Is a Frenectomy Right for My Child?

Is your baby having trouble breastfeeding, or does your child have problems with speaking?

If so, your child may be suffering from ankyloglossia, or tongue tie. In order to treat tongue tie, Dr. John Dano of Bull Valley dentistry can perform a surgical procedure, a frenectomy, to resolve the developmental issues that may arise from this condition. But, why does the frenectomy resolve the condition, and is it truly necessary?

Why Is a Frenectomy Used?

On the underside of your tongue is a fold of connective tissue that keeps your tongue from moving around too freely. This piece of connective tissue is the lingual frenulum. If you look in a mirror, open your mouth, and touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue, it will be easily visible to you.

Some people will be born with a frenulum that is too short, severely limiting the mobility of the tongue. This hampered movement, ankyloglossia, can then cause several problems throughout the lives of people. As babies, tongue tie patients can have difficulty breastfeeding; as they grow older, their general ability to eat may also be affected. Tongue tie patients will also have a difficult time learning to speak and maintaining an oral hygiene routine, as the tongue will not be able to move out of the way of a toothbrush as easily. In addition, ankyloglossia also forces the tongue to press against the teeth, potentially altering the alignment of a patient’s smile in a detrimental way.

If detected early enough, a frenectomy can remove the lingual frenulum if it is too short. All issues caused by tongue tie are stopped before they can develop more thoroughly.

Is a Frenectomy Necessary?

The frenectomy procedure is completely effective at treating tongue tie, but some doctors may recommend against the procedure if your child is very young.

As a child grows up, particularly between six months to six years of age, the lingual frenulum should recede. Most mild and moderate cases of tongue tie could be naturally resolved during this time, as the tongue’s mobility greatly improves over this period. Only severe cases of ankyloglossia will keep the tongue tied down, in which case a frenectomy is the only treatment. That being said, however, the issues caused by tongue tie are still present during this recession of the frenulum; misaligned teeth and problematic eating habits could still develop in moderate cases.

Ultimately, you will want to take your child to our McHenry dentist for a discussion about tongue tie and whether a frenectomy is the right treatment.

Call Us for Your Tongue Tie Needs

Bull Valley Dentistry provides dental health services to McHenry, including ankyloglossia consultation and the frenectomy procedure. To see if your child needs this treatment, call and schedule with Dr. John Dano today!

What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?

Among Dr. John Dano’s repertoire of dental procedures includes neuromuscular orthodontics, the science of understanding how the facial muscles interact with the alignment of the jaw and bite. The facial muscles, like cogs in an old clock, work in a certain related sequence; if that sequence faces any interference, then the muscles may operate out of sync and lead to a misalignment of the jaw and bite. Such muscular problems are known as orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs), and Bull Valley Dentistry can help the people of McHenry resolve such disorders through orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT).

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

Disorders of the facial muscles can have several causes, although two common origins include thumb sucking habits and mouth breathing due to obstructed airways. Such disorders can cause a wide variety of health problems, including interference with any dental work you may receive.

OMDs often cause an improper positioning of the tongue, wherein the tongue presses onto the bottom row of teeth. This position of the tongue against the bottom teeth is called “tongue thrust.” The weight of the tongue against the teeth, as well as the pressure caused by the tongue when swallowing, causes the teeth to position outward. The misaligned bite that results from tongue thrust can lead to difficulties in chewing, swallowing, and digesting the food that you eat. OMDs are also closely related to mild cases of sleep apnea, as tongue thrust makes it easier for the soft tissue of the mouth and throat to relax too much and obstruct the airway.

Orofacial myofunctional therapy, therefore, can help minimize the effects of a misaligned bite, sleep apnea, and sleep disordered breathing. Conversely, failing to treat these disorders may disrupt any orthodontic treatments you are receiving and exacerbate sleep apnea symptoms.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

The therapy for treating OMDs involves a simple exercise that must be practiced daily for six to twelve months. Our McHenry dentist will help you practice the routine and monitor the results. The purpose of this exercise is to develop an awareness of the facial muscles and slowly retrain them to a proper sequence. Ultimately, the tongue should change positions and stop pressing against the bottom row of teeth.

Once your therapy is complete, your McHenry dentist can use his dental experience to help you recover from an orofacial myofunctional disorders. The malocclusion – that is, the misaligned teeth – caused by tongue thrust may require orthodontic treatment in order to properly realign. Dr. Dano can provide various orthodontic treatments, including Invisalign® clear braces for discreet teeth straightening and Six Month Smiles® for faster orthodontic treatments. Dr. Dano can also provide sleep apnea appliances and help fit you for a CPAP machine, in order to treat sleep disruptive breathing patterns an OMD may have affected.

Call Us Today

Having trained and practiced in neuromuscular orthodontics, Dr. Dano of Bull Valley Dentistry can assist the people of McHenry, IL with orofacial myofunctional therapy and overall orofacial myofunctional disorder recovery. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call us today!

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Here's to your best oral health ever!