title: Tongue-tie assessment: clinical aspects and a new diode laser technique for its management.
abstract: BACKGROUND Often breastfeeding problems experienced by mothers and their babies may be attributed to the abnormal attachment of the infant's tongue (ankyloglossia) and/or maxillary lip-tie. Proper breastfeeding depends upon an infant's ability to correctly latch onto its mother's breast. If born with oral soft tissue abnormalities such as tongue-tie or lip-tie, it may be almost impossible for the infant to breastfeed. During the oral evaluation of an infant presenting with breastfeeding problems, one factor that is often overlooked and undiagnosed - and thus untreated - is the attachment of the upper lip to the maxillary gingival tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case is reported of tongue-tie and breastfeeding difficulties, treated with a novel technique: the diode laser (980 nm).
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Laser therapy, Italian Stomatological Institute (ISI), Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crippa
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Dentistry, Italian Stomatological Institute (ISI), Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ottonello
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angiero
mesh_terms: D000072676:Ankyloglossia / Q000601:surgery*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008035:Lingual Frenum / Q000601:surgery; D013070:Speech Therapy