JIDAM
"An Official Journal of IDA - Madras Branch" ©2019.
Available online

Role Of Lasers In Recreating Speech –A Special Case Of Ankyloglossia

Dr.Sathish kumar.K, Dr.Ramakrishnan.T*, Dr.Priyadurga.K, Dr.Ramnath.E, Dr. Mejalla. M.A

Abstract:

Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is an inborn anomaly that causes restriction of tongue movements. It is characterized by the position of lingual frenum inbetween the tongue and the floor of the mouth. A 17-year-old female patient with the complaint of difficulty in speech was diagnosed with ankyloglossia. To restore her normal speech, laser frenectomy using a diode laser (940nm) was the technique considered over the conventional method to remove the high frenal attachment and to avoid complications caused by the scalpel technique. Post-operative evaluation showed complete healing at the end of 2 to 6 weeks with an increase in tongue mobility of ≥15 mm after laser surgery. After treatment, the patient showed faster healing, early restoration of function and less post-operative pain; thus, proving to be more efficient than the conventional scalpel technique.

KEY WORDS- Ankyloglossia, LASER, Frenectomy.

JIDAM/Volume:7/Issue: 3/Pages 103-107/July- Sep 2020