The Prevalence of Tongue Thrusting in Patients with Periodontal Disease

Statement of Problem: Tongue thrust and/or its consequent swallowing pattern are amongst the parafunctional habits that have always been considered as etiological factors for dental disorders by different investigators. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of tongue thrusting and the incidence of periodontal disorders associated with this habit among patients referred to the Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Material and Methods: Two hundred and eighty patients, undergoing first phase of periodontal therapy, were selected. Among them, those who had tongue thrusting were diagnosed and periodontal indices (probing depth, gingival recession, spacing and gingival enlargement) were measured. Also, crown-root ratio was assessed for each anterior tooth. Results: Tongue thrusting was seen in 27.3%of patients, whereas 29.8% and 33.8% of them showed an increase in periodontal pocket depths in their upper and lower jaws, respectively. Gingival recession was found in the upper jaw in 12.98% and in the lower jaw in 49.35% of the cases. Crown to root length ratio in 24.6% of the upper incisors and 35.1% of the lower incisors were found to be higher than normal. Spacing was observed between the incisors in 31.2% and 41.6% of the patients in the upper and lower jaws, respectively. Finally 31.2% of the patients showed gingival enlargement. Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed a considerable increase in the prevalence of various periodontal diseases among these subjects. To minimize the clinical problems of such patients, prevention of periodontal diseases through excellent oral hygiene and regular dental visits are suggested.