Pressure on anterior region of palate during thumb-sucking

Bull Tokyo Dent Coll. 2007 May;48(2):57-66. doi: 10.2209/tdcpublication.48.57.

Abstract

Measurement of the pressure applied to the anterior region of the palate and incisor region of the mandible during thumb-sucking was carried out 3 female children. A polyethylene bag embedded with a high-sensitivity small pressure sensor was fixed on the ventral side of the thumb so that the baroreceptor could be interposed between the thumb and palate during thumb-sucking. The children were allowed to perform habitual thumb-sucking, and the resulting pressure signals were detected with a high-response dynamic strainmeter and recorded. Measured peak pressures were about 2-4.5 kgw, with large individual variation, and waveform patterns also varied. Characteristics of thumb-sucking habits and thumb-sucking pressure were related to malocclusion. Measurement of thumb-sucking pressure is believed to be effective for assessment of the qualitative relationship between thumb-sucking and malocclusion.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Diastema / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Fingersucking*
  • Humans
  • Incisor / physiopathology
  • Malocclusion / physiopathology
  • Mandible / physiopathology
  • Mouth Breathing / physiopathology
  • Open Bite / physiopathology
  • Palate / physiopathology*
  • Pressure
  • Thumb / physiopathology*
  • Tongue Habits
  • Transducers, Pressure