Articulatory feature analysis of tongue-thrust swallowing habit

The malocclusion by tongue position causes problems in vocal communication as well as in health. Thus, to cure oral habits that underlie such issues, oral myofunctional therapy plays an important role. Unfortunately, physical examination that use X-rays or devices installed in the patient's mouth involve side effects. Therefore, objective tongue function evaluation methods without burden to the patients have been proposed and studied. Here, we employ an evaluation technique that uses the articulatory feature, the most basic unit of phonological structure, to estimate intraoral information while reducing the burden to patients. We present estimated results of the accurate tongue position of patients who have different oral environments compared with healthy people and confirm the validity of the proposed method as a new diagnostic technique.