Interventional Surgery and Myofunctional Therapy of a Case of Ankyloglossia in an Adolescent with Speech Impairment: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background: Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is characterized by shorter than normal lingual frenulum, which is a band of tissue connecting tongue to the floor of the mouth.This condition limits tongue movement and affects approximately 4.2-10.7% of infants, being more common in males than females.Ankyloglossia often has a familial tendency.Case description: An adolescent case of ankyloglossia had visited the Department of Periodontics with a complaint of speech difficulty and a dysfunctional swallow pattern.She was surgically treated, and thereafter, rehabilitation was done with professional speech therapy.Outcome: The patient showed satisfactory healing, improved mobility of the tongue, with a profound amelioration in speech.Clinical significance and conclusion: Timely surgery within 2-6 weeks in infant is most effective in ankyloglossia.However, it should be treated whenever detected to prevent speech impairment and restriction of growth of mandible.