upper labial frenulum

[swissuk]

Hi.
Does anyone have any experience of this? I am abroad at the moment but need help with it for my 18 month old.

Her top lip and gum between her front teeth is attached by a short and tight frenulum. I would like to get it treated but so far i haven't found 1) anywhere that will treat it or 2) anywhere that will treat it before she is 7 or so.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas or experience with this.

Thanks

hi swiss,

My dd was 7 when she had it cut.

The dentist noticed it and said she really would need it done. I hadn't really noticed it myself, except when she smiled her top lip pulled itself down over her teeth.

Has your doctor given a reason for not treating it before she's seven? Do you think it's affecting her in any way?

Hi,
Thanks so much for your reply. It's a bit hard to say. I am in Switzerland at the moment and the doctors just say 'live with it'. I really don't want to settle for that

At the beginning it really affected her feeding. It was terrible. Breast and bottle.
Now she is 18 months so that isn't really the issue. Now I would like to know how it could affect her in the future.

What reasons did the dentist give for snipping it? I would be really interested.

I found another thread on this in feeding so hope it doesn't confuse anyone! Sorry. Just trying to find my way around on here

Funnily enough I had this done when I was about 9 or 10 by the dentist who thought it would affect my teeth. It was a horrendous experience as a result of not enough anaesthetic so if you get it done make sure an ENT specialist does it, preferably under GA not LA.

hi swiss,

the dentist said it would affect the development of her teeth and it was around then that I realised her funny grin (with the lip covering her teeth) was because of this. The dentist didn't suggest doing it herself!

I saw a doc privately (am in Portugal by the way) who offered to do it on this country's National Health. We went to the hospital where she had a premed - ended up singing away on my lap, then a full anaesthetic...but a light one. She was right as rain soon after, didn't stay overnight or anything..though they gave her a bed in the children's ward for a few hours to make sure there were no reactions. We hung around with her, then she had a yoghurt and we took her home. I was really pleased with the treatment, not at all traumatic unlike poor titchy.

She was fine, had to eat lots of soft food for a while. Still has gap between her front teeth but is now in braces (is now 13!!!)so that's being dealt with.

I don't remember it affecting her feeding as a baby.

I think, (gad my memory!) that the doc or the dentist told me that they younger they are the easier it is on them but I could be imagining it!

Can you get another opinion?

Thanks so much for your replies. They are really helpful. How old was she when she had it done? Mine has the funny lip smile too and her two front teeth took ages and ages to come through. even now they are smaller than the others.
I hope the doctor replies today. I am searching around for different opinions to try and see what is available for her at the moment.

she was 7 (or 8)

it wasn't that we waited until this age - it was only that it came up around then iyswim.