Frenectomies
Treating lip and tongue ties the easy way
What Are Frenectomies?
Your lips and tongue are connected to your mouth by a small band of tissue. Sometimes, this tissue develops abnormally, leading to problems for babies and children. Simple, but specialized procedures called frenectomies can restore function and fix issues caused by lip and tongue ties.
A frenectomy can’t be performed by just anyone – Dr. Bill and Dr. Stephanie have specialized training and education that makes them uniquely qualified to perform this procedure!
How Lip/Tongue Ties Affect Small Smiles
When lip ties and tongue ties are left untreated, it’s no joke. Babies, toddlers, and older children can struggle with speech problems, poor nutrition, colic, reflux, drooling, sleep apnea, and tooth decay. Moms and babies show early signs of lip/tongue tie issues – keep an eye out for difficulties breastfeeding, poor weight gain, upper lip blistering, poor milk transfer, and long feeding times. Moms may also notice nipple trauma, painful breastfeeding, infected nipples, mastitis, and more nursing issues.


The Frenectomy Procedure
Doing great things for you and your child means using the best tech and procedures available – especially with frenectomies. At Great Smiles, we use a specialized CO2 laser to perform frenectomies, so that moms and children can enjoy an easier time during and after surgery 1. What makes the CO2 laser the best is that it is the safest, least painful, most precise, and simplest option. Not only will babies and toddlers have less scar tissue and an easier recovery period, but moms will be able to avoid the post-op nursing complications of other procedures.
Frenectomies make an incredible difference for parents and children, so don’t hesitate to talk to us about how a frenectomy could help your family.
1 Komori, S., Matsumoto, K., Matsuo, K., Suzuki, H., & Komori, T. (2017). Clinical Study of Laser Treatment for frenectomy of Pediatric Patients. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 10(3), 272–277. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1449
Benefits of a laser surgical approach include:
- Rapid ablation using CO2 laser as opposed to cutting the tissue
- No need for general anesthesia
- No need for local anesthesia
- No sutures
- Virtually painless
- Nearly bloodless
- Reduces bacteria
- Precise and conservative
- Decreased swelling
- Reduced post-operative pain
Affording the Best Care
Our Great Smiles team works to find the best way to fit great dental care into your budget, with awesome payment options, maximized insurance benefits, and affordable solutions. Our FAQ pages have some answers to common questions about Invisalign or braces costs as well as dentist costs. Or, feel free to contact us for help. Plus, research shows that early dental visits can lower long-term costs, so we encourage families to come visit us at one of our five Great Smiles Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics locations.