Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul 5;26(1):e069-e074.
doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1726050. eCollection 2022 Jan.

Effect of Lingual Frenotomy on Tongue and Lip Rest Position: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial

Roberta Lopes Castro Martinelli  1 , Irene Queiroz Marchesan  2 , Reinaldo Jordão Gusmão  3 , Giédre Berretin-Felix  4
Affiliations

Effect of Lingual Frenotomy on Tongue and Lip Rest Position: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial

Roberta Lopes Castro Martinelli et al. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol. .

Abstract

Introduction The tongue plays an important role in the development of craniofacial structures. At rest, the light and constant pressure of the tongue against the hard palate, counterbalanced by the pressure provided by proper lip sealing, serves as a guide for maxillary growth. Ankyloglossia makes tongue coupling against the hard palate difficult, impacting maxillary development, which may lead to breathing disorders. Objective To verify the effect of lingual frenotomy on the resting position of the tongue and lips in infants with ankyloglossia. Methods The sample consisted of 334 infants aged between 1 and 60 days old diagnosed with ankyloglossia. The groups were divided in: a) experimental group (EG), which consisted of infants whose mothers agreed with lingual frenotomy; b) control group (CG), which consisted of infants whose mothers either refused lingual frenotomy or were waiting for surgery. Both the position of the lips and of the tongue at rest were assessed while the infants were sleeping during the quiet sleep phase. For mothers who refused their infants to undergo the surgical procedure, a follow-up of the infants was proposed to verify possible interference of the frenulum with the resting position of the tongue and lips. Infants whose mothers agreed with surgery were referred for lingual frenotomy. Results Regarding the position of the tongue and lips at rest at the initial and final assessments, the statistical analysis demonstrated significant differences between both groups. Conclusion Lingual frenotomy enabled infants diagnosed with ankyloglossia to maintain both tongue coupling against the hard palate and closed lips at rest.

Keywords: ankyloglossia; lingual frenum; surgical procedure; tongue.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Lip posture at rest. In A, closed, in B, half-open, and in C, open.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Maneuver to visualize tongue position at rest.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Tongue position at rest. In A, elevated, in B, elevated, but being pulled down by the lingual frenulum, and in C, down-positioned in the oral cavity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Cockley L, Lehman A. The Ortho missing link: could it be tied to the tongue. JAOS. 2015;15(01):18–21.
    1. Genovez T GP, Mendonça J SC, Galante J MB, Almeida A LPF, Gomide M R, Dalben G. Hypodevelopment of the tongue: embryonic basis and consequences for the development of craniofacial structures. Int J Dent Health Sci. 2016;3(04):1183–1188.
    1. Salles F, Anchieta M, Costa Bezerra P, Torres M L, Queiroz E, Faber J. Complete and isolated congenital aglossia: case report and treatment of sequelae using rapid prototyping models. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2008;105(03):e41–e47. - PubMed
    1. Nayyer M, Saleem T, Ahmed B, Azad A A, Aslam A, Ovais N. Aglossia: a rare case report and review. Pak Oral Dent J. 2015;35(04):762–766.
    1. Bommarito S, Zanato L E, Vieira M M, Angelieri F. Aglossia: Case Report. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016;20(01):87–92. - PMC - PubMed