Frenectomy

A frenectomy involves the repositioning or removal of a frenum. You have multiple frenums (muscle attachments) in your mouth. Most of the time they don’t cause problems, however, if a frenum is too short or too tight, it can have negative impacts on eating, speech, gum recession, and spacing between teeth. A frenectomy removes the tight frenum, “lip tie” allowing for more lip or tongue movement, “tongue tie”. It may help close a space between teeth or prevent gum recession. If gum recession has already occurred, it may be done in combination with gum grafting. There are several ways to perform a frenectomy and they include incision with a scalpel, electrosurgery or laser surgery. The chosen method depends on patient’s specific circumstance.