A lingual frenectomy (also known as a tongue-tie release) is the removal of a band of tissue (the
lingual frenulum) connecting the underside of the tongue with the floor of the mouth. A lingual frenectomy is performed to correct
ankyloglossia (tongue-tie).
The removal of the lingual frenulum under the tongue can be accomplished with either
frenectomy or
frenuloplasty. This is used to treat a
tongue-tied patient. The difference in tongue length is generally a few millimeters and it may actually shorten the tongue, depending on the procedure and aftercare.
Results of lingual frenectomia via
laser surgery
Laser surgery is a type of surgery that uses a laser (in contrast to using a scalpel) to cut tissue.
Examples include the use of a laser scalpel in otherwise conventional surgery, and soft-tissue laser surgery, in which the laser beam vapor ...
have been thought to be superior to those of traditional cold steel methods, however, minimal evidence exists. The skill of the provider is most important in the success of this procedure. It is unknown if laser frenectomy results in a lower risk of relapse (i.e. adhesion).
Domenico Maceri
Domenico Maceri is an Italian-American educator and journalist. He retired after teaching for thirty-five years at Allan Hancock College but continues his work as a journalist, writing a weekly column in Italian for America Oggi.
Early life and ed ...
, a professor at
Allan Hancock College, claims that some
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
n parents have their children undergo frenectomy "which lengthens the tongue by about one millimeter" in the belief they will pronounce
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
better.
Critics regard the surgery as unnecessary, as Koreans born in the United States have no trouble distinctly pronouncing /r/ and /l/.
Notes
{{Operations and other procedures on the nose, mouth, and pharynx
Surgical removal procedures
Tongue surgery