Open AccessROLE OF LASERS IN RECREATING SPEECH –A SPECIAL CASE OF ANKYLOGLOSSIA
Author(s) -
Sathish kumar K,
T Ramakrishnan,
K Priyadurga,
E Ramnath,
Mejalla M.A
Publication year - 2020
Language(s) - English
DOI - 10.37841/jidam_2020_v7_i3_05
Subject(s) - tongue , medicine , laser , surgery , dentistry , orthodontics , optics , pathology , physics
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. KEYWORDS: Ankyloglossia, LASER, Frenectomy