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

AIM

To evaluate the effects of tongue frenulectomy performed with two therapeutic approaches: Laser frenulectomy and combined laser and speech-language therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

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.

RESULTS

Statistical analysis showed statistically significant differences between the pre-surgical and post-surgical values at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after surgery (p<0,05).

CONCLUSIONS

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.