Frenulums are soft tissue cords that connect various anatomical structures in the mouth. For example, the upper lip is connected to the gingiva above the upper front teeth via the upper lip frenulum, while the lower lip is connected to the gingiva below the lower front teeth via the lower lip frenulum. The tongue is connected to the floor of the lip and the gingiva behind the lower front teeth via a sublingual frenulum. There is also a buccal duplication, located between the cheek and the gingiva above and between the upper premolars (four and five). These frenulums can sometimes be excessively firm and cause problems, which may lead to the need for surgical intervention. A frenulectomy is a procedure that involves removing these soft tissue attachments.
The procedure is quick and performed under local anesthesia. The frenulum can be removed classically or with a laser , which makes the intervention painless. After surgery, patients should avoid eating solid food and making strong facial expressions during the following days, but healing is usually without significant restrictions.
A sublingual frenulectomy, although short-lived, can improve pronunciation if the tongue is tight due to a short frenulum. This simple procedure can correct problems with the pronunciation of certain letters.
An upper lip frenulectomy allows the upper central incisors that are separated due to a low and strong frenulum to be brought closer together. For the lower lip, the procedure can prevent retraction of the palate around the lower central incisors. This is usually solved with a simple surgical intervention.
Removal of pockets in the premolars can allow the fabrication of a prosthesis for patients who are in a hopeless situation and do not have the conditions for a prosthesis or implants. Easy surgical correction of the tissues that are the base for a prosthesis can significantly simplify the situation.
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