Tongue Posture in Normal Occlusions

¹ Department of Orthodontics, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana

Twenty-two Caucasian children of ages ranging from seven years eight months to sixteen years were included in this study. There were 15 males and 7 females. A technique had been established to study the posture of the tongue. It was based on the use of a radiopaque paste which made the soft-tissue surfaces of the mouth radiopaque. The results obtained in this study indicated a difference in the posture of the tongue between the rest position of the mandible and occlusion; however, the difference was not statistically significant at greater than the 5 per cent level of confidence.

The following results were observed: the apex of the tongue in 14 cases increased in height in relation to occlusal plane; the apex of the tongue moved distally when the mandible changed position from occlusion to rest in 12 cases; the vertical measurement of the apex of the tongue was the weakest measurement in its reproduction; the dorsum of the tongue in 13 cases dropped in the region of the key ridge; in 14 cases, the soft palate velum moved forward or away from the posterior pharyngeal wall; in 14 cases, the base of the tongue moved forward or away from the posterior pharyngeal wall.