SHORT FRENULUM

The tongue frenulum is the small membrane that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. There is also the lip frenulum, which is a fold of the upper lip that connects it to the gums.

An excessively short tongue frenulum (also known as ankyloglossia or “tongue tie”) can cause a number of pronunciation problems, in addition to issues affecting the shape and layout of the teeth.

If the upper lip frenulum is too large and thick it can cause the upper incisors to separate as it pushes down between them (diastema). In extreme cases, it can also cause difficulty moving the upper lip as well as phonetic alterations in children.

To solve this problem, we perform a simple intervention involving the enlargement of the frenulum by means of a laser or a special electric scalpel with an ultrafine tip. This allows us to avoid stitches and to perform a quick, blood-free and painless intervention during which the tongue frenulum is completely liberated.

Initial treatment for a short, large or thick frenulum involves a simple operation on the full part of the frenulum, either by means of a laser or with a special electric scalpel with an ultrafine tip. Thanks to the laser technique, the patient avoids the painful stitches to the frenulum area and the operation to fully liberate the tongue frenulum is fast, blood-free and painless.

An upper lip frenulum is a fold of the upper lip that connects it to the gum. If it is too large and thick, it causes the upper incisors to separate as it pushes down between them, leading to an aesthetic problem called diastema.

In extreme cases, it may also cause difficulty moving the upper lip as well as phonetic alterations in children. It usually corrects itself as the child grows and the shape of the lip frenulum changes. However, if this is not the case, a simple procedure to remove the lip frenulum is recommended.