What problems arise with the frenulum of the upper lip in a child? Upper lip frenulum: treatment, norm, violation The child fell and tore the upper lip frenulum

In every person's mouth, there is a special bridge of mucous membrane on the inside of the upper lip called the frenulum. Its main function in babies is the ability to suck, and it also affects the formation of the speech apparatus. When a child begins to take his first steps on his own, he is often injured. This happens especially often with children under one year old. If you do not have time to protect yourself with your hands, you fall forward and hit your face, resulting in injuries of various kinds. The fact that a child has torn the frenulum on the upper lip is indicated by a number of symptoms that cannot be ignored. With such an injury, you need to consult a doctor as soon as possible to prevent negative consequences.

In total, there are three frenulums in the human mouth: 1 is sublingual, the other two connect the upper and lower lips with the oral cavity. They look like small skin formations that directly affect the anatomy of the smile, the formation of the bite, the speech apparatus, and in children they help to grasp the breast or pacifier during feeding.

Various pathologies of the frenulum negatively affect the development of the baby. He cannot eat normally, his speech and bite are not formed correctly. If a child's upper lip frenulum ruptures, it is important to seek help from a pediatric dentist, who will assess the condition of the injury and decide what to do next.

First aid

Providing first aid if an injury occurs will help the damaged tissues recover faster in the future. The very first thing parents should do before the ambulance arrives is to calm the child and calm down themselves. The very first symptom of a rupture or tear is the appearance of blood and pain. If you pull the lip a little, the damaged area is clearly visible. The algorithm for further actions is as follows:

  1. Wash your hands well with soap and running water. Carefully examine the baby's mouth to determine the location of the bleeding.
  2. To stop the bleeding, apply a cotton pad or napkin soaked in a solution of hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine or miramistin to the surface of the damaged area.
  3. When the antiseptic treatment is completed, it is necessary to rinse the child’s mouth with boiled water. Do not use tap water. This procedure will help prevent the introduction of microbes into the wound.
  4. Apply cold compresses to the outside of the lip for three to four minutes. To prevent hypothermia, wrap the ice in a clean towel.
  5. Carefully ensure that the baby does not touch his face with his hands to avoid infection. Wash your child's hands with soap.
  6. Be sure to contact your pediatric dentist.

Serious injury requires stitches. Further recommendations from the doctor will help damaged tissues recover faster.

Treatment of a rupture of the frenulum of the upper lip

In the hospital, the dentist performs an antiseptic treatment of the injured area. Next, he assesses the condition and complexity of the injury, and depending on these criteria, adequate treatment is selected:

  1. If the damage is minor, treatments are prescribed with antiseptic solutions - chlorhexidine, miramistin, chlorophyllipt. These drugs promote rapid tissue regeneration.
  2. If the damage is significant, the surgeon will apply sutures using special absorbable threads. The area is first numbed. The operation lasts no more than half an hour. After it, swelling usually lasts for about two days, which will go away on its own. To reduce its severity, apply cold compresses throughout the day.
  3. In order not to further injure the damaged area, you need to feed the baby pureed foods. Drinks and food should not be cold or hot.
  4. To neutralize the pain, the doctor prescribes ibuprofen or paracetamol.
  5. Additionally, x-rays of the jaw may be prescribed.
  6. To exclude infection, the doctor selects an antibacterial drug approved for a specific age.
  7. In many cases, physiotherapeutic procedures are also prescribed - quartz, ultrasound, with the help of which regeneration will occur faster and the risk of wound infection is reduced.

Possible consequences

Each person in the mouth has special bridges (cords) on the mucous membrane, which serve to attach the lips and tongue to the jaw bone. Various anomalies in the development of soft tissues of the oral cavity can cause not only the appearance of certain pathologies of the dental system, but also accidental injury to the oral mucosa. The most common injury is a rupture of the frenulum under the upper lip.

What is a bridle?

A properly formed dental system is the key to the normal development of sucking, swallowing and speech functions in a child. The frenulum is part of the skin connection between the upper lip and the gum. It looks like a thin triangular fold of the mucous membrane, which has a wide base on the mucous membrane of the lip and ends in the midline of the alveolar process at a height of 5-8 mm from the edge of the gums.

The soft tissues of the child's oral cavity are assessed by a pediatric dentist. The frenulum under the upper lip is examined visually, pulling it horizontally. In this case, the doctor focuses on the strength, thickness (width), length and place of attachment of the mucosal fold.

Abnormal frenulum in a child

Strong, short or wide cords of the lips are considered abnormal. Also a deviation from the norm is the attachment of a fold to the interdental papilla or its weaving into the intermaxillary suture.

Parents may suspect that their child has an upper lip due to the following signs:

  • difficulties arise while breastfeeding a newborn - the baby does not latch onto the nipple well, refuses to suck milk;
  • improper bite formation;
  • formation (gap) between the front incisors;
  • impaired articulation, difficulty pronouncing vowels;
  • development of inflammatory periodontal diseases ().

If a child has such symptoms, you should consult a pediatric dentist-surgeon. The doctor, based on the history and objective examination of the patient, will develop adequate treatment tactics.

First aid

If the frenulum of the upper lip develops abnormally, the child may accidentally injure it while brushing his teeth or while eating solid food. Also, damage to the cord can occur due to falls or blows to the face.

A sign of frenulum rupture is slight bleeding in the mucosa. Due to painful sensations, the child refuses to open his mouth and talk. When the lip is pulled horizontally, the place where the cord breaks is clearly visible.

This is what a torn frenulum looks like

The main condition when providing first aid to a victim is that parents should not panic, they should calmly carry out all the necessary manipulations. The anxiety of adults negatively affects the psycho-emotional state of the child, which makes it difficult to examine his oral cavity and treat the damaged area of ​​the mucous membrane.

If a child has torn the frenulum on the upper lip, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

  1. Wash your hands with soap and examine the child's mouth to determine where the blood is coming from. To do this, you need to carefully pull the upper lip horizontally.
  2. Stop the bleeding by applying a napkin moistened with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide to the injured area of ​​the mucous membrane. It should be remembered that upon contact with blood, this antiseptic provokes a rapid foaming process, accompanied by a characteristic hissing sound. You need to warn the child about this so that he does not get scared.
  3. After antiseptic treatment of the rupture site, rinse the child’s mouth with cold boiled water. Tap water cannot be used, since in this case the risk of introducing pathogenic microflora into the damaged mucosa increases.
  4. Apply cold outside to the upper lip for a few minutes - ice cubes wrapped in a napkin or a towel moistened with cold water. This will prevent bleeding from occurring again.
  5. Contact a dental clinic for a consultation with a pediatric dentist-surgeon.
  6. To prevent infection of the wound, make sure that the child does not touch the mucous membranes of the mouth with dirty fingers.

When cooling a damaged area of ​​the mucosa, time restrictions must be strictly observed. Ice is applied to the skin for no longer than 10 minutes to prevent frostbite.

Treatment of a rupture of the frenulum of the upper lip

When providing assistance to an injured child, the dentist first of all carries out antiseptic treatment of the damaged area of ​​the mucous membrane. Depending on the complexity of the injury, the doctor develops adequate treatment tactics.

  1. If there is minor damage to the mucous membrane, local use of antiseptics is prescribed to promote faster wound healing, for example, an oil solution of chlorophyllipt.
  2. In case of significant injuries to the oral mucosa, the dentist-surgeon places sutures at the site of the rupture with special biodegradable threads, which dissolve on their own over time. The procedure is carried out after preliminary local anesthesia - the doctor lubricates the gums with an anesthetic solution. The duration of the operation does not exceed 30 minutes. Swelling of the soft tissues surrounding the surgical field disappears within two days.

To relieve pain in a child at the site of rupture of the mucous cord, the dentist may prescribe painkillers (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol).

Sometimes, after a rupture of the frenulum on the upper lip, the dentist prescribes an X-ray examination for the child, which is necessary to make an accurate prognosis for the subsequent development of the dental system.

If any pathological changes are detected in the part of the jaw where the frenulum is located, the child is prescribed an in-depth examination.

This is due to the increased risk of injury to the buds of developing permanent teeth.

On various forums, most parents, sharing experiences, note that they did not seek medical help after they discovered a frenulum rupture in their child.

It should be remembered that leaving the healing of the injured mucous membrane to chance and neglecting a dental examination is unacceptable!

If the damaged area does not heal properly, the child may over time develop pathologies of the dental system and articulatory apparatus, which require longer and more complex treatment.

Video on the topic

Periodic dental examinations are extremely important for young children. The dentist makes sure that the child’s teeth erupt correctly and on time, and also monitors the appearance of any pathologies in the oral cavity. One of these pathologies can be considered a shortened frenulum in a child’s mouth, which due to its condition can be injured.

In the mouth there are several strands of mucous membrane, the so-called frenulum. There are three of them: tongue, upper and lower lips. The lingual frenulum connects the floor of the mouth to the tongue, and the rest connect the alveolar processes between the incisors and the upper or lower lip, respectively. Damage to any of them is a worthy reason to seek surgical help.

Consequences

There are many factors that can lead to a child's labral frenulum rupture. As a rule, this happens during brushing your teeth or eating.

Identify such an injury This can be due to slight bleeding in the mucous membrane and the child’s reluctance to open his mouth and talk so as not to cause pain.

Frenuloplasty is one of the methods along with frenulotomy and frenectomy

Rupture of the frenulum entails a number of possible negative consequences:

  1. If the frenulum of the upper lip is torn, it may cause a number of problems with eating. A breastfed baby will not be able to grasp the nipple tightly, which will affect the quality of his nutrition. This may cause a child to refuse breastfeeding in favor of a nipple, since it is much easier to consume milk with its help.
  2. If a child tears the frenulum on the upper lip before he learns to speak, this is may affect his diction and the quality of pronunciation of certain sounds, primarily vowels.
  3. At a more mature age, children with a damaged frenulum will begin to chew solid food less thoroughly, as this leads to painful sensations. Swallowing large pieces may cause severely damage their digestive system. If the gums are severely damaged as a result of injury, this can affect the condition of the dentition and create a noticeable gap between the front incisors.
  4. The main danger in such an injury is inflammatory processes. An open wound in the mouth, in a place previously difficult to reach due to a short frenulum, is open to many infections, which will increase the risk of inflammatory diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Frenulotomy is a fairly popular method of treating short frenulum.

What to do if a child tears the frenulum of the upper lip? Such injury requires mandatory surgical intervention in a dental clinic.

This operation is performed both with the help of a medical laser and with a scalpel using local anesthesia.

Using the available instruments, the frenulum is correctly dissected, dead tissue is removed, and the edges are sutured in such a way that it subsequently fuses with the mucous membrane and does not cause inconvenience.

For suturing, special biodegradable threads are used, which will resolve on their own.

The entire procedure takes no more than half an hour, and swelling of the tissue around the operation site lasts from 6 hours to a couple of days.

Under no circumstances should you try to heal a frenulum rupture on your own. Such an injury requires the intervention of a qualified surgeon and suturing.

At the age when children begin to walk independently and explore the world, injuries often happen to them. If, while falling, he does not have time to protect himself with his hands and hits his face, this leads to maxillofacial injuries. The mother will understand that the child has torn the frenulum on the upper lip by bleeding, his state of shock, and screaming.

Functions of the frenulum of the upper lip

There are 3 frenulums in the human mouth, one is located under the tongue, 2 connect the upper and lower lips with the oral cavity. These are small mucous formations that affect the anatomy of the smile, bite, pronunciation of sounds, and they help babies latch onto the breast. If a newborn has a short or thick frenulum of the upper lip, he cannot latch onto the nipple correctly and as a result will refuse breastfeeding in favor of bottle feeding. In this case, it is trimmed in the maternity hospital, eliminating the problem.

The bridge between the lips and palate influences the formation of the child’s bite. Due to its deformation or irregular structure, defects in the dentition occur: protrusion of the front incisors forward. Such a nuisance is likely in rare cases, if the baby has permanent teeth rather than baby teeth. The problem is severe and requires long-term, expensive orthodontic treatment.

A short frenulum during chewing and talking pulls back the gums, which exposes the neck of the front teeth, creating conditions for the development of caries, periodontal disease and other pathological processes, complicating oral hygiene. This defect is diagnosed and eliminated. The anatomical position of the bridge is characterized by its base at a level of 0.5-0.8 cm from the neck of the incisors; if it is localized below, observation and treatment are required to eliminate the possibility of it breaking.

Trimming is carried out only when the front incisors are erupting, so that the pressure from other permanent teeth naturally closes the diastema. A short bridge between them increases the likelihood of injury; it has happened that a child’s frenulum of the upper lip has torn due to excessive tension due to a blow.

First aid

The international classification of diseases ICD-10 classifies the short frenulum not as a disease, but as an anatomical feature of intrauterine development, and assigns code Q38.0 “Congenital anomalies of the lips.” A rupture of the child's upper lip frenulum requires parents to perform several assistance procedures before the ambulance arrives.

  1. Rinse the injury with cold or cool boiled water, and if possible, inspect where the tissue may have been torn.
  2. Stop the bleeding. Every home medicine cabinet contains a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, which can clog blood vessels and stop capillary bleeding. Soak a piece of bandage, a cotton pad or a cotton swab with peroxide and apply it to the damaged area. The child may be frightened by the rapid formation of foam; you should be patient, take him in your arms, and calm him down. Ice or frozen foods in the freezer will help cool the area of ​​the tear, stopping the bleeding. Apply ice wrapped in a clean cloth on the outside of your mouth to avoid cold burns. If the red border of the lips is torn, the wound should be treated with brilliant green after stopping the bleeding.
  3. If the injury is minor or there is no opportunity to visit a doctor, the mother treats the wound with antiseptic drugs (furatsilin solution or oil chlorophyllipt, miramistin spray) and monitors oral hygiene. Care consists of frequent hand washing if the baby has the habit of holding them in the mouth, toys, and careful brushing of teeth. It is necessary to make an appointment with a doctor for a professional examination.
  4. If the injury is serious, the child has torn the mucous membrane, torn it off on one side or the other, you need to contact a doctor as soon as possible. If a visit to a medical facility is postponed, the child will experience pain when chewing, swallowing, talking, or smiling, which will lead to wound infection, speech defects, facial deformities, an ugly smile, and problems with chewing. Such injuries are sutured to avoid the complications described above.

Methods for restoring the frenulum

If the frenulum of a child's upper lip is torn, in some cases, according to individual indications, the child requires its restoration to prevent unpleasant orthodontic problems. Surgical reconstruction of the gum and bridge is performed with the application of self-absorbing sutures. It is necessary to treat sutures and the incision area after surgery with antimicrobial drugs and hygiene procedures after each meal. The intervention is carried out under local anesthesia for half an hour, the swelling lasts up to 2 days, after this time there should be no discomfort from the injury, the mucous membranes of the mouth have the property of rapid regeneration.

Possible consequences

Often minor damage does not cause any unpleasant consequences. The same is true if the mucous membrane has been restored to its normal state. If medical correction has not been carried out, the tissues have grown together incorrectly, this can cause problems as a person grows and in his future adult life:

  • problems with pronouncing certain sounds, especially if the injury occurred before the baby first spoke;
  • susceptibility to infections of the oral cavity, if the tissues have grown together crookedly, there is no normal oral hygiene;
  • Gastrointestinal problems can occur due to the fact that children do not chew food well after gum injuries.

Kids are active and curious, they require the attention and responsible attitude of adults. Childhood injuries happen everywhere; the frenulum can tear even from excessive efforts when brushing teeth or a minor bruise; only the doctor decides whether to stitch it up or not. Many speech therapists do not see a connection between such damage and poor diction. Parents should not be afraid of a protruding lip after surgery. A child can even tear the mucous membrane several times; the main thing is not to panic and maintain a reasonable approach to the treatment and prevention of injury.

What to do if a child has torn the frenulum on the upper lip

Each person in the mouth has special bridges (cords) on the mucous membrane, which serve to attach the lips and tongue to the jaw bone. Various anomalies in the development of soft tissues of the oral cavity can cause not only the appearance of certain pathologies of the dental system, but also accidental injury to the oral mucosa. The most common injury is a rupture of the frenulum under the upper lip.

What is a bridle?

A properly formed dental system is the key to the normal development of sucking, swallowing and speech functions in a child. The frenulum is part of the skin connection between the upper lip and the gum. It looks like a thin triangular fold of the mucous membrane, which has a wide base on the mucous membrane of the lip and ends in the midline of the alveolar process at a height of 5-8 mm from the edge of the gums.

The soft tissues of the child's oral cavity are assessed by a pediatric dentist. The frenulum under the upper lip is examined visually, pulling it horizontally. In this case, the doctor focuses on the strength, thickness (width), length and place of attachment of the mucosal fold.

Strong, short or wide cords of the lips are considered abnormal. Also a deviation from the norm is the attachment of a fold to the interdental papilla or its weaving into the intermaxillary suture.

Parents may suspect that their child has abnormal development of the upper lip frenulum based on the following signs:

  • difficulties arise while breastfeeding a newborn - the baby does not latch onto the nipple well, refuses to suck milk;
  • improper bite formation;
  • formation of a diastema (gap) between the front incisors;
  • impaired articulation, difficulty pronouncing vowels;
  • development of inflammatory periodontal diseases (gingivitis).

First aid

If the frenulum of the upper lip develops abnormally, the child may accidentally injure it while brushing his teeth or while eating solid food. Also, damage to the cord can occur due to falls or blows to the face.

A sign of frenulum rupture is slight bleeding in the mucosa. Due to painful sensations, the child refuses to open his mouth and talk. When the lip is pulled horizontally, the place where the cord breaks is clearly visible.

The main condition when providing first aid to a victim is that parents should not panic, they should calmly carry out all the necessary manipulations. The anxiety of adults negatively affects the psycho-emotional state of the child, which makes it difficult to examine his oral cavity and treat the damaged area of ​​the mucous membrane.

If a child has torn the frenulum on the upper lip, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

  1. Wash your hands with soap and examine the child's mouth to determine where the blood is coming from. To do this, you need to carefully pull the upper lip horizontally.
  2. Stop the bleeding by applying a napkin moistened with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide to the injured area of ​​the mucous membrane. It should be remembered that upon contact with blood, this antiseptic provokes a rapid foaming process, accompanied by a characteristic hissing sound. You need to warn the child about this so that he does not get scared.
  3. After antiseptic treatment of the rupture site, rinse the child’s mouth with cold boiled water. Tap water cannot be used, since in this case the risk of introducing pathogenic microflora into the damaged mucosa increases.
  4. Apply cold outside to the upper lip for a few minutes - ice cubes wrapped in a napkin or a towel moistened with cold water. This will prevent bleeding from occurring again.
  5. Contact a dental clinic for a consultation with a pediatric dentist-surgeon.
  6. To prevent infection of the wound, make sure that the child does not touch the mucous membranes of the mouth with dirty fingers.

Treatment of a rupture of the frenulum of the upper lip

When providing assistance to an injured child, the dentist first of all carries out antiseptic treatment of the damaged area of ​​the mucous membrane. Depending on the complexity of the injury, the doctor develops adequate treatment tactics.

  1. If there is minor damage to the mucous membrane, local use of antiseptics is prescribed to promote faster wound healing, for example, an oil solution of chlorophyllipt.
  2. In case of significant injuries to the oral mucosa, the dentist-surgeon places sutures at the site of the rupture with special biodegradable threads, which dissolve on their own over time. The procedure is carried out after preliminary local anesthesia - the doctor lubricates the gums with an anesthetic solution. The duration of the operation does not exceed 30 minutes. Swelling of the soft tissues surrounding the surgical field disappears within two days.

To relieve pain in a child at the site of rupture of the mucous cord, the dentist may prescribe painkillers (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol).

Sometimes, after a rupture of the frenulum on the upper lip, the dentist prescribes an X-ray examination for the child, which is necessary to make an accurate prognosis for the subsequent development of the dental system.

If any pathological changes are detected in the part of the jaw where the frenulum is located, the child is prescribed an in-depth examination.

This is due to the increased risk of injury to the buds of developing permanent teeth.

On various forums, most parents, sharing experiences, note that they did not seek medical help after they discovered a frenulum rupture in their child.

If the damaged area does not heal properly, the child may over time develop pathologies of the dental system and articulatory apparatus, which require longer and more complex treatment.

Periodic dental examinations are extremely important for young children. The dentist makes sure that the child’s teeth erupt correctly and on time, and also monitors the appearance of any pathologies in the oral cavity. One of these pathologies can be considered a shortened frenulum in a child’s mouth, which due to its condition can be injured.

In the mouth there are several strands of mucous membrane, the so-called frenulum. There are three of them: tongue, upper and lower lips. The lingual frenulum connects the floor of the mouth to the tongue, and the rest connect the alveolar processes between the incisors and the upper or lower lip, respectively. Damage to any of them is a worthy reason to seek surgical help.

Consequences

There are many factors that can lead to a child's labral frenulum rupture. As a rule, this happens during brushing your teeth or eating.

Identify such an injury This can be due to slight bleeding in the mucous membrane and the child’s reluctance to open his mouth and talk so as not to cause pain.

Rupture of the frenulum entails a number of possible negative consequences:

  1. If the frenulum of the upper lip is torn, it may cause a number of problems with eating. A breastfed baby will not be able to grasp the nipple tightly, which will affect the quality of his nutrition. This may cause a child to refuse breastfeeding in favor of a nipple, since it is much easier to consume milk with its help.
  2. If a child tears the frenulum on the upper lip before he learns to speak, this is may affect his diction and the quality of pronunciation of certain sounds, primarily vowels.
  3. At a more mature age, children with a damaged frenulum will begin to chew solid food less thoroughly, as this leads to painful sensations. Swallowing large pieces may cause severely damage their digestive system. If the gums are severely damaged as a result of injury, this can affect the condition of the dentition and create a noticeable gap between the front incisors.
  4. The main danger in such an injury is inflammatory processes. An open wound in the mouth, in a place previously difficult to reach due to a short frenulum, is open to many infections, which will increase the risk of such inflammatory diseases as and.

Frenulotomy is a fairly popular method of treating short frenulum.

Treatment

What to do if a child tears the frenulum of the upper lip? Such injury requires mandatory surgical intervention in a dental clinic.

This operation is performed both with the help of a medical laser and with a scalpel using local anesthesia.

Using the available tools, dead tissue is correctly removed, and the edges are sutured in such a way that they subsequently fuse with the mucous membrane and do not cause inconvenience.

For suturing, special biodegradable threads are used, which will resolve on their own.

The entire procedure takes no more than half an hour, and swelling of the tissue around the operation site lasts from 6 hours to a couple of days.

Under no circumstances should you try to heal a frenulum rupture on your own. Such an injury requires the intervention of a qualified surgeon and suturing.

A beautiful smile and clear pronunciation of sounds depend on the position and length of the frenulum in the oral cavity. Abnormalities of the folds between the gums and lips are common: the cord is too short, wide or narrow, making communication difficult and causing numerous oral health problems. In childhood, the frenulum is cut or its congenital position is changed - this is a simple operation with a minimal period of tissue restoration.

Why cut a child's frenulum? Its too small size causes difficulties with sucking in infants, and in older children - problems with the location of the permanent incisors and pronunciation of sounds. A small anomaly can serve as the beginning of the development of early caries, the appearance of gingivitis, and exposure of the necks of teeth. For this reason, plastic surgery of the upper lip frenulum is prescribed in infancy or preschool age.

When is trimming the frenulum of the upper or lower lip indicated?

Is it necessary to correct the frenulum of the upper (lower) lip in a child? If conservative therapy is ineffective, the doctor prescribes surgery. If you refuse it, diseases of the gums and teeth may occur, an uncomfortable bite may form for the baby, and speech defects may appear. Plastic surgery of the frenulum on the upper lip is prescribed for the following problems:

  • the fold is too thick or short;
  • inability to breastfeed;
  • periodontitis;
  • formation of a gap between teeth (diastema);
  • presence of speech defects;
  • preparation for orthodontic treatment.

Trimming the lower frenulum in children is carried out if it is too wide, short, incorrectly placed, or there are two folds instead of one. The defect can lead to caries of baby teeth, the formation of gum pockets, and inflammation (we recommend reading:). In babies, this area of ​​the mouth sometimes hurts, causing discomfort. Most often, the frenulum of the lower lip is trimmed with a laser. In adults, surgery is indicated for certain diseases of the oral cavity and before installing dentures, if there is a risk that the fold will cause the structure to collapse.

It happens that parents missed a developmental anomaly, and adult patients turn to a specialist for correction. Plastic surgery of the upper labial frenulum is performed at any age - the operation is performed quickly, under local anesthesia and is easily tolerated by the person.

Reasons for the formation of a short or too long frenulum

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This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

The frenulum of the upper lip is a soft and elastic fold that can be found when the lip is pulled back (located vertically, coming from the gum). The bridle at the bottom is located similarly. Normally, it is almost invisible, located in the middle of the dentition 5-8 mm above (below) the neck of the teeth. When properly sized, this fold does not cause problems with articulation, eating, or imperfections in the facial area around the mouth. Photos will allow you to independently identify the presence of pathology and contact a dentist.


In general, the causes of fold development anomalies are not fully understood. In almost 50% of cases, a short, deformed or wide frenulum is inherited from one of the parents (we recommend reading:). Other cases are associated with harmful effects on the fetus in the 1st trimester of pregnancy:

  • severe toxicosis;
  • taking antibiotics;
  • viral diseases;
  • the effect of varnish, paint and other chemicals.

Optimal age for the procedure

The best time to excise the frenulum on the lower lip and above is infancy. In a 2.5-6 month old baby, this area of ​​the mucous membrane does not yet have formed nerve endings and a strong blood supply.

The operation is carried out quickly - it is convenient for the doctor and painless for the little one. If time is lost, plastic surgery of the frenulum of the lower lip is performed at 7-9 years, and the upper lip at 6-8 years, when the formation and eruption of permanent incisors occurs.

The main reason why upper lip correction is performed is to prevent periodontal disease. Deformations are the basis for the development of gingivitis, periodontitis, increased sensitivity of the enamel; food debris accumulates in the gum pockets, provoking the proliferation of pathogenic microbes. This can lead to rapid tooth loss.

Types of frenuloplasty

The fold can be modified in two ways: it is partially removed or it is cut open for suturing and subsequent fusion in the correct position. Its rupture can occur spontaneously when falling or chewing hard food, which is quite painful. Therefore, it is better to consult a doctor in time to diagnose and identify the need for surgical intervention. The method of eliminating the problem is chosen depending on the severity of the pathology. Before surgery, the patient undergoes a general urine and blood test, a coagulogram and fluorography.

Laser plastic surgery

Recently, plastic surgery of the upper lip frenulum using a laser has become increasingly popular. The procedure takes 3-5 minutes, and the child will not be hurt because an anesthetic gel is used. A laser device is directed onto the tissue, generating a powerful light beam. The mucous membrane “dissolves”, and the edges of the wound are sterilized and sealed using the device. The videos will help you learn more about the laser excision method and get ready for the procedure. The laser frenuloplasty method has many advantages:

  • absence of sounds that frighten the baby;
  • no need for stitches;
  • short rehabilitation period;
  • minimal inflammation;
  • bloodlessness;
  • eliminating the possibility of infection.

With laser surgery, there is virtually no chance of experiencing pain or getting a post-operative scar. This method is most often used to perform plastic surgery of the lower lip frenulum. In some cases, doctors are inclined to carry out intervention using traditional methods, since the laser beam is not able to cope with anomalies.

Frenuloplasty methods

One of the proven methods of upper and lower lip plastic surgery is frenuloplasty. It is indicated when the fold is narrow and does not reach the alveoli. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia using surgical instruments. There are 2 ways to do it:

The specialist moves the fold between the lip and gum to the desired location, and sutures are applied using catgut. During this operation, a bed must be formed, since simply stitching the tissues together will weaken the tension, but will not solve the main problem. Most often, plastic surgery of the upper lip frenulum is used before installing orthopedic structures or braces.

Frenectomy

Removal of the frenulum is indicated if it is too wide. Large amounts of plaque constantly accumulate on the teeth, which can lead to serious dental diseases. An incision is made along the ridge of the mucosa, after which the surgeon removes the interdental papilla and the tissue that is located at the roots of the incisors in the center. Often, plastic surgery of the upper lip frenulum using the frenectomy method is performed when a child accidentally damages the oral cavity due to a fall. Then stitches are applied or the fold is completely excised.

Any correction is carried out using gel or infiltration anesthesia. For pain relief, Ultracain D-S forte is used, which contains epinephrine. The patient will not feel anything other than slight pressure.