Comparison of Three Types of Tongue Pressure Measurement Devices

A new tongue pressure device consisting of a simple and safe disposable probe and manometer has been developed. This report describes a study that examined the validity of the new device, comparing it to a widely used tongue pressure manometer, the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI), and to the stable adhered three air-filled bulbs manometry system. The first test compared maximum tongue pressure measured with the new device and the IOPI (13 male, 9 female, 25.0 years). The second test compared maximum tongue pressure and swallowing tongue pressure measured with the new device and the three-bulb device (13 male, 9 female, 31.0 years). Significant correlations of maximum tongue pressure were found between the new device and the IOPI in the first test (p < 0.05). In the second test, significant correlations of maximum tongue pressure were found between the new device at the anterior and middle sensors (p < 0.05) but not at the posterior sensor of the three-bulb device. Significant correlations of swallowing tongue pressure between the new device and the three-bulb device were found (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that the measurements by the new simple tongue pressure device are closely equivalent to those of the IOPI and three-bulb devices, demonstrating that the new device is capable of accurately measuring the pressure generated by the whole tongue.