The role of soft tissue position and its activity in the etiology of malocclusion has been well documented in the literature. The lingual frenulum is a type of soft tissue that is often overlooked in routine examinations (Kleim R, 2009). A frenulum is a small muscle covering the mucosa that connects the lips and tongue to the adjacent bones of the mouth (Bai and Anna, 2014). The primary function of the frenulum is to keep the lips and tongue in harmony with the growing oral bones during fetal development (Morowati et al., 2010). The lingual frenulum or tongue frenulum is a structure that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth allowing it to move freely in the oral cavity. It is an anatomical structure that plays an important role in the act of feeding, sucking and speaking. Any abnormality associated with frenulum attachment impairs swallowing function, tongue movements, speech, and word articulation (Bargale et al., 2014). The lingual frenulum is made up of dense fibrous connective tissue and, often, superior fibers of thenioglossus muscle (Bargale et al., 2014). The lingual frenulum migrates to a central position to occupy its definitive position along with the growth and development of the bone and the eruption of the tooth (Tait P, 2007). At birth the tongue is usually short with the frenulum extending to the tip and sometimes a bifid tongue tip may also be seen (Morowati et al., 2010). In the normal sequence the lingual frenulum recedes during the first 6 months up to 6 years of life. Ankyloglossia occurs when the lingual frenulum persists as an anatomical anomaly after 6 years (Ruffoli et al., 2005). The severity of ankyloglossia ranges from no clinical significance to the tongue being completely fixed to the floor of the mouth. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ankyloglossia originally comes from the Greek words skolios (bent) and glossa (tongue). Ankyloglossia is also known as lingual tie and is a congenital developmental anomaly characterized by a short, thick lingual frenulum that abnormally connects to the tongue and floor of the mouth (Bargale et al., 2014). The history of lingual anemia was controversial as there was no agreement among professionals on the diagnosis and treatment of this congenital condition. It is typically an isolated anomaly, but may be associated with other craniofacial anomalies such as orofacial digital syndrome, Beckwith Weidman syndrome, Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, X-linked cleft palate syndrome, Kindler syndrome, Van der Woude syndrome, Opitz syndrome, Ehlers syndrome. -danlos and others (Lalakea and Messner, 2003). Ankyloglossia is a condition that can be seen in infants, children, or adults. The clinical significance of ankyloglossia is varied as some authors believe that it is rarely a symptomatic condition (Paradise J, 1990) whilst others (Marmet C, 1990; Fletcher SG, 1968) believe that it can lead to a variety of problems including difficulties with infant feeding, speech difficulties, lower incisor deformities, malocclusion and various other mechanical and social problems.
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