Frenectomy
Indianapolis & Fishers, IN
At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, we offer a wide range of periodontal and dental implant services. Our caring and compassionate team has one collective priority and that is your smile.
Your frenum, also called frenulum, is the little piece of tissue that connects your cheeks, tongue, or lips to your gum area.
Your frenum, also called frenulum, is the little piece of tissue that connects your cheeks, tongue, or lips to your gum area. You have several frenum’s in your body. However, the ones that usually require a frenectomy are inside your mouth.
A frenulectomy, or frenectomy, is a common procedure that is performed to correct problems related to the frenulum. These issues are most often diagnosed in children but can also be found in adults. The frenectomy is a quite simple procedure that requires your frenulum to be removed. While the most common way to perform this procedure is by removing the frenulum with a scalpel, we also use a laser to perform this procedure. The makes the procedure even quicker, bloodless, and less painful during the healing process.
At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, we can offer to you a wide variety of periodontal and dental implant services. Our quite compassionate team has one collaborative goal and that is the health of your smile. We work with everyone in a comfortable, relaxed setting, and are committed and dedicated to addressing your dental care as a partner on your health team. If you would like to have an evaluation and consultation about a possible frenectomy, call our Indianapolis office at 317-574-0600 or our Fishers office at 317-842-2273 to schedule your appointment today.
Award Winning Periodontics
in Indianapolis and Fishers
Dedication to providing the best periodontal care to Indianapolis and Fishers isn't just something Drs. Edwards and Christman talk about. They are board certified periodontist, which means they have gone above and beyond what most periodontists do to master his field of work. They have sought out further education to bring the most promising new treatments to their patients.
Frenectomy For Your Child
Children with oversized frenum’s can experience a range of uncomfortable issues, including difficulty with speaking, a condition often referred to as “tongue tied.” Other issues that can develop include:
- The frenulum getting stuck between teeth
- Having difficulty nursing or breastfeeding as an infant
- Difficulty with sticking their tongue out
- The early recession of gums, which will result in periodontal disease
Frenectomy For Yourself as an Adult
If you have an over-sized frenulum you may experience a wide range of issues, including problems with your speech. Sometimes people who experience frenulum issues due to limitations with their tongue will learn to compensate, despite the challenges they face being audible and articulating when speaking at high or low volumes.
A tight frenulum will also make the process of chewing your food difficult, because your tongue is simply unable to move freely inside of your mouth. This also can result in difficulty with your swallowing. A frenectomy at Implant Dentistry and Periodontics can help address this issue and improve your ability to eat.
Additional dental issues may develop if you have improperly sized frenum’s, because the food is unable to move around in the mouth as it should, which limits your ability to clean your molars due to a limited range of motion of your tongue. This will lead to decay over time, as excess food particles become lodged between teeth.
Are You or Your Child a Candidate for a Frenectomy?
There are a few common indications you might benefit from a frenectomy:
- Your two upper front teeth have an enlarged gap between them. Your frenum may have excess tissue that prevents the space closure between the teeth.
- The position of your labial frenum is close to the edge of your gum tissue where it will cause tension and cause gum recession or tissue loss if you do not have it corrected.
- You have a high lingual frenum attachment which restricts your tongue movement that affects your speech, eating and swallowing abilities.
Frenulum problems are usually corrected when you are a baby or a child when you begin showing speech impediments and feeding issues. It is not uncommon for children with this issue to reach their adulthood years before receiving any type of corrective surgery, even though their restricted tongue movement caused them an assortment of problems.
At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, we offer a wide range of periodontal and dental implant services. Our caring and compassionate team has one collective priority and that is your smile.
Contact Our Team Today
The Frenectomy Procedure
A frenectomy is literally a less invasive procedure than even having a tooth filled. To reduce any discomfort, you may feel during the procedure, Implant Dentistry and Periodontics will begin by administering a local anesthetic. Once the tissue is numb, we will use either a surgical scalpel or a specialty laser to reduce the tissue and minimize your discomfort. With the laser the chances of an infection are reduced as the laser instantly sanitizes the area. This also helps speed the healing process.
For newborns to feed or nurse properly, they may need a lip tie or tongue tie surgery to free the lingual frenulum underneath the tongue. Most often newborns can feed immediately after the procedure, as the recovery happens instantly.
Older children may be given a mild anesthetic before the frenulum treatment. In severe cases, patients may require a few sutures following the procedure.
The entire process usually takes between only 15 and 30 minutes.
The Risks of Not having Treatment
If left untreated, there are a range of issues that can occur, including the following:
- Inadequate lip seal
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Crowded teeth
- Limited jaw growth
- Messy eating and/or improper swallowing
- Unnecessary speech issues
- Altered or limited development of dental arches
- Limited facial muscle movement
- Deep or over closed bite
- Nasal sinus congestion or airway constriction
- Periodontal disease
State of the Art Technology
For Advanced Periodontics
Offering the best periodontal care in the world requires the most advanced technology in the world. Drs. Edwards and Christman are always in search of new ways to provide patients with better results and do it in a way that minimizes pain and recovery time. They are also happy to take up technologies that make it easier to communicate with patients and allow us to do our jobs in more environmentally friendly ways.
Post Procedure Aftercare
There are no special instructions after the treatment of a frenectomy, although it is important to schedule a follow up appointment at Implant Dentistry and Periodontics to ensure that the treatment has been successful and is healing properly.
The most important thing you can do is to continue practicing good oral hygiene habits. Be sure to continue brushing your teeth twice daily for at least two minutes each time and flossing once a day. Along with these preventative practices, the best thing you can do to continue enjoying your healthy smile is to schedule regular visits twice a year. This allows the staff at Implant Dentistry and Periodontics to conduct routine checkups, to conduct deep cleanings and keep tabs on the overall state of your oral health.
Earning your Trust with High Quality Periodontal Care
When you schedule a visit with Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, you will be working with a professional and friendly dental team that implements the most advanced dental technology available. We patiently listen to your dental objectives and we will also design personalized custom treatment that works with your budget and goals. We strive to help you add value back into that personal asset, your smile, so every one of our services are performed with your only best interests in mind.
The staff at Implant Dentistry and Periodontics wants you to always feel both relaxed and comfortable in the dental chair, and to feel totally confident in our services. Scheduling an appointment for a possible frenectomy is the first step towards being proactive in your oral health once again. To schedule an appointment, call our Indianapolis office, 8801 North Meridian St., Ste 103, Indianapolis, at 317-574-0600 or our Fishers office, 9885 E. 116th St, Ste 300, Fishers, at 317-842-2273.