Abstract
There are two primary locations in the mouth where frenula are identified; lip frenula and cheek frenula exist in the oral vesitibule and a lingual frenulum exists in the oral cavity proper. All frenula appear as a ruffle or fold of the mucous membrane.
Few disturbances originate in a morphological abnormality; almost all originate in a malpositioning of the adhesion, and present various symptoms. In cases where abnormal adhesion of the frenulum causes oral problems and treatment is needed, age seems to be an important factor. Ankyloglossia causes breastfeeding difficulties, articulation disorders, pronunciation disorders, and chewing and swallowing difficulties in the infant and young child. An abnormal cheek frenulum, which influences oral hygiene, can lead to gingivitis and periodontitis in young and middle-aged people. An abnormal cheek frenulum interferes with the stability of dentures when teeth are lost in old age; it makes it difficult to set them properly.
Because there seem to be many abnormalities in the lingual frenulum and the upper lip frenulum of infants and young children, we focused on assessment, diagnosis and surgical procedures (frenectomy) for both types of abnormality.
