Morphological and attachment variations of median maxillary labial frenum

Abstract

Introduction: Median maxillary labial frenum also known as frenulum labii superioris or superior labial frenum is a soft membranous fold providing support and stability to the upper lip and is subject to variation in shape, size and position during growth. The aim of this study was to determine the morphological and attachment variations in the maxillary frenum of patients to bring awareness to its importance for any further dental treatment.

Material and Methods: Patients reporting to the out patient department of Islamabad Dental Hospital were evaluated visually with respect to morphology and attachment of the frenum on the basis of Sewerin and Mirko’s classifications respectively.

Results: Out of a total of 600 patients examined for morphology of the frenum 326 patients had simple frenum, while tectolabial, simple frenum with appendix, simple with a nodule and frenum with nichum presented in 208, 38,19 and 6 patients respectively. On the basis of the attachment type 351 had gingival while 233 had mucosal attachment, whereas papillary and papillary penetrating was reported in 13 and 3 patients respectively. Both genders showed an almost equal distribution of the morphological as well as attachment types.

Conclusions: The simple frenum has the highest representation in the morphological types. In the attachment types gingival type showed the highest occurrence followed by mucosal type.