Dental Reccommendation: Cut skin between gum/lip

[perkinsrose]

Dentist Reccomendation: Cut skin between gum/lip???

I'm comfortable with this dental practice--they are good with kids, seem to do good work, most up to date technology in office, etc.

Last dentist apt., Dentist said DD may need stretch of skin between lip and gum-cut. If it doesn't get cut by accident (fall, hit with ball, etc) by age 8, it may continue to enlarge space between 2 front teeth. Dentist made it sound very quick/easy with little to no recover time. Not looking forward to it but she does have a space between teeth right now and has not lost top baby teeth yet. I think the skin is called "*****l fold"

Has anyone had this done or know someone who went through it?


(I guess the medical term can be misinterpretted as something in another part of the body!--hence the site-editing with astericks)

 

[XYSRUS]

That's funny you mention this. I am 40 yo and at my last dental visit the hygienist mentioned this to me. I never knew it was a common anomaly in the mouth. FWIW I still have it my mouth-no problems. I maybe would take a wait and see approach or get another opinion.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

I used to be a nanny for a dentist. One day our daughters accidentally ran into each other face to face and his daughters *---Fold* (lol I don't know the name) was ripped in the process. I felt awful! He didn't mind at all and even commented that this meant that he wouldn't have to cut it later. I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me this is a very common procedure to have done although I had never heard about it before.

I will tell you that the day it happened her mouth bled a lot! Even that night when she slept there was a little blood circle on her pillow where she laid. The next day it looked fine and didn't bleed anymore. She acted like it had never happened. The mouth heals very fast! So if you do have it done don't worry if it bleeds a lot at first.

 

[bzzymom]

Yes, the procedure is called a frenectomy. I used to work for oral surgeons and we did them a lot. It is simple, they numb the area, first, of couse. It will bleed for a little while, no straws at first, and I wouldn't give them anything acidic or salty until it heals. Yes, we have had kids in that have done it too themselves by accident.

 

[WeLuvWDWx5]

My 12 DD had a frenectomy several years ago. She had braces to correct several issues (one being a gap between her two front teeth), and when they removed the braces, my orthodontist advised us to have this procedure, or the extra skin would push her two front teeth apart again. The specialist who performed the procedure actually indicated that she was one of the bravest patients he had ever had, and during our return check-up appointment asked her to go talk to a 16 yr old patient in his office that was refusing to allow them to perform the procedure.

They did numb the area prior to the procedure, so the procedure itself wasn't too awful. They placed gauze up in the area for awhile to stem the bleeding. It wasn't fun for a few days, however, she was a trooper and we got through it. It was certainly worth the experience to see her beautiful smile these days

 

[kids1617]

This is great info...my DD2 1/2 has this and the pedi-dentist told me they don't try to cut it until after her baby teeth fall out and new teeth come in. He said if its cut too soon then scar tissue will form and possibly make the gap worse when her perm. teeth come in...now reading this thread I'm happy to read about other people's experience w/ this.

 

[browneyedmom]

I also work with a pediatric dentist. I would wait until it is an orthodontic issue (after her permanent teeth erupt). Space between baby teeth is actually a good thing as this allows more room for the larger permanent teeth to erupt.

 

[juligrl]

Dentist Reccomendation: Cut skin between gum/lip???

I'm comfortable with this dental practice--they are good with kids, seem to do good work, most up to date technology in office, etc.

Last dentist apt., Dentist said DD may need stretch of skin between lip and gum-cut. If it doesn't get cut by accident (fall, hit with ball, etc) by age 8, it may continue to enlarge space between 2 front teeth. Dentist made it sound very quick/easy with little to no recover time. Not looking forward to it but she does have a space between teeth right now and has not lost top baby teeth yet. I think the skin is called "*****l fold"

Has anyone had this done or know someone who went through it?


(I guess the medical term can be misinterpretted as something in another part of the body!--hence the site-editing with astericks)

When I was a kid I had a gap between my two front teeth big enough to spit watermelon seeds through. In Jr. High, right before I got braces, I had a frenectomy done (that's where they cut that little skin). When I got my braces my two front teeth were then free to move together - no more gap.