Anatomic and functional aspects of the tongue after frenectomy in twin: clinical cases report

Abstract

Aim: to report two clinical cases of alteration of the lingual frenulum in twins, aged 10 years, both female, evaluated in the anatomical and functional aspects of the tongue before and 15 days after the frenectomy. Case reports: Initially, the paediatric dentistry performed the anamnesis with the mother. Then, the participants were submitted to a dental clinical evaluation and, subsequently, the speech language pathologist evaluation of the lingual frenulum was performed. The speech language pathologist assessment was performed using the Tongue Frenulum Evaluation Protocol, which was applied before and 15 days after the frenectomy. Both participants performed better in anatomical tests after the surgical procedure. However, some changes, especially when elevating the tongue, continued to be observed in one of the patients 15 days after the frenectomy. In addition, the two participants started to perform most of the tongue movements with greater precision. About speech, only the participant who had a greater number of previous phonetic changes, remained with some speech disorders after 15 days of surgery. Discussion: Some difficulties involving mobility of the tongue and changes in speech may persist after surgery, indicating the need for specific speech therapy intervention. Conclusion: Both cases showed improvement in performance both in anatomical and functional tests after frenectomy.