At Pediatric Dental Care, we strive to promote lifelong wellness by promoting proper development and optimal oral health. Our pediatric dental practice uses some of the most advanced treatment techniques to ensure that even our youngest patients enjoy successful treatment outcomes and positive treatment experiences. Our office is equipped with a soft tissue laser that we use to perform safer, minimally invasive frenectomy procedures.

What Is a Frenectomy?

A frenectomy is an oral surgical procedure used to treat a lip-tie or tongue-tie caused by abnormal frenum tissue.

Inside the mouth, we have both a lingual frenum (a small band of tissue connecting the tongue to the soft palate) and a labial frenum (a small band of tissue connecting the upper lip to the upper gum tissue of the maxillary alveolar ridge). A lip-tie or tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) occurs when movement of the tongue or upper lip is restricted by an unusually short, tight, or thick frenum.

During a frenectomy procedure, we use a special laser to release excessive tension in a patient's frenum.

Does Your Child Need a Frenectomy? Signs and Symptoms of Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie

Signs an infant might need a frenectomy include:

• The infant isn't gaining weight as expected.
• They exhibit a shallow latch and often fall off the breast during feeding.
• The infant makes clicking noises when trying to nurse.
• Nursing is painful or uncomfortable for the mother.
• The infant is gassy.
• A lactation consultant has suggested that a lip-tie or tongue-tie might be inhibiting your infant's ability to nurse.

Signs a child might need a frenectomy include:

• They can't stick out their tongue farther than their front teeth.
• The child can't reach the backs of the front teeth with their tongue.
• The child's tongue appears heart-shaped or notched when it is extended.
• The child can't reach their upper teeth with their tongue.
• They find it difficult to move the tongue from side to side.
• The child complains about their tongue making it difficult to eat or speak.
• A speech-language pathologist has indicated that the child could benefit from a frenectomy.

If you notice any of these signs of ankyloglossia in your infant or child, we encourage you to schedule a consultation and evaluation with one of our pediatric dentists.

Why We Recommend Treatment for Ankyloglossia

Lip-ties and tongue-ties can significantly impact an infant and child's health and development. Enabling normal tongue and lip function with a frenectomy has many benefits for infants and children, including:

• Allowing for proper latching and efficient breastfeeding
• Facilitating normal speech development
• Creating the ability to self-cleanse the mouth while eating
• Enabling adequate and normal swallowing patterns
• Ensuring the proper growth, development, and alignment of the jawbone, gum tissues, and teeth
• Making it possible for a child to enjoy other aspects of childhood and adulthood such as sticking out their tongue to catch a snowflake, licking a popsicle, or kissing

With a quick and simple oral surgical procedure, we can correct your child's lip-tie or tongue-tie to help ensure their proper development and ongoing good health.

What to Expect During Your Child's Frenectomy Procedure

Traditional frenectomies were performed with a surgical scalpel, and this left patients more susceptible to infection, pain, and swelling after the procedure. At Pediatric Dental Care, we perform frenectomies with an advanced surgical soft tissue laser. This increases surgical precision and reduces the risk of post-surgical complications by simultaneously cauterizing and sterilizing the treatment area as we work.

The general procedure is the same for all patients and all patients receive an injection of local anesthetic in the frenum to numb the treatment area. Sedation during a frenectomy appointment varies based on the patient's age.

• Infants are swaddled tightly and held steadily during a frenectomy to prevent movement.
• We administer a mild oral sedative to toddlers to help them relax and stay still during treatment.
• Older children can receive nitrous oxide, oral sedation, or a combination of the two to encourage relaxation and reduce movement during the procedure.

The actual procedure is quick and painless for children. The procedure itself only takes about ten to fifteen minutes. We provide parents and guardians with thorough aftercare instructions once the treatment is complete.

Lip-Tie and Tongue-Tie Treatment with Our Pediatric Dentists in Crown Point and Dyer, IN

If you believe your infant, toddler, or child might have a lip-tie or tongue-tie, we welcome you to visit our dentist's office for an examination. We can talk with you about the signs or symptoms you have noticed, examine your child's frenum, and discuss treatment options with you. Our goal is to ensure your infant gets good nutrition through proper oral anatomy to ensure healthy physiological development and minimal speech difficulties.

To learn more about laser frenectomies or to request an appointment for your infant or child, we welcome you to contact Pediatric Dental Care today.