Step Wise Management of Asyndromic Tooth Agenesis with Ankyloglossia: A Case Report

Ankyloglossia or tongue tie refers to restricted tongue movements, diagnosed in early childhood and adolescence that may cause changes in bone growth and other orofacial tissues results in altered oral functions of the child. It also affects speech, mastication and oral hygiene as well as social environment. Patients with oligodontia and tongue tie may have psychological, aesthetic, phonetic and functional problems. A rare case of female child patient with congenital partial anodontia and associated ankyloglossia with its comprehensive step wise multidisciplinary management is presented. The patient was advised for frenectomy to relieve tongue tie and functional fixed aesthetic space maintainer at an early age and was followed-up to be treated with definitive implant prosthesis with respect to the missing teeth. Early treatment and follow-up is the key to successful rehabilitation of young patients with congenitally missing teeth and ankyloglossia. It is imperative that oral rehabilitation be started as early as possible to maintain and correct the oral functions. This clinical report describes a successful aesthetic, functional, and psychological rehabilitation of a young adolescent girl with partial anodontia in mandibular anterior region and associated extensive tongue tie with step by step surgical and prosthetic management in accordance with the physical growth pattern of patient. It also offers guidelines for comprehensive management which can be used by the treating pedodontist and oral surgeon for diagnosis and treatment of ankyloglossia and partial anodontia.