JOURNAL OF OSAKA DENTAL UNIVERSITY

Vol. 41 No. 2      OCTOBER - 2007

ISSN: 0475-2058      UBIC: 172

SUMMARY

We attempted to clarify how stable occlusal positioning in the molar region influence tongue movement during swallowing. M-mode ultrasonography was used to measure the tongue movement of eight healthy dentulous subjects when they swallowed 10 grams of a gel style pudding. Time-course changes in vertical tongue movement were recorded in the mediodorsal region of the tongue at the position of the mandibular first molars. Measurements were done with no splint (NS), a full-jaw splint (FS), a splint maintaining molar occlusion (MS) and a splint maintaining occlusion only on the anterior teeth (AS). The duration the tongue contacted the palate was measured between the time it touched the roof of the palate and the time it disengaged. Since the time of contact for the NS subjects was not significantly different from that of the FS subjects, we concluded that changes in vertical dimension caused by wearing the splint did not affect the duration of contact. However, when compared with NS, the FS, and the MS, the AS did reduce contact time (p<0.05). This is probably because when the AS was in place the mandible was unstable because of loss of occlusal support in the molar region. This seemed to make it more difficult with the AS to maintain the tongue pressed to the palate as compared with NS, the FS and the MS. (J Osaka Dent Univ2007; 41: 169-172) Key words: Occlusal support; Deglutition (Swallowing); Tongue movement; Ultrasonography.

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