Assessment of Tongue

Position

ASSESSMENT OF TONGUE POSITION

LANDMARKS

ANS (sp) – spinal point – the apwex of the anterior nasal spine (Bjork, 1947);

E – the most inferior and anterior point of the epiglottis (Lowe et al, 1986);

Ii – the incisal tip of the most prominent mandibular incisor (Solow and Tallgren,

1976);

Is – the incisal tip of the most prominent maxillary incisor (Bjork, 1960);

Me – point on cervical, distal third of the last permanent erupted molar (Rakosi,

1982);

Me – the distobuccal cusp tip of the upper first permanent molar (Bjork, 1960);

O – the middle of the linear distance U-ii on the Mc-ii line (Rakosi, 1982);

Pt – the intersection point between the occlusal line (OL) and the contour of the

tongue (Ingervall and Schmoker, 1990);

Ptm (pm) – pterygomaxillary point – the intersection between the nasal floor and

the posterior contour of the maxilla (BJORK, 1947);

Pw – the intersection point between the occlusal line (OL) and the pharyngeal wall

(Ingervail and Schmoker, 1990);

IT – the tip of the tongue (Lowe et al, 1986);

U – the top of the uvula or its projection on the Mc-ii line (Rakosi, 1979);

Ut – point on the dorsum of the tongue – the nearest point on the contour of the

tongue to the maxillary plane (Ingervall and Schmoker, 1990);

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 Assessment of Tongue
Position

Cephalometric reference points and lines for assessment of tongue position

REFERENCE LINES

Ltgl – line through point 0 and ii (Rakosi, 1982);

Ltg2 – line constructed on point 0 of the Mc-ii line, producing an angle of 30°

with the Mc-ii line (Rakosi, 1982);

Ltg3 – line constructed on point 0 of the MC-ii line, producing an angle of 60°

with the Mc-ii line (Rakosi, 1982);

Ltg4 – the perpendicular bisection line on point 0 to the Mc-ii line (Rakosi, 1982);

Ltg5 – line constructed on point 0 of the Mc-ii line, producing an angle of 120°

with the Mc-ii line (Rakosi, 1982);

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 Assessment of Tongue
Position
Ltg6 - line constructed on point 0 of the Mc-ii line, producing an angle of 150°

with Mc-ii line (Rakosi, 1982);

Ltg7 – line through point 0 and U (Rakosi, 1982);

Mc-ii – the line through the points ME AND II (Rakosi, 1982);

NL – nasal line – line connecting the anterior nasal spine (Ans or sp) and

pterygomaxillary (Ptm) (Bjork, 1947);

OL – occlusal line – the line connecting the distobuccal cusp tip of the upper first

permanent molar (me) and the incisal tip of the most prominent maxillary incisor

(is) (Bjork, 1960);

VARIABLES

Pt-pw – the distance of the tongue from the pharyngeal wall – linear distance

between a point on the contour of the tongue (pt) and a point on the pharyngeal

wall (pw) measured on the occlusal line (OL) (Ingervall and Schmoker, 1990);

Tgl – partial length of the tongue – linear distance between point 0 and the

intersection point of the Ltgl line with the contour of the tongue (Rakoisi, 1982);

Tg2 – partial length of the tongue – linear distance between point 0 and the

intersection point of the Ltgl line with the contour of the tongue (Rakoisi, 1982);

Tg3 - partial length of the tongue – linear distance between point 0 and the

intersection point of the Ltg3 line with the contour of the tongue (Rakoisi, 1982);

Tg4 - partial length of the tongue – linear distance between point 0 and the

intersection point of the Ltg4 line with the contour of the tongue (Rakoisi, 1982);

Tg5 - partial length of the tongue – linear distance between point 0 and the

intersection point of the Ltg5 line with the contour of the tongue (Rakoisi, 1982);

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 Assessment of Tongue
Position
Tg6 - partial length of the tongue – linear distance between point 0 and the

intersection point of the Ltg6 line with the contour of the tongue (Rakoisi, 1982);

Tg7 - partial length of the tongue – linear distance between point 0 and the

intersection point of the Ltg7 line with the contour of the tongue (Rakoisi, 1982);

TGH – tongue height – linear distance along the perpendicular bisector of the E-

TT line to the tongue dorsum (Lowe et al, 1986);

TGL – tongue length – linear distance between E and TT (Lowe et al, 1986);

Ut – NL – the shortest distance between the dorsum of the tongue (from the point

ut) and the maxillary plane (NL) (Ingervall and Schmoker, 1990);

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