Analysis of abnormal tongue movement by three dimensional tongue movement measurement device with bimorph piezopolymer thin film

1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 08672377
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 矯正・小児・社会系歯学
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: MARUYAMA Yoichi Nagasaki University, Dental Hospital, Asst.Prof., 歯学部・附属病院, 講師 (50173969)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOBAYASHI Yasuhiro University, Dental Hospital, Research Assoc., 歯学部・附属病院, 助手 (20264252)
• Project Period (FY): 1996 – 1997
• Keywords: openbite / swallowing / abnormal swallowing / tongue movement

Research Abstract

The subjects of this research was composed of normal occlusion 1 case and openbite 1 case which had obtained the agreement of cooperation for this research. The sensor which arranged five bimorph piezopolymer thin films was arranged by three rows in the direction of tongue's sagittal plane. However, the curvature on the lateral side was considerably smaller than the curvature in dorsum of tongue central part. The characteristic of the curvature was also similar to the curvature in central part. It was enough in the measurement only of tongue central part in tongue movement at swallowing in the above-mentioned reason.
The results were at follows.
1.In normal occlusion case, the curvature of the sensor in the dorsum of tongue was large, and upward in the dorsum of tongue was admitted. However, in openbite case, the curvature in the dorsum of tongue was small and the dorsum of tongue was a smooth tendency while swallowing.
2.In normal occlusion case, the downward in the dorsum of tongue had started before the tongue tip reached an uppermost position, and after the tongue tip reached an uppermost position, the dorsum of tongue was located most downward. In openbite case, the beginning time of the dorsum's downward was similar to the normal occlusion case. However, amount of the movement on the tongue tip was small, the descent of the dorsum of tongue appeared at the early stage compared to the normal occlusion case, and dorsum of tongue had been located most downward before the tip of tongue was located in uppermost one.
From the above-mentioned result, it was guessed that the compensatory tongue movement which had been adapted to anterior openbite occurred to maintain a negative air pressure for swallowing. Because the subjects were few, subjects should be increased in the next research.