What does the world think of ankyloglossia?

AIM: The diagnosis of tongue-tie (or ankyloglossia) has increased more than 10-fold in some countries. Whether this is a global phenomenon or related to cultural and professional differences is uncertain. METHODS: An online survey in English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish was disseminated between May to November 2016 via 27 international professional bodies to >30 clinical professions chosen a priori to represent occupations involved in the management of neonatal ankyloglossia. RESULTS: A total of 1,721 responses came from nursing (51%), medical (40%), dental (6%) and allied health (4%) clinicians. Nurses (40%) and allied health (34%) professionals were more likely than doctors (8%) to consider ankyloglossia as important for lactation problems, as were Western (83%) compared to Asian (52%) clinicians. Referrals to clinicians for ankyloglossia management originated mainly from parents (38%). Inter-professional referrals were not clearly defined. Frenotomies were most likely to be performed by surgeons (65%) and dentists (35%), who were also less likely to be involved in lactation support. Clinicians performing frenotomies were more likely to consider analgesia as important compared to those not performing frenotomies. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis and treatment of ankyloglossia varies considerably around the world and between professions. Efforts to standardize management are required. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.