Hypermobility of Tongue: A Clinical Curiosity

Abstract

A 43-year-old female patient presented to private dental clinic with a chief complaint of accumulated dirt and stains on teeth for the past two years. The patient expressed aesthetic discomfort and reported experiencing bad breath for approximately six months. No relevant medical, surgical, or habitual history was disclosed. During the general examination, the patient appeared well-oriented, co-operative, moderately built, and overall normal. Intraoral examination revealed generalised extrinsic stains, plaque, and calculus. No evidence of gingival pockets or recession was observed, leading to a diagnosis of generalised chronic gingivitis. The lingual surface of the tongue exhibited the absence of a lingual frenulum, resulting in an “abnormally moving tongue.” The dorsal surface of the tongue appeared depapillated and coated with food debris. Consequently, a scaling procedure was recommended. During scaling, the patient was instructed to retract her tongue to clean the lingual surface of the lower incisors. Unexpectedly, the patient folded her tongue back and placed it behind the uvula region. When asked to protrude the tongue forward, it extended beyond the chin.

Keywords

• developmental disorder
• depapillated
• frenum