Influence of surgical tongue reduction on pressure from the tongue on the teeth.

Pressures from the tongue on the teeth were recorded in 21 children and adolescents before and after surgical reduction of the tongue. The recordings were made before surgery, and 6 and 12 months after the operation. Simultaneous measurements were made at the lingual surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular central incisors and at the left first molar, in the rest position and during chewing and swallowing. The method 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 location in the reference sample. Measurements recorded during rest in the other locations were somewhat higher than those of the reference group. 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 were found for pressures during chewing. A lower pressure was recorded in one location during swallowing. At the recordings made 12 months after surgery none of the pressures differed significantly from the presurgical values. Resting pressures were, however, lower than they had been before surgery and were closer to those of the reference sample.