The Effectiveness of Frenotomy on Speech in Adults

Abstract

There is no publication concerning tongue-tie (TT) in adults, surprisingly. It is generally known that TT is mainly diagnosed in newborns and infants. It seems unlikely that TT does not cause functional disorders in adults, especially considering that TT has been present in organism since childhood. Thus, there is insufficient information about the influence of TT on adults′ speech production. The purpose of this study was the functional evaluation of lingual frenotomy on tongue mobility and speech in the adult Polish population. Methods: Methods were based on visual observation and examination of the oral cavity accompanied by visual and auditory examination of articulation. Χ2 test, Kruskal–Wallis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Student’s t-test were used for statistical analyses. Conclusions: Tongue-tie is a serious condition in adults. Implementing surgical procedures to treat it improves the tongue′s mobility in every direction and improves speech clarity. The frenotomy should be implemented in patients suffering from malocclusion because the equilibrium of all the face muscles and skeleton is often disturbed and may lead to unstable functional effects of orthodontic and orthognathic treatment.