The Benefits of a Laser Frenectomy
vs. a Scissors Frenectomy

Tongue ties and lip ties can produce serious complications, both short- and long-term, for babies who have them. Pediatricians, lactation consultants, and other health care professionals who work with very young children often recognize the necessity of correcting the problem early, but may not be sure of the best method. While traditional frenectomies have been performed for centuries, it is now possible to correct a tongue or lip tie with a laser treatment, a much more advanced technique.

Both techniques are short outpatient procedures that can be performed in a medical or dental office with topical or local anesthesia, with low risk and considerable benefits for patients who need them. However, a laser frenectomy offers significant advantages over the older technique that referring providers should consider when advising their patients.

• Greater Precision to Prevent Undercorrection

  A traditional frenectomy uses surgical scissors to snip the submucosal fibers that attach the tongue too tightly to the mouth (a lingual frenectomy) or that attach the top lip too tightly to the gums (a labial frenectomy). These areas are highly vascular, which means that the doctor performing the procedure must accomplish the correction in one cut. After that, it is nearly impossible to see the area to perform a second, due to bleeding.

  Doctors tend to be conservative in making that single snip to avoid cutting too far. As a result, it is not uncommon for a traditional frenectomy to result in undercorrection, with symptoms persisting after the procedure. In such cases, the baby may need a revision, subjecting them to a repeat in order to achieve the desired relief.

  By contrast, a laser frenectomy gives the doctor a high degree of control and precision during the procedure. Because the laser cauterizes the tissue as it releases the binding fibers, there is no bleeding to obscure the surgical field. The doctor can see exactly which fibers need to be released to produce a full correction and can ensure that it is all accomplished in one session.

• Improved Healing

  After any frenectomy, wound management must be performed over the next few days to ensure that the tissue does not reattach. A traditional frenectomy results in an area of raw wound in the mouth, possibly increasing the odds that the frenum will reattach. A laser frenectomy, on the other hand, vaporizes the unwanted tissue instead of cutting it, leaving the area less prone to reattachment. The laser also sterilizes the tissue it touches, reducing the chances of infection.

• Experienced Providers

  At Calabasas Pediatric Dentistry, we have considerable experience identifying and successfully treating tongue and lip ties in babies and children. Our noninvasive, nearly painless laser frenectomy technique lasts only a few minutes, and provides almost immediate relief to both mother and baby.

  A timely frenectomy can prevent serious problems with breastfeeding, oral health, improved speech, eating, jaw development, mid-face development, and more. If you would like to learn more about our laser frenectomies or would like information on the signs that indicate a tongue or lip tie should be corrected, please contact us here.