title: Effect of an intraoral appliance on tongue pressure measured by force exerted during swallowing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this study was to modify the transpalatal arch design that is used for vertical control of the molars, based on individual muscle strength and morphology features of the tongue during swallowing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual Silastic (Müller-Omicron, Cologne, Germany) swallowing tongue records were created and measured for 32 healthy volunteers. The transpalatal arches were modified by adding acrylic pads, based on the swallowing tongue records. Tongue pressure exerted on the hard palate and the acrylic pads at 3 distances to the palatal mucosa during swallowing was measured by pressure sensors for 18 subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intraclass correlation coefficient of the thickness of swallowing tongue records taken by 2 researchers was 0.977, indicating good consistency between these researchers. A significant negative correlation was found between the thickness of the swallowing tongue records and individual tongue pressure (r = -0.511; P <0.01). Tongue pressure exerted on the fabricated pads consistent with swallowing tongue records was significantly higher than on the hard palate, yet not significantly higher than tongue pressure exerted on the pads positioned 3 mm closer to the palatal mucosa. In contrast, increasing the distance of the pad 3 mm away from the mucosa led to significant augmentation of tongue pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Creating patient swallowing tongue records is a repeatable and reliable method to reflect individual differences in morphologic features and muscle strengths of the tongue. Decreasing the distance of the pads to the mucosa is preferable if a high force to intrude molars will not be used. On the premise of a patient's tolerance, increasing the distance of the pads away from the mucosa leads to augmentation of tongue force.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate student, Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Kaifan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate student, Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China. Electronic address: tmxuortho@163.com.
authors.forename: Tianmin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D000328:Adult; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000502:physiology; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D016382:Orthodontic Appliance Design; D009967:Orthodontic Appliances; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000502:physiology; D056888:Patient Positioning; D011312:Pressure; D014059:Tongue / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; C013830:baysilon