Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery

Frenectomy

What is the frenum?

Frenums are “folds” of tissue located in many parts of the body.

The three most involved in dentistry are present between the upper lip and the two front teeth; the lower lip and two front teeth; and, the area under the tip of the tongue and the floor of the mouth. These are very small parts of the lips and tongue/floor of the mouth. However, they can have very significant effects on orthodontic results, gum health, cosmetics and even speech if they are excessive in size.

Pull gently on your upper lip in front of a mirror and you will be able to see this fold of soft tissue,if you haven’t before.

Located beneath the upper frenum is a band of dense ‘grizzle-like” tissue that is not visible in the mirror. When orthodontists evaluate a person’s needs, they often find this band prevents proper positioning of the front teeth and/or leds to tooth movements after braces are removed (such as spaces reforming after closure).

Why have a frenectomy ?

Removal of the dense tissue and/or repositioning the existing frenum to a new location aids the orthodontist in treating fully, the orthodontic patient. Removal of the dense tissue reduces the degree of space recurrence. Excessively large frenums can also interfere with proper tooth brushing. Frenums that are too large or grow too close to the gum line can cause gum problems (including recession) and are often not cosmetically pleasing.

What’s involved in a frenectomy?

Frenectomies are routine procedures done commonly by our periodontists. Performed in the dental chair, the procedure involves the use of topical and local anesthetics that fully “numb” the areas. Usually, the lip will feel numb as well as the teeth and gums near the frenum. In the upper, the tip of the nose may feel numb as well. The dense tissue is removed. Usually, patients are totally unaware that is is happening. The frenum is then placed in a more ideal position. Depending on the needs, self-dissolving sutures may be placed. Small amounts of self-dissolving gauze are placed to prevent any bleeding.