Do you have an infant, toddler, or child with a tongue-tie or lip-tie? Frenectomy treatments can release the tense strip of tissue (frenum) below their tongue or behind their lip.
A tight lingual (tongue) or labial (lip) frenum can be diagnosed by your pediatrician, lactation consultant, or your family’s pediatric dentist. It’s not uncommon for Dr. Joshi to see infants just a couple of days old when tongue ties are a concern.
Why Does My Child Need a Frenectomy?
- Frenectomies are necessary when a tongue-tie or lip-tie is so severe that it:
- Makes nursing painful
- Restricts a baby’s ability to feed
- Inhibits normal speech development
- Pulls against and damages the teeth or tongue
Performing a frenectomy releases the tongue-tie or lip-tie in just one trip to our office, offering immediate relief.
Traditional Tongue Tie, Lip Tie Treatment
In years past, dentists had to use an invasive treatment option to release the frenum behind the lips or tongue. This process involved cutting the skin with a scalpel, which was both uncomfortable and resulted in moderate discomfort after the numbing medication wore off. The invasive nature also contributed to bleeding and swelling at the surgical site.
Fortunately, there’s now a better option for our parents and children.
Laser Frenectomy Options
Here at DPD Smiles, our St. Charles pediatric dentist offers a more comfortable and less-invasive treatment for tongue-tie and lip-tie treatment. We understand that the comfort of your child is important both at our office as well as following their procedure. That’s why we offer laser frenectomies in St. Charles for children of all ages.
Instead of using a scalpel, the FDA-approved soft tissue laser safely releases the tongue-tie or lip-tie. Numbing may not even be necessary.
Advantages of Laser Frenectomy Treatment
- Is minimally invasive
- Significantly reduces post-operative bleeding and swelling
- Feels more comfortable for the child
- Requires little to no recovery period
- Is extremely accurate
- High success rate
During the procedure, Dr. Joshi uses the thin laser tip to slightly reduce the tension and thickness of the tissue causing the tongue-tie or lip-tie. This “releases” the skin without any cutting or bleeding. The laser essentially cauterizes the outermost layer of skin in that space, jump-starting the recovery of your child or infant. No sutures are required. Over-the-counter pain reliever can be given if necessary.
Call Our St. Charles Pediatric Dentist
As a parent, Dr. Joshi understands how frustrating a tongue-tie or lip-tie can be for children, infants, and nursing mothers. Her own child needed a frenectomy procedure. That’s just one reason why she is so attuned to providing a comfortable and efficient experience for the families we serve.
If you suspect that your baby, toddler, or older child needs a frenectomy, we encourage you to call DPD smiles to request a no-fuss consultation with our pediatric dentist.
