Emergency Cases
Salamanca Guanajuato
464 116 2012
San Miguel de Allende
415 111 6819
Please contact in case of emergency or to request a consultation.
Short lingual frenulum (ankyloglossia)
It is a diagnosed during a physical examination.
For infants, the doctor may usea a screening tool to score various aspects of the tongue´s appearance, difficulty taking a bottle or breast, and its ability to move.
When the patient is already lingual (he/she talks) there is language alteration.
Treatment for the tethered tongue is controversial. Some doctors and breast feeding consultants recommend correcting right away, even before the new born is discharged from the hospital.
Others prefer to take a wait – and- see approach. It is possible for the lingual frenulum to stretch over time, which would resolve the tethered tongue.
In other cases, the tethered tongue persists without causing problems. Surgical treatment for tongue latching can be done for infants, children or adults if the tongue is causing problems, Surgical procedures include frenotomy or frenuloplasty.
Frenotomy: A simple surgical procedure called a frenotomy can be performed with or without anesthesia in the hospital nursery or doctor´s office. The doctor examines the lingual frenulum and the uses sterile scissors to cut and release the frenulum. The procedure is quick and discomfort is minimal, as there are few nerve endings or blood vessels in the lingual frenulum.
You are at increased risk of the frenulum becoming attached to the base of the tongue. A more extensive procedure known as a frenuliplasty may be recommended if additional repair is needed or if the lingual frenulum is too thick.
Frenuloplasty: Is performed under general anesthesia with surgical instruments. After the frenulum is released, the wound is usually closed with sutures that absorb on their own as the tongue heals. After frenuloplasty, tongue exercises may be recommended to improve tongue movement and reduce the chance of scarring.
Main symptoms of short lingual frenulum:
- Difficulty breastfeeding
- Little weight gain
- Difficulty lifting the tongue up to the upper teeth.
- Difficulty pronouncing consonants that require contact of the tongue with the palate: t, d, n, l, r.
