Ankyloglossia and tongue mobility.

AIM

Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is a congenital condition of newborns when the inferior lingual fraenulum is too short and is attached to the tip of the tongue limiting its movement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ankyloglossia classification and tongue mobility. In addition, the prevalence of ankyloglossia among males and females was assessed.

METHODS

300 subjects (150 boys and 150 girls) with an age range of 7-12 years were randomly selected from different schools. The distance between the uppermost point of lingual fraenulum and its insertion into the oral floor was measured in the subjects. The subjects were categorised from having no ankyloglossia to severe tongue-tie based on the measurements.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

This study showed that ankyloglossia was more common in males. It also showed that only subjects with a lingual fraenulum of <1.5 cm suffered from inadequate tongue movement.