{"id":96,"date":"2022-11-25T15:23:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T15:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lehighvalleylipandtonguetie.com\/blog\/?p=96"},"modified":"2022-12-09T20:00:39","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T20:00:39","slug":"frenectomy-vs-frenotomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lehighvalleylipandtonguetie.com\/blog\/2022\/11\/25\/frenectomy-vs-frenotomy\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Difference Between a Frenectomy & Frenotomy?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Over the last decade, lip and tongue-tie diagnoses have drastically increased due to more parents being educated about why their child may be experiencing difficulty breastfeeding, digestive issues, or speech impairments. While this is definitely a \u201cwin\u201d for modern technology and parents everywhere, it\u2019s important to know that there are multiple treatment options depending on your child\u2019s unique situation. Read on to learn the difference between a frenectomy and frenotomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What are Lip & Tongue-Ties?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lip and tongue-ties are congenital conditions that can impair a child’s ability to move their lips and tongue. The frenulum is a small piece of tissue that connects their lips to their gums and their tongue to the floor of the mouth, and when it\u2019s overgrown, too thick, or too long, it can affect your little one\u2019s day-to-day function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lip & Tongue-Tie Treatments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, lip and tongue-tie treatments have been around since the 18th<\/sup> century. The main difference is that today, they\u2019re faster, less invasive, and more comfortable for children thanks to advancements in modern technology, like the invention of the soft tissue laser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frenectomy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A frenectomy is when your child\u2019s dentist will completely remove the frenulum from your child\u2019s lips and\/or tongue. This will free up the movement of their mouth to allow them to better breastfeed, chew, and digest their food. Frenectomies don\u2019t require anesthesia and are quick treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frenotomy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A frenotomy is specific to a tongue-tie and involves their dentist trimming their frenulum and repositioning it to allow them greater control of their mouth. The procedure is fast and doesn\u2019t require any anesthesia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can You Tell if Your Child Has a Lip or Tongue-Tie?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several overarching symptoms that can alert you to whether your child has a lip or tongue-tie, or both. Some of these include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n