LINGUAL FRENULUM: IS EARLY DIAGNOSIS PERFORMED IN BRAZIL?

Roberta Lopes de Castro Martinelli1, Giédre Berretin-Felix2, Irene Queiroz Marchesan3

INTRODUCTION

The literature agrees that the altered lingual frenulum may restrict the tongue movements. In clinical practice some

aspects are commonly observed such as: a) in most cases the lingual frenulum alterations in newborns are not

diagnosed in initial physical examination; b) there is no standardization for assessment; c) when the frenulum

alteration is not detected at birth, it is rarely detected in the first year of life; d) when the alteration is not detected, it

can bring future problems; and e) orofacial function alterations are rarely attributed to the altered lingual frenulum.

AIM To check complaints and the age of patients

diagnosed with lingual frenulum alteration.

- A retrospective study used archival data from

a public hospital and a private clinic;

- All patients had been assessed with a specific

lingual frenulum protocol (Marchesan, 2010);

- The patients diagnosed with lingual frenulum

alterations were identified;

- The main complaint of the patients with lingual

frenulum alteration was identified;

- The age when the lingual frenulum alteration

was diagnosed was identified.

CEFAC’ s Ethics Committee (080/10)

METHODS RESULTS

Lingual frenulum alterations 366

75,2%

67 13,7%

54 11,1%

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

6 to 12 years

13 to 18 years

19 to 64 years

Age of 487patients when lingual frenulum alteration was diagnosed

70,8% (345)

speech

29,2% (142) Oral

breathing, chewing and swallowing

Main complaints of 487 patients with

lingual frenulum alterations

487 patients – 315 (64,7%) males and 172 (35,3%)

females – were diagnosed with lingual frenulum alteration.

Conflict of interest - The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Disclosure Statement - No competing financial interests exist.

The results demonstrated that altered speech is the main complaint of the patients with lingual frenulum alteration. Because 75.2% of the patients with lingual frenulum alteration were diagnosed between 6 and 12 years of age, we can conclude that early diagnosis of lingual frenulum alteration is not performed in Brazil.

CONCLUSIONS

1Speech-Language Pathologist; Master in Science; Doctor in progress - Faculty of Odontology, University of Sao Paulo - Bauru, Brazil. Av. Ângelo Piva, 331 Centro, Brotas/SãoPaulo/ Brazil; CEP 17380-000; phone: 55-14-36532707; email robertalcm@uol.com.br 2Speech Language Pathologist, Specialization in Oral Motricity. Master in Dentistry, Ph.D. in Clinical Medicine. Associated Professor - Speech Language and Hearing Department – Bauru School of Dentistry / University of São Paulo – Bauru, Brazil.Rua Maria José 12-39 Bauru/SP/Brazil; CEP 17012-160; phone: 55-14-32358332/ 55-14-991126743; e-mail: gfelix@usp.br 3Speech-Language Pathologist; Specialization in Oral Motricity; Master in Comunication Disorders; PhD. in Education- UNICAMP, Brazil; Professor and Director of CEFAC; Rua Cayowaa, 664 Pompéia, Sao Paulo/SP/Brazil CEP 05018-000; phone number 55-11-38680818; email irene@cefac.br