Relationship between the lingual-palatal contact duration associated with swallowing and maxillofacial morphology with the use of electropalatography.

To investigate the relationship between movement of the tongue during swallowing and malocclusion, the relationship between the lingual-palatal contact duration associated with swallowing and maxillofacial morphology was examined by electropalatography, cephalometric radiography, and dental casts. Seventy-one subjects (35 men and 36 women, 18 to 38 years of age) with normal occlusion or various types of malocclusion were used. Simple correlation analysis showed correlations between the time required for swallowing and the angles-FH-U1, L6-MP, FH-MP and Go-measured by lateral cephalometric radiography. In multiple regression analysis, five angles-FH-U1, L6-MP, FH-Occ, FH-SGna and NF-MP-measured by lateral cephalometric radiography were chosen as the independent variables, and significant regression equations and multiple correlation coefficient were obtained. It was concluded that the lingual-palatal contact duration associated with swallowing observed by electropalatography differs among persons; this is closely related to the maxillofacial morphology and significantly correlated with the measurement items representing the rotation of the lower jaw and inclination of upper incisors.