The lip, cheek and tongue frenula are bands of connective tissue that link the lips, cheeks and tongue to the gums over the teeth or to the floor of the mouth. Sometimes they are too tight and get in the way of the normal functions of the mouth. In that case, a frenectomy is needed.
What is a frenectomy?
This is a simple procedure to remove or loosen a frenulum in the mouth. There are 3 main types of frenula in the mouth: the lip frenulum, the tongue frenulum and the cheek frenulum. Sometimes they interfere with the normal functions of the mouth, and then surgery is needed. The cheek frenulum connects the inside of the cheek to the gum by the back teeth, the tongue frenulum connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, and the upper lip frenulum connects the inside of the upper lip to the gum above the 2 front teeth.
When you open your mouth, most frenula are visible. Only the cheek frenula are hard to see when you open your mouth normally; you can lift the upper and lower lips with your fingers to see the cheek frenula near the back teeth. The cheek frenula rarely cause problems or gaps between the teeth, so surgery is generally not indicated.
Surgery with an electrosurgical scalpel or a standard laser
Tongue tie surgery is a simple procedure, and the tongue is numbed before it starts. The dentist cuts the part of the tongue frenulum that is attached to the front end of the tongue, so the tongue can move freely. The wound is then stitched to stop the bleeding and help the tongue heal.