Management of ankyloglossia

Abstract

Tongue-tie which is also known as ankyloglossia originated from the Greek word “agkilos” which means curved and glossa which means tongue. Ankyloglossia is usually associated with difficulty in speech articulation and breastfeeding as it causes limited tongue movement. There are different modalities available to manage ankyloglossia. A 23-year-old male with ankyloglossia and a chief complaint of difficulty with speech underwent lingual frenectomy under local anesthesia using a standard surgical technique using scalpel and blade that was followed with speech therapy. One-month follow-up showed marked improvement in tongue movements with no signs of recurrence. Early diagnosis and proper surgical intervention are key to help the patient to avoid problems associated with ankyloglossia and lead a better life.

Keywords

• Ankyloglossia
• frenectomy
• tongue-tie