A lingual frenectomy is a form of frenectomy associated with the tongue.
The removal of the lingual frenulum under the tongue can be accomplished with either frenectomy or frenuloplasty. This is used to treat a tongue tied patient. It has been claimed to help reduce breastfeeding complications, help improve speech and promote proper tooth arch development.[citation needed]
It is rumored that, immediately after this minor oral surgery, the tongue can often dramatically extend out of the mouth which it could not before do[citation needed] However the references here measure the difference in “milimeters” and it may actually shorten the tongue, depending on the procedure and aftercare.
Domenico Maceri claims that some South Korean parents have their children undergo frenectomy “which lengthens the tongue by about one millimeter” in the belief they will pronounce English better.[1] Critics regard the surgery as unnecessary, as Koreans born in the United States have no trouble distinctly pronouncing /r/ and /l/.[2]
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