A child's correct speech and acceptable appearance depend on the development of an inconspicuous growth, such as the frenulum of the upper lip, located in the gum area. The future bite of the child depends on it.
Developmental pathology can affect breastfeeding, cause inflammation of the mother's nipples. The future he alth of the child depends on the correct establishment of the cause of its appearance. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to identify problems on your own, often a defect is discovered much later.
Problems in the development of the oral cavity
The main inconvenience is the short frenulum of the upper lip in a child, when the fastening is below 5-7 mm of the upper part of the incisors. The diagnosis is made if the junction cannot be determined.
The following undesirable aspects are distinguished, which are formed when the bridle develops incorrectly:
- Causes problems for mothers of newborn babies.
- The shape of the bite is broken.
- Gap between upper incisors may increase over time.
- Gum troubles: pocketing and mucosal inflammation.
- Some children have speech defects.
Misaligned teeth will have to be corrected by a dentist. The surgeon will perform tissue surgery to trim the frenulum of the upper lip in children. A constantly open mouth will lead to the entry of harmful microbes, which will reduce the protective function of the body. The nasal mucosa does not cope with cleaning the air entering the lungs by 100%, but much more bacteria penetrate through the mouth.
Diagnosis of a pathological condition
The problem of violations in the development of connective tissue is established with the help of an external examination of the patient. A broken bite indicates a problem. How is displacement generated?
When the milk teeth have already fallen out and new, permanent ones have grown, the frenulum of the upper lip of the child pulls the upper jaw along with it during its intensive work when eating. Constant pressure gradually affects the soft tissues, the bridge between the gum and the lip is stretched. In most children, the condition normalizes with age, but the percentage of defective cases still exists.
What are the consequences of pathology?
Discomfort sometimes results in oral diseases such as:
- periodontitis;
- gingivitis;
- gum loss.
Gingivitis, in turn, can cause exposure of the neck of the tooth. Gum loss provokes the development of other tooth diseases: bleeding, inflammation of the tissues around the tooth, or leads to its final loss. External defects appear when smiling: plaque forms on the cervicalspace, suppuration, visible roots. Inflammatory processes affect the gum itself. The formation of a so-called pocket leads to loosening of the tooth.
A short frenulum of the upper lip turns into an unpleasant symptom - increased sensitivity of the teeth. Taking hot tea or cold milk is accompanied by pain.
Pathology in the development of the lips leads the child to a speech therapist, because there are problems in the pronunciation of certain sounds. The frenulum interferes with the free movement of the tongue, stretching when trying to make a guttural tone.
How is the pathology of the lower mouth different?
By analogy with the upper part, the lower part is also formed in a mirror image. All of the listed pathologies that form the frenulum of the upper lip occur in this case as well.
An important place is occupied by the process of developing the nipple during breastfeeding in women. Cutting the frenulum of the upper lip in children is carried out even in the hospital. If a pathology has arisen, a proper vacuum will not form between the mother's mouth and nipple. This will lead to pain and the complete refusal of the child from milk.
With developmental disorders, the lower incisors suffer, the gums become exposed, the gaps between the teeth increase, and carious conditions appear. If the upper lip takes on the appearance of a hare, then the lower one becomes like a donkey.
Comparison with animals will clearly tell parents that they need to visit a surgeon and perform plastic surgery - cutting. In addition to the listed defects of the mouth, there are cases of violation of the lengthfrenulums of the tongue. There are significant problems in the pronunciation of all sounds, his movement is limited.
Here is an image showing the frenulum of the upper lip. The photo below illustrates the problem area and cosmetic defect in the development of pathology. Sometimes it is necessary to trim it during dental treatment at the dentist.
How to remove the defect?
A short frenulum of the upper lip in a child is subject to correction in an operative way. Tissue plasty is a painless operation and takes little time. It has age restrictions: the child must be at least 7 years old. Milk teeth should have time to fall out and grow new, permanent ones.
The exception is when the mother suffers inconvenience while breastfeeding - then the operation is performed in the maternity hospital. In other cases, natural correction of the frenulum with age is possible.
Doctors choose the moment for the incision during the beginning of the growth of molars. In the process of bite formation, the gap between adjacent incisors is closed.
Treatments are applicable for conditions where upper and lower lip frenulum interferes, as well as to correct problems in the free movement of the tongue.
Editing pathology in the clinic
There are three types of frenulum length correction: undercut with a scalpel or laser, excision and rupture. The latter occurs randomly during the active activities of the child. The disadvantage is the uneven formation of the seam. The growth may also be displaced and interfere with normal mouth function.
Thiscondition cannot be ignored. First of all, the place of rupture is treated with a solution of a disinfectant. After that, you should visit the surgeon and trim the gaps - he will put even stitches.
Additional diagnostics of the child's jaw may be required if the frenulum of the upper lip is torn due to trauma. The picture will clearly show whether the teeth are damaged.
In professional medicine, other names for operations on the frenulum are used: frenuloplasty - surgical displacement of the frenulum, frenotomy is defined as incision and frenectomy means excision.
Correction by operation
Before the incision is made, the patient is examined by an orthodontist, a surgeon and a speech therapist. The dentist makes a less significant contribution to the formation of the direction for the surgical method of treating the frenulum. The restriction is imposed on the period until all 4 upper incisors have erupted.
When working with a scalpel, local anesthesia is performed. After the operation, a barely visible suture may remain, which dissolves within a month. The frenulum of the upper lip is significantly injured with this method. There may be slight swelling from anesthesia.
How is the operation performed?
If the frenulum of the upper lip is wide enough for a longitudinal incision with a scalpel, then a dissection is performed along. The surgeon applies stitches perpendicular to the line of motion of the knife.
Cut across if the child has a narrow lip frenulum. The upper jaw is given a normal appearance by releasing the facialparts. The tissues between the teeth are removed with a scalpel by excision.
Gap between teeth can be closed with dental methods. After the operation, the bite is corrected by installing braces for a long time. Another way is to close the canal with veneers - this is a filling made of ceramic or white composite materials.
Correction of the defect with the device
Recently, the frenulum of the upper lip has been corrected with a laser. This method has a huge advantage over cutting with a scalpel or knife. As a local anesthesia, a special gel is used, applied directly to the cut site.
Unlike the surgical method, no suture is required - the wound is cauterized and immediately takes on a normal appearance. The process is similar to the process of soldering polymer materials.
The seam is formed instantly, the whole procedure takes no more than 15 minutes. Accordingly, the recovery period is reduced three times.
If the operation is performed on a small child, then after visiting the clinic, you should immediately start feeding. It is required to develop a bridle every day until complete recovery.
Comparing fixes
The scalpel cuts through the skin, damaging the blood vessels. Bleeding is formed, inflammatory processes are possible during the recovery period. The frenulum of the lower lip heals for a long time, saliva, drinking liquid and food constantly accumulate there.
An adult can stick to a diet and once again not irritate the receptors with delicious food, butWhat to do if the operation is performed on infants? A medical device to correct the frenulum - a laser - comes to the rescue.
An experienced specialist performs the procedure in a dental clinic. A hospital is not required for this method. Let's highlight the main advantages of laser surgery over the usual surgical method:
- speed, economy, safety;
- no noticeable seam;
- painless;
- no swelling at all as there is no bleeding;
- by cauterizing the wound, the laser disinfects the incision site, reducing the risk of inflammatory processes;
- the method is preferred for small children, the child is just about to scream, and the operation has already ended.
To correct the bridle in an operative way costs within several thousand rubles. The price for the elimination of a defect by the device varies within 10 thousand. Most people with a lip defect choose the last method of getting rid of the frenulum.
Preparation before surgery
To undergo a procedure for correcting the frenulum of the upper lip, visit a speech therapist and orthopedist for a consultation. It is recommended that the infant be fed prior to the procedure to avoid problems during the operation.
Special preparation for surgery is not required. The whole process is tissue safe. The only recommendation is to keep your mouth clean before going to the doctor.
