Tongue function and swallowing in individuals with temporomandibular disorders

Abstract

Tongue function and swallowing in individuals with temporomandibular disordersThe tongue participates in the oral phase of swallowing by pushing the food bolus toward the oropharynx. This relationship between tongue function and swallowing is little addressed addressed in individuals with temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). Objective: To analyze the association of functional tongue conditions on swallowing in individuals with TMD.Methodology: After approval by the Institutional Review Board, the study was conducted on 30 individuals of both sexes, aged 18 to 28 years, with TMD, and not treated for the disorder. Tongue function was assessed as to the mobility, pressure, and oral motor control. Swallowing was analyzed by clinical assessment during ingestion of solid (wafer biscuit) and liquid (water). Data regarding mobility and swallowing were collected using the orofacial myofunctional evaluation protocol. Tongue pressure was measured by the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, during elevation, protrusion, swallowing, and resistance test. The oral motor control was assessed by the oral diadochokinesis (DDK) test by rapid and repeated emissions of syllables "ta" and "ka". Data were statistically analyzed by the Spearman correlation coefficient, at a significance level of 5%. Results: Relationships were found between tongue function and swallowing for the following aspects: mobility (r=0.741), pressure in protrusion (r=-0.366), swallowing of saliva (r=-0.499), mean DDK rate in emissions "ta" (r=-0.424) and "ka" (r=-0.446), and mean DDK period in emissions "ta" (r=0.424) and "ka" (r=0.446). Thus, the greater the change in tongue mobility, the lower the tongue pressure in protrusion and swallowing of saliva, the lower the emissions per second, the longer the mean time between vocalizations, and the worse the swallowing of individuals with TMD. Conclusion: The functional conditions of the tongue regarding mobility, pressure, and oral DDK were associated with swallowing in individuals with TMD.

Analyses of Swallowing Function and Its Related Factors in Community-Dwelling Elderly Patients: A Case-Control Study

“…The previous studies indicated a crucial role of tongue pressure or MTP in swallowing [24][25][26][27]. The key role of tongue-lip motor function in swallowing was suggested in several studies [28,29] and the studies also showed the prevalence of the elderly people who showed declined swallowing function and lower ODK [30][31][32]. Regarding tongue-lip motor function (ODK), clear evidence for the association of ODK with swallowing function is still insufficient, because there have been few studies that evaluated swallowing function using three of tongue-lip motor functions proposed by Minakuchi et al On this point, this study demonstrated the significance of motor function of posterior region of tongue (ODK /ka/) as a result of three kinds of ODK evaluations.…”

Evaluation of tongue strength and symptoms of oral dysphagia in patients accompanying temporomandibular disorder

“…Some researchers have hypothesized that patients with chronic TMD have irregular or weak tongue functions [14][15][16][17]. In another study, it was shown that the genioglossus muscle, which is closely related to oral functions such as chewing and swallowing, moved in coordination with and as a functional connection to digastric muscles, which function in TMJ elevation [32].…”

“…A few comparative studies investigated patients with OD problems accompanying TMD, by evaluation of correlation within the groups or with a healthy control group [14][15][16][17]. No study could be found in the literature that has investigated the differences between TMD patients with and without OD problems.…”

A Missing Voice: The Lingual Complex and Osteopathic Manual Medicine in the Context of Five Osteopathic Models

“…The cervical tract and the head in the presence of alterations in the flexion-extension capacity (as in the example of whiplash) can negatively affect the movement of the temporomandibular joint; mandibular dysfunction alters the position and function of the tongue [11,18,35]. The same body posture affects the ability of the tongue to generate sufficient pressure for adequate swallowing; the latter action is also influenced by the movement of the jaw and the hyoid bone in a perfect muscular-articular balance of the stomatognathic and craniocervical system [21,36,37]. A dysfunctional muscular area can cause local or distant dysfunction ("vicious cycle theory"), and consequently, a lingual complex with functional limits can cause somatic symptoms of the cervical tract through the muscular connections of the oropharyngeal, cervicomandibular, and thoracic-hyoid tract [11,18,38,39].…”