Infant Frenectomy & Frenulotomy 

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Dentistry For Kids
  • Is your baby having difficulties breastfeeding?

  • Is nursing painful?

  • Is your baby not gaining weight?

Then your baby may be tongue-tied.

At King Ritson Dental, we can help you with a quick, nearly pain-free laser procedure that can be performed during your initial visit. Are you interested in learning more?

 

Call us today at 905-579-2442

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ERBIUM LASER FRENECTOMY?

  • Less painful than other lasers due to lower heat, with many babies actually sleeping through the procedure.
  • Lessened bleeding as the laser is more gentle than scissors or scalpel.
  • No needle required.
  • No sutures.

 

WHAT IS A FRENECTOMY or FRENULOTOMY?

In the mouth, there are bands of connective tissue located in and around the teeth, tongue and gums. These are called frena (singular, frenum) and they secure moving parts like the tongue and lips, to fixed parts of the mouth. In some infants, frena can be too large, or can be attached in a way that prevents the tongue from moving properly (a tongue tie). A frenectomy is a simple surgical procedure that involves the removal or reduction of one or more frena in the mouth, thus relieving the problems they may be causing.

TREATMENT FOR TONGUE TIES AND PROBLEMATIC FRENA

A frenectomy (or frenulotomy) involves reducing the tissue or loosening some of the tight frenum tissue under the tongue or lips. Our Dentists at King Ritson Dental Clinic use a state of the art laser to perform a safe and quick procedure that allows for improved tongue and lip mobility. In some instances, frenectomies can aid in the prevention of other health problems such as dental decay, spacing problems or speech difficulties and digestive issues.

Our laser is a Fotona Lightwalker, which uses an Er:YAG wavelength to remove the tissue. This laser uses very low heat, causes little-to-no pain and minimal bleeding. Our team is highly trained to ensure that your infant or child is comfortable throughout the process. We will provide and review post-operative instructions after the procedure and follow-up to ensure that your child is healing and recovering well.
If you have an infant experiencing lactation issues due to a tongue tie, our Dentists may recommend that you consult with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) to optimize results after treatment.

Dr. Robert Camastra on why the team at KRDC is proud to offer this service to young families:

“In late 2019, I was educated about tongue tied infants and how this small and tight band of tissue under the tongue can make feeding very challenging. Difficulties feeding as an infant can lead to airway problems, misaligned teeth, speech problems and more. I am fortunate to have access to an Erbium laser at KRDC that allows me to perform tongue and lip tie releases on infants with reduced pain, reduced bleeding, and more precision compared to traditional methods. Traditional methods include scissors, scalpels, and hot lasers.

 

We have treated several infants aging from 1 day old to 10 weeks and the results have been fantastic. Some mothers are experiencing extreme pain while feeding, some babies are unable to get enough milk and are not gaining weight. With our procedure, we often see significant improvement within one day. This makes our team incredibly proud to be a part of making life easier for both the parents and the infant.”

Lingual Frenectomy

• Lingual frenum – The vertical band of thin tissue that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. This often restricts the movement of tongue, a condition called “tongue-tied,” which impacts proper speech, swallowing and movement.

Labial Frenectomy

• Labial frenum – The connective webbing that attaches the lips to the gums, typically between the two front teeth on the top and bottom. It can alter the way teeth grow in and can affect your dental health if it pulls the gum away from a tooth exposing the root.