Relationship between ankyloglossia and skeletal malocclusion. Cross sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24265/kiru.2026.v23n1.04Keywords:
Ankyloglossia; Lingual Frenum; Orthodontics; Malocclusion; Speech-Language PathologyAbstract
Objectives: to estimate the prevalence of ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) and analyze its association with skeletal Class I, II, and III malocclusions. Materials and Methods: a cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 213 patients aged 8 to 61 years, all with unrestricted maximum mouth opening. Participants were selected from an orthodontic postgraduate clinic (Bogotá, Colombia). Patients with ankyloglossia were compared to those without ankyloglossia in a 1:2 ratio, matched by age. An expert speech therapist clinically measured the length and depth of the ankyloglossia, while two trained operators determined skeletal classification (Class I, II, III) using occlusal Wits appraisal and basal arch measurements on lateral cephalograms. Results: the ankyloglossia group included n=71 patients, and the non- ankyloglossia group n=142. Ankyloglossia was more frequent in males (54.92%). The most prevalent skeletal malocclusions in the ankyloglossia group were Class I (40.8%) and Class III (36.6%), while the non- ankyloglossia group showed Class III (43.7%) and Class I (35.2%). The mean ankyloglossia depth was greater in Class II, WHILE the mean length was greater in Class I. No statistically significant association was found between ankyloglossia presence, sex, ankyloglossia length/depth, and skeletal malocclusions (p > 0.05). Conclusions: the prevalence of ankyloglossia was 7.91%. No statistically significant association was found between the presence of ankyloglossia and skeletal malocclusions. The most frequent skeletal malocclusions in the ankyloglossia group were Class I and III, while the non- ankyloglossia group predominantly exhibited Class III and I.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Bertha Cecilia Benavides Pinto , Suly Yamily Amaya González , Judith Patricia Barrera-Chaparro, Edgar Antonio Ibáñez Pinilla, Daniela García Narváez, Martha Lorena Infante Camargo , Francisco Antonio Mercado Saleme
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