Q: My son has three frenulums on his upper gum. One in the middle attached between his front teeth, and one on each side of his upper gums. When he was four months old, the frenulum under his tongue was clipped, but I never noticed these other ones before. Are they normal?
A: Frenums are normal anatomical structures. They become a problem when they pull on gum tissue causing what we Periodontists/ Dentists call muco-gingival defects. This could lead to gum recession. Sometimes these frenums need to be “clipped” as you have mentioned. Many times these tissue structures prevent teeth from erupting. An experienced Periodontist could take a look and guide you through the process. I highly recommend a Laser trained Periodontist if anything needs to be done.
Q: Thank you for the heads up. When we got his frenulum under his tongue clipped it was with scissors. What is the advantage of the Laser?
A: Quicker, faster healing, no bleeding, minimal post-operative discomfort…we have been using the laser for this and many other procedures for eight years and are teaching this technique to our post graduate residents in Periodontology at Columbia University School of Dental Medicine and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.
