Frenectomy

What is it?

The oral frenulum or labial frenulum is a tissue that connects the gum with the lip. The upper frenulum is larger and thicker than the lower one.

In many occasions, the upper frenulum is positioned between the two incisors and causes diastemas or separation of the teeth.

This separation influences the integration of all the teeth in the upper jaw and can cause problems when speaking and cause difficulties in the mobility of the lip and negatively affect hygiene.

In general, a diastema is present in many children and is completely corrected in adulthood with the growth and appearance of permanent teeth.

When this is not the case, the option of surgery to modify the position of the frenulum should be considered, so that it does not affect the position of the incisors. The surgical intervention of this tissue is called a frenectomy.

After the operation, it will be evaluated if orthodontic treatment is necessary to correct the separated teeth.