Laser Frenectomies in Houston, TX

While many people automatically think of the teeth and gums as the only areas of the mouth that dentists can help improve, there are many facets of the mouth that will sometimes need attention. A laser frenectomy is a procedure that can help many of our young patients, but many parents don’t know it is an option!

There are several ligaments in the mouth that can have a negative effect on your overall oral health if they are too tight. The labial frenum, the ligament that attaches the gums to the upper lip, should connect to the gum around 4 mm higher than the gum’s crest. If it attaches too low, there are several issues that can occur.

• Recession – when the ligament is frequently pulled due to movement of the lip, there are small areas or pockets that can form. With more movement, the pockets can grow and pose a risk for larger gum pockets that change into recessions.
• Diastema – when the ligament is too low, it can cause a space to form between the front teeth.
• Open Mouth Posture – the ligament being too tight can prevent the mouth from staying closed. It can cause negative changes in the jaw as well as dry mouth from constant mouth breathing.

Laser Frenectomies for Children

The lingual frenum is the ligament attaching the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. When too tight, it can cause the literal appearance of being tongue-tied. It can have very dramatic negative effects on speech development. Luckily, lasers are able to fix these issues quickly, and minimizes recovery time!