LightScalpel Dental Laser Katy
Quick & Comfortable Frenectomies
Traditionally, treatment for lip and tongue ties (called a frenectomy) is performed with a regular scalpel. This approach can be effective, but it has its drawbacks. For example, it can be uncomfortable for patients. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a better way for your child to gain full movement of their oral structures? There is! Here at Wellspring Pediatric Dentistry in Katy, we are proud to offer laser frenectomies with the remarkable LightScalpel dental laser. Continue reading below to learn more, or contact us directly to request a consultation for your child. We look forward to serving you!
What Is a Laser Frenectomy?
During a frenectomy, we remove or modify the frenulum (band of tissue) that is restricting movement of your child’s lip or tongue. While many practices use a scalpel to accomplish this, we use an advanced laser instead.
The LightScalpel laser is an advanced tool that emits a small beam of highly concentrated light. It vaporizes the tissue that is causing problems for your child. This results in an unrestricted ability to move the oral tissues, which in turn can lead to improved breastfeeding, a lower risk of oral health problems, and many other benefits.
Unique Benefits of LightScalpel
While either a traditional or laser frenectomy can provide positive results, we strongly prefer the latter because:
- A laser minimizes bleeding. The laser cauterizes the tissue that it comes into contact with, which means there should be little to no bleeding. This also eliminates the need for sutures.
- A laser is very comfortable. The laser’s precise nature and other features mean that it can make treatment surprisingly comfortable for patients.
- A laser promotes shorter recovery times. Very often, patients heal faster after a laser frenectomy than they do after a traditional scalpel procedure.
- There is almost no risk of infection. The LightScalpel laser is very effective at killing harmful bacteria, so there is little risk of an infection developing at the surgical site.
- A laser is very precise. There should be little to no damage to surrounding tissues.
Is a LightScalpel Laser Frenectomy Right for my Child?
A frenectomy with the LightScalpel laser can be performed on children of virtually all ages, including infants! This procedure might be right for your child if they are exhibiting signs and symptoms of a lip or tongue tie, such as:
- Difficulty breastfeeding
- Slow weight gain
- Delayed speech development
- Fussiness and colic
- An aversion to certain textures of food
We invite you to bring your child in for a consultation. We will evaluate their oral structures and determine whether a frenectomy would improve their symptoms. If we believe this procedure is the right course of action, we can thoroughly coach you on what to expect before, during, and after their treatment. Hopefully, your little one will soon be free of all the troubles caused by a lip or tongue tie!