[Palatogram including lingual and occlusal surface of teeth analyzed by image processor].

(palatogram). The subjects were 30 dentulous adults (21 men, 9 women). The artificial palates made of black vinyl seat covering the palate and occlusal surfaces of maxillary teeth were coated with white alginate powder and inserted into the mouths of the subjects. After pronunciation of the test sound, the tongue contact areas on artificial palate were demonstrated by wetting of powder and changing in color from white to black. Thus photographs of the palatograms were Measurements have been made on the tongue contact area of the palate and maxillary teeth during pronunciation of /sa, fi, çi, ka, ki, ta, na, ra, ja/ (palatogram). The subjects were 30 dentulous adults (21 men, 9 women). The artificial palates made of black vinyl seat covering the palate and occlusal surfaces of maxillary teeth wer coated with white alginate powder and inserted into the mouths of the subjects. After pronunciation of the test sound, the tongue contact areas on artificial palate were demonstrated by wetting of powder and changing in color from white to black. Thus photographs of the palatograms were taken. An image processor system was employed for averaging each subject's 5 samples of same sound. The averaged outline of each subject's palatograms were converted to the standardized dental arch form and added and stored into frame memory. The 60-90% of subject's common parts were extracted from the added palatograms of same sound and illustrated in different gray levels. The results indicate that the tongue-to-teeth contact area of each sound differ from the others, however, it's range is confined within cervical half of lingual surface of incisors and lingual cusps of molars.