Comparison of Frenotomy and Frenectomy Techniques for Management of High Frenum Attachment in Adults

Frenum is a triangular thin folded mucus membrane with underlying connective tissue and muscular fibers that attaches the lips and cheeks with alveolar mucosa enhancing the stability of the lip (Newman et al., 2020).

High frenum attachment can have numerous negative effects when highly attached close to the gingival margin including gingival recession, papilla loss, and obliteration of the sulcus, which might enhance plaque accumulation indirectly by hindering tooth brushing. It may also be responsible for midline diastema (Miller, 1985).

According to Mirko et al. (1974), there are four different types of labial frenal attachments: mucosal, gingival, papillary, and papilla piercing. The mucosal form is the most common and predominates in the mandible (Jańczuk & Banach, 1980).

Frenectomy procedure involves the complete removal of the frenum along with its attachment to the underlying bone. Frenotomy procedure is the incision and relocation of the frenal attachments to a more apical level (Dibart & Karima, 2008). However, this procedure is not well-documented in the literature and little is known about its expected relapse rates.

The rationale for conducting the research:

The traditional frenectomy procedure as described by Archer (1961) and Kruger (1964) could be considered invasive and may lead to scarring, delayed healing, and loss of the interdental papilla due to bone exposure and complete removal of fibers which may have negative esthetic outcome in addition to the frequent relapse rate (Devishree et al., 2012). A systematic review (Delli et al., 2013) discussed some complications that may arise when performing frenectomy procedure such as scar formation, postoperative pain, and swelling. Thus, frenectomy is considered a radical procedure with potential complications.

In contrast, frenotomy could be introduced as a more conservative procedure that can achieve the same outcomes with lower postoperative complications and scar formation. To the best of our knowledge, no studies are comparing both techniques in terms of relapse rate and postoperative pain.

Thus, the rationale of our study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of frenotomy procedure and its effect on frenum relapse and postoperative pain compared to the conventional frenectomy procedure.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults with active highly attached maxillary/mandibular labial frenum.
• Systemically healthy
• Non-smokers
• Gingival and plaque index <10%

Exclusion criteria

• Poor oral hygiene.
• Smokers
• Any systemic diseases or medications that delay wound healing.
• Pregnant or lactating females
• Previous frenal procedures.