[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/frenectomy-tongue-tie-surgery\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/frenectomy-tongue-tie-surgery\/","headline":"Tongue Tie Surgery: known as a Frenectomy","name":"Tongue Tie Surgery: known as a Frenectomy","description":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_color=”#ffffff” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|0|0px|0||” custom_padding_phone=”” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_main_element=”z-index: 0;” transparent_background=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_fullwidth_header background_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” content_max_width=”none” module_id=”top-header” _builder_version=”3.22.6″ title_font_size=”25px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_image=”https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/frenectomy.jpg” custom_css_main_element=”height: 350px; padding: 1px;” background_url=”https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/frenectomy.jpg” button_one_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Tongue Tie Surgery: Frenectomy” content_max_width=”none” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ background_color=”#0aaaaf” hover_enabled=”0″ […]","datePublished":"2016-06-19","dateModified":"2021-04-19","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"admin","url":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/author\/admin\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e8332d597554647ad1a751e441d0749?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7e8332d597554647ad1a751e441d0749?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Dr Colin Priestland","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/index.png","url":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/index.png","width":577,"height":143}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/frenectomy-tongue-tie-nq-surgical-dentistry.png","url":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/frenectomy-tongue-tie-nq-surgical-dentistry.png","height":290,"width":619},"url":"https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/frenectomy-tongue-tie-surgery\/","about":["Frenectomy"],"wordCount":2534,"keywords":["dental surgery","frenectomy","laser surgery","oral surgery","referal","tongue","tongue tie"],"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_color=”#ffffff” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|0|0px|0||” custom_padding_phone=”” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_main_element=”z-index: 0;” transparent_background=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_fullwidth_header background_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” content_max_width=”none” module_id=”top-header” _builder_version=”3.22.6″ title_font_size=”25px” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_image=”https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/frenectomy.jpg” custom_css_main_element=”height: 350px; padding: 1px;” background_url=”https:\/\/nqsurgicaldentistry.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/frenectomy.jpg” button_one_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Tongue Tie Surgery: Frenectomy” content_max_width=”none” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ background_color=”#0aaaaf” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_main_element=”height: 80px; padding: 1px;” button_one_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” min_height_last_edited=”on|phone” min_height_phone=”130px” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.0.3″ background_color=”#ffffff” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_phone=”” top_divider_style=”wave2″ top_divider_color=”#0aaaaf” top_divider_height=”32px” transparent_background=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off”]An increasing number of children, as young as 18 months, are being referred to me for a surgical procedure called a frenectomy or tongue tie surgery. The term frenectomy means the removal of a\u00a0frenum; a frenum being the tissue that attaches the lip or cheek to the gum margins. There is also a lingual frenum. This is the soft tissue tag attaching the surface underneath the tongue to the gum behind the lower front teeth. It is frequently referred to as a tongue tieWhy a frenectomy or tongue tie surgery?Any of these frenum attachments can present problems for the patient.\u00a0 The lip frenum can make tooth brushing difficult and result in damage to the tissue during tooth brushing.\u00a0 The gum becomes sore, ulcerated or may bleed.\u00a0 It can also limit movement of the lip and when the lip moves, the movement exerts tension on the gum margin that may result in gum recession at the front of the tooth.The lingual frenum beneath the front of the tongue can severely limit the movement of the tongue in a forward or upward movement and may become damaged, split or ulcerated when the tongue is pushed forward.In some cases a lingual frenum can be far more extensive and, in addition to a tongue tie \u201ctag\u201d of tissue,\u00a0 there can be a considerable degree of connective tissue attached within the body of the tongue in the midline restricting the upward movement of the tongue required in normal speech.\u00a0 Often this situation is detected bu an appearance of cupping in the centre of the tongue when it is raised.Not all frenectomies are the sameThe term \u201cfrenectomy\u201d applies to a surgical procedure that can vary in its extent enormously.\u00a0 From a procedure that may take only a couple of minutes to a much longer and more involved operation.\u00a0 Frenectomies vary a great deal in different patients.Who refers \u201cfrenectomy or tongue tie\u201d patients?In some cases, young children are referred by their GP, others are referred by their dentist or hygienist and other children are referred by their speech pathologist due to delayed speech development or incorrect speech patterns due to an inability to move the tongue appropriately to form certain sounds.The more involved frenectomiesIt is often the referral from speech pathologists that are the most involved as they usually indicate a delay in normal speech development due to a fibrous \u201ctethering\u201d of the central part of the tongue into the floor of the mouth, thus preventing the tongue from lifting up into the palate.The absence of this tongue lift prevents the tongue from filling the roof of the palate.\u00a0 This limits the degree of maxillary growth and maxillary widening leaving the palate narrow and the vault (roof) of the palate low.The inability to lift the tongue up into the vault of the palate during the formation of certain sounds when speaking and can compromise the patient\u2019s pronunciation.\u00a0 Such patients can be identified if one looks at the tongue when asking the patient to perform certain tongue movements.\u00a0 The appearance of cupping can be seen in the centre of the tongue that demonstrates that the tongue is being held down.Extent of surgery variesIn its minor form, a frenectomy is a minor surgical procedure that involves removing the thin soft tissue tag that attaches the upper lip to the gum between the two upper central incisor teeth.\u00a0 In some cases, this may involve only a small amount of tissue removal using a laser and can be completed in a few minutes. The aim of the laser is to use the power of light energy to vaporise tissue producing a cut and sealing the tissue preventing any bleeding.\u00a0 Diathermy can be used to achieve the same outcome.In the past, a frenectomy was performed using a surgical scalpel or tissue scissors but nowadays post-operative results are better using a laser or diathermy.\u00a0 The benefits of both are an absence of bleeding during the procedure and hence improved visibility, reduced post-operative discomfort and less post-operative swelling.\u00a0 In the case of laser use, quicker healing is also seen due to the effects of the laser energy on the remaining tissue cells.\u00a0 The laser energy is absorbed by the mitochondria (the battery that powers each individual cell).\u00a0\u00a0 This up-regulates the metabolism of the cells, which speeds up healing.Thick lip frenumSome lip frenum attachments may include a thick band of connective tissue beneath.\u00a0 If these are not treated correctly they can easily reattach and may need to be repeated.\u00a0 The use of a laser helps to ensure that reattachment is prevented and makes the removal of the thick tissue far easier and quicker than using a surgical scalpel.\u00a0 It can also be accomplished using diathermy, which is the use of electrical energy to cut and seal tissue.\u00a0 However, while it also prevents bleeding and thereby improves visibility at surgery, there can sometimes be more swelling afterwards and the diathermy does not \u201cup-regulate\u201d the tissue\u2019s healing capacity post-operatively like the laser can.Lingual frenectomyLingual frenectomies (removal of the tissue often referred to as a tongue tie) exhibit the greatest variation in complexity.\u00a0 The thin tissue tag may be easily cut and if it is very thin, there may be very little blood supply and therefore very little bleeding when cut with tissue scissors.\u00a0 If this tissue tag is very thin, the procedure may take only a couple of minutes.\u00a0 Such a procedure is often performed by paediatricians.The main concern is that the cut must be placed away from the salivary gland duct in the floor of the mouth under the front of the tongue or scarring may occur leading to narrowing of the duct or closure of the duct and consequently problems with the drainage of saliva into the mouth.\u00a0 It is important to know the anatomy of this area to ensure a good outcome every time.In those cases where the tongue is tethered down, as in many of the cases referred by speech pathologists, the procedure is far more extensive.\u00a0 The initial small incision allows the laser tip to be inserted into the tissues underneath the tongue and then slowly and carefully it is used to cut the tight fibrous band of tissue in the midline that holds the tongue down and restricts the upward movement of the tongue.\u00a0 Constant manual movement of the tongue allows assessment of the effectiveness of the procedure and confirms the point at which the procedure is complete.Tongue tie surgeryA laser is the best way to perform this procedure as you can safely work inside the tissues under the tongue and inside the base of the tongue, and carefully cut away tight tissues and avoid excessive bleeding.\u00a0 As long as the laser remains in the midline, there are no important structures that can be cut and damaged hence normal feeling will be felt in the tongue after surgery and very little bleeding is experienced.Generally following laser surgery very little suturing is required.\u00a0 This makes the healing period more comfortable.\u00a0 Reattachment of tissue to its former position is generally not possible after both lasing and the use of diathermy, and this is another benefit over the conventional surgical technique using a scalpel.\u00a0 In addition, infection is unlikely in tissue cut by a laser or diathermy unit because the tissue is sealed at the site of the cut and therefore the ingress of bacteria is unlikely.contact the friendly team at NQ Surgical Dentistry today on\u00a0(07) 4725 1656 or call in to see us at\u00a0183 Kings Rd, Pimlico QLD 4812[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”Services” _builder_version=”3.22″ custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”0|0px|0|220px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|0%|40px|0%|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”” border_radii=”||||20vw” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”40px” box_shadow_blur=”60px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(0,64,135,0.06)”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.0.3″ background_color=”#0aaaaf” background_enable_color=”off” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” module_alignment=”right” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” use_custom_width=”on” width_unit=”off” custom_width_percent=”100%”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”BOOK AN APPOINTMENT ” 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