INFLUENCE OF SURGICAL TONGUE REDUCTION ON PRESSURE FROM THE TONGUE ONTHE TEETH

Pressures from the tongue on the teeth were recorded in 21 children an d adolescents before and after surgical reduction of the tongue. The r ecordings were made before surgery, and 6 and 12 months after the oper ation. Simultaneous measurements were made at the lingual surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular central incisors and at the left first mo lar, in the rest position and during chewing and swallowing. The metho d had been used in a previous study of normal cases, which served as a reference. Presurgical pressures recorded in the rest position at the maxillary incisors agreed with measurements recorded in the same loca tion in the reference sample. Measurements recorded during rest in the other locations were somewhat higher than those of the reference grou p. Pressures recorded before the surgery during chewing and swallowing varied from similar measurements made in the reference group. At the recording 6 months after surgery, resting pressures at the molars were lower than they had been presurgically. No significant differences we re found for pressures during chewing. A lower pressure was recorded i n one location during swallowing. At the recordings made 12 months aft er surgery none of the pressures differed significantly from the presu rgical values. Resting pressures were, however, lower than they had be en before surgery and were closer to those of the reference sample.