Speak Out August 2020 low res

in practice

Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) Ankyloglossia and Oral Frena Consensus Statement

Earlier this year, SPA member Emma Necus represented the Association as a member of a multidisciplinary working group of health professionals who developed the ADA’s Ankyloglossia and Oral Frena Consensus Statement to provide evidence-based recommendations to guide best practice in caring for individuals with short, tight labial and lingual frena and ankyloglossia. Emma is a is a dual qualified speech pathologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Emma has a passion and commitment to working with infants, children, and adolescents with feeding challenges, with over 16-years of experience in this area. The panel also included midwives, lactation consultants, paediatric dentists and an oral maxillofacial surgeon who were all involved in the assessment, treatment and management of individuals with ankyloglossia. The Australian Dental Association recently held an Ankyloglossia Consensus Statement Discussion Webinar to follow the release of the Consensus Statement. Emma was one of the members of this panel who spoke during the webinar. This webinar is now available for SPA members to view free of charge. In addition, Emma has outlined some key messages for speech pathologists below and recommends that speech pathologists read

the management pathway for infants diagnosed with ankyloglossia that can also be found in the Consensus Statement. The Association would like to thank Emma for all of her work as a member of the working group and for representing this group on the recent webinar. Medicare data from 2006 to 2016 reveals a fourfold * increase in frenectomies in 0-4-year-old infants and children. The treatment involves cutting the folds of tissue (frenum) under the tongue, and increasingly in other parts of the mouth such as the mid-line under the upper lip. Surgery aims to release unusually short or tight attachments to improve the ability to perform certain functions. Prior to surgical intervention it is essential that a robust and evidence-based assessment of function and presenting concern is completed (e.g. feeding and/or speech) is completed by an appropriately experienced clinician (e.g. speech pathologist/lactation consultant). Current evidence evaluated within the statement and the webinar indicated no reliable or statistically significant link between ankyloglossia and speech difficulties in children. Infants, children, or adults should not referred for surgical

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Speak Out | August 2020