Frenectomy

A frenectomy is the surgical alteration of a frenum which is a fold of tissue which restricts movement. In the mouth this is generally a small portion of tissue related to the upper lip, the tongue, or the lower lip.
Usually one end of the frenum is connected to a muscular part of the body, like the tongue or lip, and the other to a relatively static part such as the floor of the mouth in the case of the tongue, or to the gums in the case of the upper lip.
Too much restriction of movement of the tongue, for example, is not necessarily a good thing since it can interfere with normal function and this is why a frenectomy may be required.