Frenectomy: Management By Electrosurgery - A Report Of Two Cases

Abstract

The frenum is defined as a mucous membrane fold which attaches the lip and the cheek to the alveolar mucosa, the gingiva, and the underlying periosteum. The frenum may hamper the gingival health if it is attached too closely to the gingival margin. The management of such an aberrant frenum is by performing a frenectomy/frenotomy. While performing frenectomy, conventional scalpel techniques have their own traditional drawbacks. To overcome them newer techniques like electrosurgery and lasers are increasingly used in routine periodontal practice. The present article is a report of two cases of frenectomy; first case is management of an aberrant maxillary labial frenum causing midline diastema and second case is management of an aberrant lingual frenum leading to complete ankyloglossia; both using electrosurgery. Electrosurgery has been defined as the intentional passage of high-frequency waveforms or currents through the tissues of the body to achieve a controllable surgical effect. Electrosurgery is a continuously evolving field with active research into various new applications.