No abstract

Abstract:Mastication and swallowing are closely related to tongue function. In the elderly, decrease of tongue function is suspected to cause oral malfunction. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the aging of swallowing by observing tongue pressure on the palate during swallowing. The subjects used were three young dentate persons and eight elderly complete denture wearers. Five pressure transducers were placed in either the artificial palatal plate or the duplicated upper denture. Tongue pressure and electromyography (EMG) of the suprahyoid muscle were recorded.The results were as follows : 1. Maximum tongue pressure of the elderly denture wearers was significantly lower than that of young dentate persons. 2. Upon swallowing saliva, both the duration from the EMG onset of suprahyoid muscle movement to the onset of tongue pressure and from the EMG onset to the time of maximum tongue pressure of the elderly were longer than those of the young dentate persons.3. In young dentate persons, the duration from the onset of tongue pressure to the time of maximum tongue pressure in swallowing saliva was shorter than that for swallowing 2 ml water, while that of elderly denture wearers was longer.