Lingual frenectomy and alveolar tap production: An acoustic and perceptual study

Efficacy of Infants Release of Ankyloglossia on Speech Articulation: A Randomized Trial

PURPOSE

The relationship between ankyloglossia and speech is controversial. Our objective in the present study was to determine the most appropriate intervention and optimal timing for infants with speech articulation caused by ankyloglossia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 341 pediatric patients (aged 2 to 5 years) being referred for speech concerns due to ankyloglossia were enrolled in a randomized trial and assigned to either a surgical intervention (N = 166) or a no surgical intervention (N = 175) group. Subsequently, patients were further categorized into 3 groups according to age: 2 to < 3 years, 3 to < 4 years, and 4 to < 5 years. Measures of tongue appearance, tongue mobility, speech production, and parent and clinician intelligibility ratings were collected at preintervention (T0), 2-month postintervention (T1), 6-month postintervention (T2), and 12-month postintervention (T3).

RESULTS

No statistically significant difference was found between surgical intervention and no surgical intervention groups for tongue appearance, tongue mobility, speech production, and intelligibility in the 2 to < 3 years age. However, there was significantly improved speech production and intelligibility in the surgical intervention group when compared to the no surgical intervention group in the 3 to < 4 and 4 to < 5 years old age.

CONCLUSION

Surgical intervention should not be performed too early for infants aged 2 to < 3 years with speech articulation caused by ankyloglossia, but rather watch and wait for the physiological growth of the lingual frenulum. The optimal timing range for surgical intervention is 4 to 5 years. This should provide certain significant guidance for infants with speech articulation caused by ankyloglossia.

The effect of ankyloglossia and tongue-tie division on speech articulation: A systematic review

AIM

Ankyloglossia is a common congenital malformation characterized by a short, thick, or tight tongue frenulum, and its effect on speech articulation remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate (a) the association between ankyloglossia and speech disorders, and (b) the effectiveness of surgical interventions on the articulation of patients with ankyloglossia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A comprehensive search of PubMed was conducted. Randomized control trials (RCTs), cohort studies, case-control studies, and case series with more than five cases were included.

RESULT

Of the 16 included studies, except for one cross-sectional study, all studies were small in sample size. The evidence quality was generally low, with an average of 3.88 in a 7-point system. Three studies investigated the occurrence of speech disorders in the ankyloglossia population and obtained different results. Fifteen studies assessed the effectiveness of surgery, among which eight self-control studies observed significant postoperative improvement, whereas three of four cohort studies with untreated controls reported no significant differences. Three RCTs compared surgical techniques and one pointed out the advantage of frenuloplasty over frenulotomy.

CONCLUSION

There was no clear connection between ankyloglossia and speech disorders. More widely accepted uniform grading systems and well-designed clinical studies are needed.

Speech production in young children with tongue-tie

INTRODUCTION

Tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, occurs in 4-10% of the population. Treatment of tongue-tie has increased by 420% in Australia between 2006 and 2016 and 866% in the United States between 1997 and 2012. Despite limited evidence, it has been suggested that tongue-tie can result in speech sound disorder (SSD). This study aimed to investigate tongue mobility and speech production outcomes in children with and without tongue-tie diagnoses.

METHOD

Fifty-nine children aged 2; 1 to 4; 11 years were recruited and formed three groups: treated tongue-tie (TTT), untreated tongue-tie (UTT) and no tongue-tie (NTT). Measures of lingual frenulum structure and function, tongue mobility, speech production, and parent and clinician intelligibility ratings were collected.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were found between the TTT, UTT and NTT groups for tongue mobility, speech production or intelligibility. Significantly more UTT children had a history of speech pathology attendance than participants in the NTT group.

CONCLUSION

This study provides preliminary evidence of no difference between tongue mobility and speech outcomes in young children with or without intervention for tongue-tie during infancy. This study assists with clinical decision making and makes recommendations for families not to proceed with surgical intervention for tongue-tie during infancy, for the sole outcome of improving speech production later in life.

Alterações de fala relacionadas às alterações do frênulo lingual em escolares

RESUMO Objetivo: caracterizar e comparar as alterações de fala relacionadas às alterações do frênulo lingual em escolares, dos 8;6 anos aos 10;11 anos entre grupo controle e pesquisa. Métodos: avaliou-se 52 crianças em idade escolar (8;6 anos a 10;11 anos), de ambos os gêneros, regularmente matriculadas em Instituto privado, divididas em: grupo controle (sem alteração do frênulo lingual) e grupo pesquisa (com alteração do frênulo lingual). As crianças foram avaliadas por meio do Protocolo de Avaliação em Motricidade Orofacial utilizado em uma Clínica Escola e por meio das figuras utilizadas no Protocolo de Avaliação em Motricidade Orofacial, MBGR. Os testes utilizados para a análise estatística foram "Teste de Fisher", "Qui Quadrado" e "Anova", adotando-se como nível de significância 5% (p<0,05). Resultados: das 52 crianças avaliadas, 26 (50%) apresentaram alteração do frênulo lingual. Destas, 21 (80,8%) apresentaram tônus de língua diminuído, 20 (76,9%) apresentaram língua baixa na cavidade oral e 16 (61,5%) apresentaram problemas de articulação. Quanto aos demais itens avaliados, não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os grupos. Conclusão: o frênulo curto prevaleceu sobre as demais classificações da alteração do frênulo de língua. O grupo pesquisa apresentou alterações estatisticamente significantes quando comparado ao controle, nos seguintes itens: tônus lingual, postura de língua baixa na cavidade oral e articulação. Nos demais itens, apesar de não haver diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos, houve uma tendência de alteração maior no grupo pesquisa. Não foi possível determinar se as alterações de fala fonética são iguais para as diferentes alterações do frênulo lingual.