Manuel Castillo, DDS
Board Certified Pediatric Dentist

Our Services

Tongue and Lip Tie

 

Pediatric Tongue and Lip Tie in San Antonio

Sometimes patients present a tight frenum, or fold of tissue that restricts motion of the lip and/or tongue.
These ties can cause difficulty with:

  • breastfeeding,
  • bottle-feeding,
  • swallowing,
  • breathing,
  • dental decay,
  • spacing of the front teeth,
  • speech impediments, and
  • digestive issues.

 

To gain complete range of motion of the tongue and release the lip, a frenectomy (also called frenotomy) is recommended. This surgery is a common dental procedure that can be performed either with a scalpel or a laser. The advantages of using the laser method are:

  • It vaporizes the tissue with almost no bleeding
  • It sterilizes at touch, reducing the risk of infection
  • It requires no stitches
  • It minimizes post-operative discomfort
  • It promotes faster recovery
  • The whole procedure takes just minutes

At Happy Pediatric Dentistry, we make sure that frenectomy procedures are a success by providing a post-op protocol and training the parents to follow up with kid-friendly stretching exercises to prevent re-attachment. These exercises are pleasant for the child/baby and should be started before the procedure is preformed.

THE MORE YOU KNOW
How can I care for my child’s Teeth?

A pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste can be used after the child is old enough not to swallow it. By age 6 or 7, children should be able to brush and floss their own teeth twice a day with supervision until about age 8 or 9 to make sure they are doing a thorough job.