Goodlettsville Dental Services

Frenulum of Tongue

The frenulum of tongue (or lingual frenulum) is the frenulum of the tongue, a small fold of mucous membrane extending from the floor of the mouth to the midline of the underside of the tongue.

Disorders

Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tie, is a congenital anomaly characterised by an abnormally short lingual frenulum; the tip of the tongue cannot be protruded beyond the lower incisor teeth.

Many parents choose to have their childrens frenulum snipped at birth to reduce the risk of the baby choking while eating or drinking but is not a religious tradition such as circumcision.

Frenulum lingua

Tongue frenulum piercing

A lip frenulum piercing is a body piercing through the frenulum of either the upper or lower lip. A piercing through the upper lip frenulum is sometimes called a scrumper, or a smiley, because it can be visible when the wearer smiles. Opposingly, the piercing through the lower lip frenulum is sometimes referred to as a frowny.

Such piercings, anatomy permitting, are relatively simple procedures. Healing time is typically six to eight weeks. Rinsing with Salt Water two or three times a day helps with the healing process, but an alcoholic mouthwash will hinder the healing process, as will spicy foods. This procedure is quick, easy and leaves no scars. The piercing is unseen on most unless a bigger jewelry piece is used.

Jewelry

Jewelry for piercings should meet the following requirements:

• The jewelry should be removable; for example, one ball on the end of barbell-style jewelry could be unscrewable.
• Barbell jewelry can cause irritation to the gums.
• Captive bead jewelry is safer and will lay flat on the area causing no irritation.
• The jewelry should allow for full cleaning of the piercing site.
• Jewelry is light weight and does not damage gums or teeth.
• The surface of the jewelry should be free of nicks, scratches, or jagged surfaces that might damage the piercing site.
• The jewelry should be the right thickness: if its too thin, it can tear through the site, while excessively thick jewelry can cause an abscess, a cyst, or the formation of scar tissue.
• The jewelry should be made from nonallergenic metals; in new piercings, only surgical stainless steel, and alloys with gold, platinum, niobium, or titanium should be used. Both nickel- and brass-plated jewelry should be avoided.

Both ring and barbell style jewelry can be worn in these piercings. Usually the jewelry worn in these piercings is low gauge, as there is not much tissue to pierce or stretch, and larger gauge jewelry may be more likely to damage the teeth and gums. Captive bead rings are more common as they provide more visibility than a barbell.

History and culture

Both variations on this piercing are of contemporary origin. Although they are known to have existed prior, first documented photograph of an upper lip frenulum piercing was an image of body modification practitioner Steve Haworth in a German magazine in the mid 90′s.