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General health

8 mth Dd's top lip "fused" to her gums

20 replies

mcmudda · 20/02/2006 19:44

I'm not sure if it's related to her tongue tie. Where most people have strand of flesh (frenulum?) under the top lip (you can feel it in your own mouth if you run your tongue up and over your top teeth IYSWIM); dd's is attached to her top lip, so her actual lip seems to be fused to her top gums. Now her 4 top teeth are coming through, it looks like they're actually going to come through her lip.

Dentist says the only problem she can see is that part of her gum may cover her teeth, but I'm worried it might be more serious than that in terms of her final appearance and pain during teething. Will post a photo if I can find one that shows this.

Anyone have a clue what I'm talking about? Does this have a name?

OP posts:

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tegan · 20/02/2006 20:05

I had exactly the same thing when i was a baby.
Apparently I had to have an operation to have the piece of skin that attaches you're lip to you're gum cut so when it healed it would make a bigger gap.
I'm fine and have never had any problems from it.

mcmudda · 20/02/2006 20:06

That's what I was wondering about. Do you know what age you were when you had the op tegan?

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mcmudda · 20/02/2006 20:16

Here's a photo of her at 5 months:

Gums!

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2Happy · 20/02/2006 20:54

Hiya mcmudda
Don't know about upper gums, but maybe it works the same way as tongue ties - in that maybe that piece of attaching gum can be snipped?
There was a thread a while back about tongue ties being snipped, though it centred around London, but the suggestion was maybe an oral surgeon would be a good bet if the dentist isn't sure. Maybe your GP could ask an oral surgeon's advice?

mcmudda · 20/02/2006 23:53

Have been googling all night. It's called the labial frenulum and combined with tongue tie seems to create possible gastric problems/bloating/excess wind - mainly due to a poor latch in breastfeeding - the lips cannot "flange" out apparently (I'm sure Phoebe in Friends was a Flange...)
Very interesting for me because last week I started a thread about dd's persistent colic, even at 8 mths.

The question is - who to I speak to about this without sounding like a paranoid mum who believes everything she reads on the internet?? GP? HV? anyone else???

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Spagblog · 21/02/2006 07:11

Just see your Dr and ask to be referred to an ENT specialist. She's gorgeous btw!

tegan · 21/02/2006 07:38

I think I was about 12 months old.
When I was 7 or 8 I had to have the piece of skin under my tongue cut too.

lua · 21/02/2006 13:54

Mc Mudda, yes I have seen this problem when I was searching for tongue tie. I think dentists in particular are pretty concerned with this as it can affect teeth position later on? I'll try to find a power point presentation that DH found when we were researching.
I would suggest you go see a dentist, they seem to be more willing to solve the problem iyswim...

rummum · 21/02/2006 14:00

awwww what a lovely baby.....

Daughter had something similar, the dentist said she may have to snip it other wise it could cause a gap in her teeth... she is now nearly 10 and has no gap.. I'll have to check her again tonight to see if the skin is there!!

melissasmummy · 21/02/2006 14:05

I haven't heard of this or a tongue tie causing the kind of problems that you found. Although I can understand the latching on & wind problems. It can be cut or lasered. But not sure what age this could be done. Ask your dentist for a referal, doesn't hurt to get advice!

It could be that she ends up with a Diastimer, which is a gap between her front teeth (think Madonna, Elton John, Brian Adams) ancient belief has it that this mean the person will be wealthy).
This can be closed with the help of orthodontic treatment when she is older. I shouldn't think it would cause problems with teething tho, as the teeth will come thru either side & just leave a gap.

FWIW, my DD has a gap, she is 2.6. I am not gooing to worry about it yet, until her permenant teeth come thru as not alot can be done before then.

melissasmummy · 21/02/2006 14:06

P.S Your little girl is beautiful!

cod · 21/02/2006 14:06

Message withdrawn

mcmudda · 21/02/2006 16:06

Thanks everyone. She had her first dental check up a few weeks ago and the dentist noticed it but called it something completely different - but she did mention the gap in the teeth which I'd completely forgotten about until now.

It just looks terrible atm because her gums are bulging with these 4 top teeth just about to pop through. It really does look like they're splitting her lip

Like the idea of her being wealthy though - nice to be looked after in my old age

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melissasmummy · 21/02/2006 16:24

Would he have called it a Frenum?

This is the word most commanly used by dental professionals for what your daughter has.

mcmudda · 21/02/2006 16:37

Don't think she said frenum, but I'm not sure now. I might make another appointment just to put my mind at rest.

Actually my mum's got very gappy teeth - there was no gap when I was growing up then (seemingly) all of a sudden it started widening.

Is this genetic like tongue tie? Have I avoided it by have braces or would it still be obvious do you think?

Are you a dentist/dental nurse MM?

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mcmudda · 21/02/2006 16:39

EEEEEEEK! do not google frenum if you're squeamish!!

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melissasmummy · 21/02/2006 16:44

LOL, now i'm intriged! Then again, have been adental nurse for years so prob seen it all!

mcmudda · 21/02/2006 16:48

It's not the frenum I was looking for

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melissasmummy · 21/02/2006 16:50

Me either, Mcm!

Not quite what I was used too!

rummum · 22/02/2006 15:40

the wrong Frenum I think....

I also googled Diastimer.. but nothing came up...

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