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Ropelike band of tissue
- An oral frenum is a ropelike band of tissue, usually about the same color as your gums. Frenums vary in size — some thin, some thick. They can also be short or long, depending on the person. Frenums contain elements that make them small but mighty:
my.clevelandclinic.org › health › body
Dec 12, 2023 · There are two types of oral frenums: Tongue (lingual) frenulum: This thin band of tissue connects your tongue to the floor of your mouth. If you open your mouth and lift your tongue, you can see your lingual frenulum. Lip (labial) frenulum: This piece of tissue connects your lips to your gums.
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How many types of oral frenulum are there?
What is an oral frenum?
What is the lingual frenulum?
What is a lip frenulum?
- Overview
- Types of frenum
- Conditions associated with frenum abnormalities
- What is a frenectomy?
- What to expect during a frenectomy
- The bottom line
A frenum or frenulum is a piece of soft tissue that runs in a thin line between the lips and gums. Sometimes, it can become injured while eating, wearing braces, or other activities.
It’s present on the top and bottom of the mouth.
There’s also a frenum that stretches along the underside of the tongue and connects to the bottom of the mouth behind the teeth. The frenum can vary in thickness and length among different people.
Sometimes a frenum can get pulled or snagged when eating, kissing, having oral sex, or wearing oral appliances such as braces. While this injury may bleed a lot, usually there’s no need for stitching or medical treatment.
However, some experts recommend screening a person with a torn frenum for signs of physical or sexual abuse, as it can sometimes be a sign of abuse.
If one or more of a person’s frenums get in the way of normal use of the mouth or tears repeatedly, an oral surgeon or your dentist may recommend surgical removal. This type of surgery is called a frenectomy.
Lingual frenum
This type of frenum connects the base of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. If this frenum is tight, it is called tongue tie. When this happens, it affects the way the tongue moves in the mouth and can make if difficult for a baby to nurse efficiently.
Labial frenum
This type of frenum is located in the front of the mouth, between the upper lip and the upper gum and between the lower lip and the lower gum. If there is a problem with these, 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.
The purpose of a frenum is to give the upper lip, lower lip, and tongue more stability in the mouth. When a frenum grows abnormally, it can cause cascading development issues within the mouth.
Some conditions a person may experience if there’s a problem with a frenum include:
•developmental abnormalities in the mouth
•discomfort while swallowing
•disruption of normal development of the upper two front teeth, causing a gap
•frenum tear
A frenectomy is surgery to remove a frenum. It’s designed to reverse any of the undesirable effects of a frenum that does not develop properly. This usually means reducing a frenum that is very long or too tight.
Frenectomies are usually only recommended if a person’s frenum gets in the way of normal use and development of the mouth, or if it tears repeatedly.
Frenectomies are commonly performed in children who cannot properly speak or breastfeed due to an abnormal frenum.
If you or your child has a severe frenum abnormality, more intensive oral surgery is usually recommended. Talk to your doctor to learn about your options.
Frenectomies are usually short surgeries performed in an oral surgeon’s office under localized anesthesia. The recovery is quick, generally taking a few days.
The procedure may be performed using a scalpel, via electrosurgery, or with lasers depending on the extent of the surgery and its purpose.
Your oral surgeon will either numb the area or, if the frenectomy is more extensive or the patient is a very young child, general anesthesia may be used. During general anesthesia, a person is unconscious and does not feel pain.
Your oral surgeon will then remove a small portion of the frenum and close the wound if necessary. You may have stitches.
Everyone has frenums in their mouths, but the shape and size of frenums vary widely across people. Because frenums are semi-loose bits of tissue in the mouth, many people experience frenum tears once in a while. These are usually not causes for concern.
In some cases, a person may develop a frenum that’s too long or has an abnormal shape. Severe frenum abnormalities may get in the way of using the mouth. They may even be signs of a serious health condition.
What Is a Frenum (frenulum)? In our mouth, most people have two groups of tissue called frenums found in and around the gums and teeth. It is a piece of really soft tissue that appears as a thin line between the gums and lips.
Sep 4, 2019 · The lingual frenulum is a fold of tissue that helps to anchor and stabilize your tongue. A variety of conditions can affect the lingual frenulum, including abnormal...
Jun 23, 2017 · Frenulum Definition. A frenulum is a small ridge or fold of skin that helps to anchor a semi-mobile body part. In the human body, frenulums are found on the penis, under the tongue, inside the lips, as part of the female genitalia, and internally in the brain and digestive tract. An oral frenulum, the , is pictured below.
The frenulum (or frenum) of the tongue, tongue web, lingual frenulum, frenulum linguae, or fraenulum is a small fold of mucous membrane extending from the floor of the mouth to the midline of the underside of the human tongue.
Sep 6, 2023 · Lip frenulum (lip tie) is when the tissue attaching your lip and gums is too tight, causing movement problems. Learn about the causes, symptoms of lip tie, and more.
