A frenulum, or frenum, is a piece of tissue that connects one part of the body to another. We have frenum in several places throughout the body, but in terms of dental care, three locations may require treatment.
- The lingual frenum connects your tongue to your mouth, affecting your tongue’s range of motion.
- The labial frenum connects your lips to your gums at the top and bottom — right at the front of your mouth (aligned with the gaps between your front teeth.)
- And the buccal frenum, which connects your lips and cheeks to your gums.
As the suffix in frenectomy implies, a frenectomy is a procedure in which one or more of these frena are cut or removed.