The lingual frenulum is a special fold on the oral mucosa that connects the middle of the tongue to the lower part of the gum in the area of the lower anterior incisors. An anomaly occurs - a shortened frenulum or ankyloglossia. The anomaly implies the location of the frenulum as close as possible to the tip of the tongue and limits its motor functions.
Interesting facts: ankyloglossia occurs in almost 5 percent of people, most often observed in men in a ratio of 3 to 1, 1/4 of newborns have difficulty breastfeeding due to a short frenulum.
Content:
Laser lingual frenuloplasty is a dental procedure that helps correct abnormal attachment of the tongue in the oral cavity. This type of laser surgical treatment is suitable for both adults and children.
The frenulum connects the tongue to the lower palate and serves as an additional means of its attachment. Sometimes the frenulum is either too short or too long, and may also have an irregular, abnormal shape. Because of such characteristics, it may be difficult for a person to talk, eat food, and sometimes this can lead to changes in appearance. It is precisely when the tongue frenulum develops incorrectly that laser plastic surgery is used.
There are several methods for plastic surgery/excision of the frenulum of the tongue. This surgical intervention can be performed either with a conventional scalpel or with the help of modern laser equipment. If you are faced with this disease, we recommend that you pay attention to the method of plastic surgery of the frenulum of the tongue using a laser.
Anomalies in the development of the tongue frenulum are quite common in dental practice. Further in this article, the method of performing plastic surgery using a laser will be described, the features of the operation will be given, as well as the indications and main contraindications for its implementation.
Patient reviews
“All my life I suffered from speech disorders, I even went to a speech therapist, but I didn’t achieve much effect. Besides, I have a slightly incorrect bite. I didn’t understand what the problem was, but in the end, at a dentist’s appointment, a shortening of the frenulum was discovered. It was quickly trimmed and after a few days I noticed how much easier it became to talk and even eat. Thank you very much to the doctors of the clinic!” Vladislav, 28 years old
“After the birth of the child, I almost immediately realized that he could not moisten milk normally. I was very scared, you never know what kind of disease could manifest itself. But a small frenulum was quickly discovered and plastic surgery was performed. And now there are no problems. Thank you very much!" Alina, 25 years old
“Thank you to the doctors for the quick and painless operation. I am always afraid of any interventions, but here they did it very carefully, without discomfort. Very pleased with the service and results.” Svetlana, 40 years old
Conclusion: Trimming a shortened frenulum of the tongue is a fairly simple operation that does not take much time. It is necessary at any age to restore normal functionality of the oral cavity. Sign up for a consultation at the Smile clinic in Ivanovo for a comprehensive examination and pain-free manipulation.
Causes and types of pathologies of the frenulum of the tongue
Normally, the frenulum of the tongue has an average size of no more than 3 centimeters and is located at the bottom of the tongue strictly in the center.
There are 3 degrees of pathology: 1. Mild - the frenulum of the tongue is slightly smaller than the usual size. 2. Middle - the frenulum is attached to the oral cavity, significantly reducing its size; 3. Severe – the frenulum has a pronounced developmental anomaly. It is even difficult for a person to raise his tongue a little, it is difficult to speak and eat.
During pregnancy, it is almost impossible to detect a defect in the development of the frenulum of the tongue using ultrasound. Severe pathology can be noticed already in the maternity hospital, when the child experiences difficulty swallowing. Mild and moderate degrees usually appear between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
A short frenulum is the most common type of pathology. This type of irregular size is called ankyloglossia. Less common are defects with incorrect location and displacement of the frenulum of the tongue, which can often lead to a distorted smile.
According to statistics, in approximately 50% of cases, a short frenulum of the tongue is transmitted to the child genetically from one of the parents. In other cases, pathology occurs due to unfavorable conditions for fetal development in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the formation of the dentofacial apparatus occurs.
Risk factors during pregnancy include: - various types of toxicosis, - viral diseases, - taking potent drugs (antibiotics), - stress, - harmful environmental conditions, - injury and mechanical impact on the fetus.
Contraindications
Plastic surgery of the frenulum of the upper lip is not a complex operation; however, there are a number of contraindications for which the operation cannot be performed. These include:
- Diseases of the oral mucosa with frequent relapses.
- Multiple caries. In this case, treatment is required first.
- Common infectious diseases in the acute stage.
- Blood diseases.
- Lesions of the nervous system, mental disorders.
- Oncological diseases.
Indications for laser plastic surgery of the frenulum of the tongue
Pathologies with a frenulum of the tongue bring many problems of both physiological and psychological nature. The person may have difficulty swallowing, which may cause increased salivation. All this makes speech difficult and leads to the formation of complexes when communicating. This is especially true for young children. If there is a pathology, parents are advised to eliminate this defect in their child as soon as possible.
Among the main indications for laser plastic surgery of the frenulum of the tongue are: - Disruption of the normal breathing process. This violation leads to poor oxygen saturation of tissues and organs; - Difficulties in speech. The person may find it difficult to communicate with other people. The defect is especially noticeable during rapid speech; - Problems with breastfeeding. A child with a pathology quickly gets tired and does not receive the required amount of food; — Incorrect development of the jaw, which in most cases leads to the formation of a malocclusion;
In infancy, the problem may not be noticed. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It is best to take your child for a diagnosis and find out exactly whether there is a pathology of the frenulum of the tongue.
Despite the fact that this pathology is detected and treated, as a rule, in children, sometimes even older people have to resort to plastic surgery of the frenulum of the tongue. Most often, the need for this operation arises when it is impossible to install dental removable dentures.
Lump under the tongue on the frenulum
In some cases, problems with tongue mobility and the sensation of a foreign body under it are not necessarily related to the size of the frenulum. The fold is of normal length, but a small white ball is found on or near it. This is how the inflammatory process in the mouth manifests itself. However, the presence of a shortened frenulum, on which food debris accumulates, significantly increases the likelihood of developing an infection.
If a lump appears under the frenulum, you need to contact your dentist to accurately determine the cause and effectively eliminate the problem. If necessary, after treatment of inflammation, fold plastic surgery is performed.
Treatment of a short frenulum of the tongue
Very often, a defect in the frenulum of the tongue is detected already in the first days of a baby’s life during examination after birth. Parents can also determine this themselves by the characteristic signs described above in this article. As a rule, if a pathology is detected, it is recommended to correct it. As noted above, in modern surgical dentistry there are several methods of performing surgery. Our experts recommend plastic surgery of the frenulum of the tongue using a laser.
Using laser equipment, surgery can be performed on both children and adults. Compared to classical methods, the use of a laser allows for minimal bleeding and maximum pain reduction. Laser lingual frenuloplasty also reduces the risk of wound infection. The entire postoperative rehabilitation period takes about 3–4 days, which is significantly less than when using a conventional surgical scalpel.
Due to its low morbidity and speed of implementation, laser plastic surgery is especially recommended for children. During the operation, no injections are given, and a special gel is used for pain relief. The whole operation takes about 3–4 minutes and the child often does not even have time to understand what happened.
Sutures are usually not placed during surgery, and therefore there is no need to come to the clinic to remove them, but after the operating period you will still have to visit the clinic for a follow-up examination. After the operation, you can continue to lead a normal lifestyle. But during recovery, it is recommended to avoid physical activity, drinking alcohol and eating solid and rough foods.
How to trim the frenulum under the tongue?
Trimming the short frenulum of the tongue is as follows:
- Local anesthesia
- Excision of a shortened frenulum
- Trimming the mucous membrane adjacent to the frenulum and moving it
- Suturing of the mucous membrane (when performing laser surgery, the operation is seamless)
In children, stretching the frenulum does not cause any problems. After just a couple of hours, the baby can be put to the breast. In adults, surgery is followed by a short recovery period.
Plastic surgery of the frenulum of the tongue with a laser in Krasnodar
In our dental clinic “SYMMETRY”, tongue frenuloplasty operations are performed using the most modern laser equipment. The clinic staff has extensive experience and high qualifications.
The operation performed using a laser allows us to provide comfortable and extremely safe conditions for obtaining the best treatment results for patients. This is especially important and relevant when it comes to treating children. Laser plastic surgery of the lingual frenulum costs a little more, but this type of operation is much more comfortable and easier for children to tolerate.
The benefits of laser surgery will also be appreciated by adults who will not need to take sick leave or change their lifestyle - recovery will be quick. Our clinic uses the most modern technologies to cope with many dental problems quickly and effectively.
Recommendations after surgery
After the operation, it is recommended to: refuse food in the first few hours; up to 4 weeks the diet should not contain hard, salty, spicy and sour foods; try to talk less; use soluble antiseptics for rinsing the mouth after eating food for a week; Apply keratoplasty to the wound within a week; After healing, it is recommended to engage in special speech physical education.
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Carrying out the operation
The operation does not require any serious preparation. If there are dental diseases, they are treated first. The doctor must sanitize the oral cavity to avoid the risk of developing an infectious process. Plastic surgery is done using different methods:
- Frenulotomy (dissection). This method is used to correct a narrow frenulum without a visible attachment point. The doctor cuts it transversely. After this, sutures are applied in the longitudinal direction.
- Frenectomy (excision). Unlike the previous method, frenectomy is performed to correct a short and wide frenulum. During the operation, the doctor tightens it and makes an incision along the ridge. The interdental papilla is also excised. If there is a large diastema, the tissue between the end parts of the incisors is also excised.
- Frenuloplasty. With this type of adjustment, the area where the bridle is attached moves. This operation is performed by two methods, which differ from each other in the way of forming the mobilized flap. To do this, the doctor trims the mucous membrane so that it can be moved along the periosteum. The operation with cutting and mobilization of the mucosa is more complex than the two previous types, so it is performed less frequently.
Regardless of the method chosen, the operation is performed under local anesthesia and takes about 15 minutes.
