth. Be proactive and you will rest easy knowing you did your part to ensure your child’s extended frenum does not interfere with the spacing and growth of the front upper teeth. Such gaps are problematic in terms of both oral health and beauty. However, it must be noted we will exhaust all non-surgical procedures prior to resorting to a frenectomy.