Short lingual frenulum: From diagnosis to laser and speech-language therapy

Authors

  • D Tripodi Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara
  • G Cacciagrano Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara
  • S D´Ercole Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara
  • F Piccari Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara
  • A Maiolo Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara
  • M Tieri Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2021.22.01.13

Keywords:

Lingual frenulum, ankyloglossia, laser frenulectomy, speech and language therapy

Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the effects of tongue frenulectomy performed with two therapeutic approaches: Laser frenulectomy and combined laser and speech-language therapy. MATERIALS: The study involved 180 patients (90 males and 90 females) aged between 6 and 12 years. After examination and data collection, the patients were stratified according to three degrees of severity: mild, moderate and severe. After treatment, the test group (laser frenulectomy and combined laser and speech-language therapy) was compared with the control group (laser frenulectomy) in the pre-surgical phase, at one week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: It is essential to establish diagnosis criteria to which the clinician should refer in order to decide the treatment plan. This study shows that combined laser and speech-language therapy leads to better results than the resection treatment of the frenulum with laser technique alone.