Laser: The torch of freedom for ankyloglossia

Abstract

The tongue is an important oral structure that affects speech, position of teeth, periodontal tissues, nutrition, swallowing, nursing, and certain social activities. Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie, is a congenital anomaly characterized by an abnormally short lingual frenulum, which restricts mobility of the tongue. Though the ankyloglossia is not a serious condition, it may lead to a host of problems including infant feeding difficulties, speech disorders, and various mechanical and social issues related to the inability of the tongue to protrude. Hence, management of ankyloglossia should be considered at any age considering the risk-benefit evaluation. Tongue being highly vascular and mobile structure, laser-assisted lingual frenectomy is the simplest, safest and less traumatic of all the treatment modalities available, with most promising results in minimally invasive dentistry. Here, a case of ankyloglossia is reported with its management by diode laser.

Keywords

• ankyloglossia
• diode laser
• lingual frenectomy
• tongue-tie