If you’re experiencing any issues talking, eating, or with your dental health in general, it may be due to your frenum. This is the tiny piece of tissue that holds different parts of your mouth together. You have several different frenums all throughout your body.
When it’s abnormally sized, it can make simple tasks more difficult to complete. If this might be you, you have the option to have your frenum clipped.
Many adults are nervous to have a frenectomy as many people think this type of procedure may negatively affect their speech afterward. There are different side effects that can possibly occur after having a frenectomy, but speech isn’t known to be one.
What is a Frenectomy?
This is a surgery that normally takes place when a child or adult expresses a problem with their tongue properly moving in their mouth. When this surgery is conducted, the frenum inside of the patient’s mouth is clipped.
Frenums are located all around your mouth. There are very well-known frenums that patients and doctors are the most aware of:
- Maxillary Labial Frenum- This attaches your upper lip and your gum together. When you feel for it, you’ll find it right above your two upper front teeth.
- Lingual Frenum- This one connect your tongue to the bottom of the mouth. This frenum is known to cause a lot of problems. For some people, it’ll trail up along to the very tip of someone’s tongue. This problem is what people refer to as “tongue-tied.”
Why Adults Will Get a Frenectomy
There are so many different possible reasons why adults choose to undergo a frenectomy. The frenum is a vital piece of your mouth that helps it move properly. So when your frenum is too tight, tough, short, etc. it makes simple tasks, like chewing or speaking, more challenging.
The procedure itself is very quick and simple. It is considered to be low-risk. This procedure can normally be done in one, painless snip. Here are a few different problems you may face if your frenum is abnormally sized:
Sometimes, if you have issues speaking properly, it could be because you had issues with your frenum as a child that were never addressed. This can cause you to experience speech impediments as you grow up. By getting your frenum clipped in surgery, your speech can enhance drastically. This can help you feel — and talk — so much better.
If your frenum is too large or small and is keeping you from swallowing well, you should consider a frenectomy. A regular-sized frenum will allow your tongue to simply push all of your food back to your esophagus so you can easily swallow. With a frenum that’s too small or tight, your tongue isn’t able to move as easily, making swallowing a lot more difficult and sometimes painful.
Pain in the Jaw
If your frenum is too tight, it makes moving your mouth altogether increasingly painful. It can also cause you to feel chronic amounts of pain in your jaw. This may only occur slightly while you’re eating. As time goes on though, you may be able to feel it more and more even when you’re just speaking to someone.
When this starts to become more of a problem, you should take a trip to visit Dr. Blank. He’ll carefully examine you to see if a frenectomy is something you need.
Food Particles Get Trapped in Between Teeth
When you eat your food, normally your tongue will work to clean any type of excess food out from in between each tooth. If your frenum is too tight, your tongue won’t be able to move around and get any extra food out of your mouth. This means the bacteria from this food could remain in your mouth for a while causing plaque and buildup. A frenectomy might be needed in order to keep your oral hygiene healthy and taken care of.
Why Children Will Get a Frenectomy
Young children can also experience problems with their frenum. If it’s too tight or large under their tongues, it makes it more difficult for them to move their tongue around. This could keep them from eating or speaking as they grow older. Because of this, they could grow up having a speech impediment for a large portion of their life.
Sometimes a frenum that is too tight can keep a baby’s teeth from properly growing in and can also cause harm to their gums. This can cause dental health issues later in life. Children are able to finally get a frenectomy when their two front teeth have grown in. This makes it easier and more accessible for the dentist to clip the frenum.
Side Effects After a Frenectomy
Once the frenectomy has been completed, you may experience a few different side effects. None of these should be very severe or provide you too much harm. If you do experience harsh pain, give Dr. Blank a call and he will have you treated as soon as possible. Below are some possible side effects:
- Bleeding during or after the surgery
- Swelling of the face
- Pain of the face
If you end up feeling swelling or pain, you will most likely be prescribed pain medication to reduce the pain or to make the swelling go away.
Will It Impact My Speech?
After finishing up with the frenectomy, you should actually see positive effects involving your speech. When your frenum is clipped, it allows your tongue to move around more freely. This, in turn, lets your mouth open wider and easier. Your speech should sound a lot clearer and more understandable.
If you’re interested in receiving a frenectomy or learning more about what the procedure entails, schedule an appointment with Dr. Blank at Advanced Dentistry to learn more, or give us a call at (614) 399-9381.