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!