Anquiloglossia under the vision of dentistry: an overview of scientific evidence

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the general panorama of existing relevant scientific evidence on ankyloglossia in the dental field. Methods: Scientific articles published in Portuguese and English, available on the PubMed electronic portal and in the SciELO and Google Scholar repositories were selected, including articles with no date limit for publication, using the descriptors: “Anquiloglossia”, “Diagnosis” and "Therapy". Results: Ankyloglossia is a congenital oral anomaly characterized by a very short lingual frenulum, which causes variable degrees of decrease in lingual mobility, which can be partial or total. Its etiology is multifactorial, assuming a hereditary component and/or a characterization of the permanence of residual tissue in this region. The diagnosis of ankyloglossia is not standardized, but in Brazil it is mandatory to perform the Linguinha Test in all maternity hospitals, aiming at the early diagnosis of this condition in newborns. Therapy, when necessary, is through surgical interventions such as: frenotomy, frenectomy and the surgical technique with high-power diode laser. Conclusions: Ankyloglossia is characterized by a very short lingual frenulum capable of reducing lingual mobility. Its etiology is multifactorial and still largely unknown. The diagnosis of ankyloglossia is not standardized, but is based on oral inspections. The treatment of this condition can be non-surgical or surgical, depending on each case.

Keywords: Abnormalities of the Stomatognathic System. Dentistry. Mouth. Treatment Adherence and Compliance.