Frenectomies for Tongue Ties
Muscle attachments in the mouth, called frenulum’s, can develop too much tissue. This is most common under the tongue and at the middle of the upper lip.
These ties can be prominent or more hidden under the tongue. If not addressed at an early age, these strong attachments can affect development of the dental arches leading to crooked teeth and an increased propensity to mouth breathe.
How we treat Frenectomies
When to treat
Infants should be treated when there is a noted restriction that is causing symptoms. Ideally this would be in the first few weeks of life. But it can be done at any age.
Sometimes tongue ties aren’t fully obvious just by a quick glance in the mouth. If your baby is experiencing significant reflux, difficult or painful latch, thrush or other difficulties with feeding call for a consult today.
With older children and adults ties can cause speech problems, sleeping issues and underdevelopment of the dental arches.
How we treat
We use a CO2 laser for the procedure. This allows for better healing and very little bleeding during the procedure.
INFANTS We do not use any anesthetic, as this can be dangerous for the child to administer. The procedure is very quick for infants. Parents can choose to stay in the room for the procedure, however we do have a separate room for you to be during the procedure and where you will feed your baby afterward. For the first 12-24 hours they may be a little fussy or refuse to eat/not eat well but they are usually back to themselves within 24 hours of the procedure.
On older children and adults we use anesthetic. The procedures generally take 10 minutes or so, as we will place a few sutures to close the wound. This promotes greater healing, and better success with the procedure.
frenectomy Treatments
Real before/after results for our patients
Aftercare
The wound will look like a white diamond after the procedure and it may bleed a little for a few days. So parents will need to ensure they are stretching the area several times a day to make sure it doesn’t heal down.
Any release on an infant or child should be followed up with a team approach. They need to re-learn and retrain. For your babies, body work with a trained craniosacral chiropractor is important to decrease body tension that developed from the tie.
Babies start swallowing and developing their palate/tongue position at 18 weeks in utero. So these patterns have been developing for longer than since their birth. Just because it’s no longer restricted, doesn’t mean they’ll know what to do. So this means follow-up with a well trained lactation consultant to re-train and relearn a good latch for nursing children. Older kids and adults should be seeing someone trained in orofacial myology. These are people specifically trained in the function of the tongue. Some speech language pathologists and/or dental hygienists may have this special training. We offer this service in office for adults and can refer you to someone wonderful for your babies and children!
follow-up: THE BIGGEST KEY TO SUCCESS
"Dr. Williams is fantastic!
Her staff is friendly and willing to go above and beyond..."
She was able to get my family in and taken care of, as new patients, within a reasonable amount of time. She is personable and professional. Her staff is friendly and willing to go above and beyond to provide transparency and education for upcoming procedures. I highly recommend Dr. Misty Williams and the Summit Dental staff!
FATMA A.
"I’ve never felt more comfortable and well taken care of at a dentist."
Dr. Williams and her staff truly go above and beyond to make sure that they are providing you with the best care and service. Dr. Williams is honest and thorough in her work. Friendly and caring environment. Would highly recommend!
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BRITNI O.
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The dental care team in your corner.
Every patient has a different dental journey, and that's why our entire team is dedicated to providing you with excellent, personalized care. We strongly believe a healthy body begins with a healthy mouth. Our comprehensive approach is focused on the overall health of the mouth and surrounding structures, from functionality to aesthetics.
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