What to Expect During Your Frenectomy Appointment
Coming in to any Doctor’s office for a consultation or procedure is always a daunting experience. The nervousness regarding paperwork, medications, pain, questions unanswered, and the feeling of “is it even worth the trouble?” might cross your mind. We get it! We’ve all been there ourselves. That is why we wanted to lay it all out there. Here’s what you can expect when you come in for your Tongue, Cheek, or Lip Tie Frenectomy appointment.
Arrival
When you first arrive, you’ll come to our front desk to sign in. If you have not filled out paperwork ahead of time, you will fill out necessary medical paperwork. You can discuss in detail with the office manager if you will be filing through insurance or paying out of pocket. It is at this time the office manager will be able to provide you with information for the price of the treatment.
After all paperwork is filled out, you will be called back to a treatment room for your consultation.
Consultation
The Frenectomy consultation is a way for us, as practitioners, to learn a little bit more about your ailments so we can start determining the best treatment. We like to have a little “discovery” conversation to uncover what is going on and what you are currently experiencing. We like to know when and how the tie was originally diagnosed as it is helpful to be able to frame a full picture.
Once we have learned the history of the issues, we’ll move on to a thorough inspection of the mouth. If we are examining an older child or adult, we may ask them to repeat a few words that can be challenging for someone suffering from a tie. This will help us confirm the diagnosis. Some of the words that can be challenging for someone suffering from a tongue or lip tie will be “Strawberry”, “Stop”, or “Struggle”. We look for how clear the word is pronounced and how the orofacial muscles move to allow the word to be spoken.
After this assessment, the Doctor will provide an explanation of findings and will answer any more question.
Treatment
Depending on the age of the patient, we may apply a local anesthetic like one would receive for cavity treatment. Once sufficiently numbed, we utilize a laser light to release the tied membrane and voila, the tie is repaired! The whole procedure takes less than 5 minutes. Parents of infants are asked to immediately feed their child.
Post Treatment
The best part of our day is seeing the smiles on our patients’ faces the second the procedure is over and they have gained full mobility of their tongue and lips. It is especially rewarding to see a child no longer suffering and to hear them say those previously mentioned challenging words without issue.
We thoroughly enjoy bringing smiles to our patients’ faces. If you or someone you know is suffering from a tongue, cheek, or lip tie please reach out to us for a consultation. We would appreciate the opportunity to add another happy smile to this world. You can call us at (404)255-9511, email us at info@atlperio.com or message us below.
