Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is an inborn anomaly that causes restriction of tongue movements. It is characterized by the position of lingual frenum inbetween the tongue and the floor of the mouth.
A 17-year-old female patient with the complaint of difficulty in speech was diagnosed with ankyloglossia. To restore her normal speech, laser frenectomy using a diode laser (940nm) was the technique considered over the conventional method to remove the high frenal attachment and to avoid complications caused by the scalpel technique.
Post-operative evaluation showed complete healing at the end of 2 to 6 weeks with an increase in tongue mobility of ≥15 mm after laser surgery. After treatment, the patient showed faster healing, early restoration of function and less post-operative pain; thus, proving to be more efficient than the conventional scalpel technique.
This case report enhances the use of lasers over the conventional scalpel technique for frenectomy which allows improved patient perception in terms of post-operative pain and function.