Question
The patient experiences difficulty with clear speech.
Answer
The patient’s slurred speech may be related to a short frenulum. You can perform a self-check by extending the tongue as far out as possible. If the tongue is too short and the tip cannot curl up, or if the tip forms a W-shape or a hook, this may result in inaccurate pronunciation of rolled and trilled sounds. In such cases, surgery for correction may be considered. It is recommended to undergo surgery as soon as possible, and post-operative training is necessary to improve speech for a patient aged 14 years old.