Tongue holding device

Abstract

To improve mouth breathing and increase the secretion quantity of saliva by restoring the tongue which is at a lower position to the original position.SOLUTION: A tongue holding device 1 which holds a tongue 100 at a desired position on a hard palate 101, includes: a tongue attached part 2 which consists of a stretchable member that is formed so as to surround a front portion relative to a central part in a front-rear direction of the tongue 100, and is attached to the tongue 100; thread-like members 3 and 4 which are connected at their base ends to the tongue attached part 2; and a fixed part 5 which is attached to tips of the thread-like members 3 and 4 and is fixed to an upper front teeth 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tongue retention device for holding the tongue in a desired position behind the upper mouth. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, sleep apnea syndrome has become a problem. Sleep apnea syndrome is a disease in which the airway connecting the mouth and nose to the lungs becomes narrow or temporarily blocked due to, for example, the base of the tongue dropping during sleep, resulting in an apneic state.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mouthpiece for improving symptoms of sleep apnea syndrome. In Patent Document 1, a front wall portion that reaches the tip of the maxillary dentition and extends left and right along the maxillary dentition is integrally formed on the front surface of the mandibular piece that is placed over the mandibular dentition. When the mouthpiece of Patent Document 1 is worn in the oral cavity, the front surface of the front wall portion is brought into contact with the inside of the lips, and the back surface of the front wall portion is brought into contact with the maxillary dentition, so that the mandibular jaw can be moved forward relative to the maxillary jaw and fixed.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a mouthpiece that is worn in the oral cavity for orthodontic treatment, etc. This mouthpiece includes a portion into which the dentition fits, and a tongue exerciser that protrudes from the portion into which the dentition fits toward the inside of the oral cavity. When worn in the oral cavity, the tongue exerciser makes it possible to train tongue movement.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a tongue position maintaining device that includes a capsule that is placed over the tip of the tongue and an aspirator consisting of a syringe or ball pump that aspirates the air inside the capsule. This tongue position maintaining device makes it possible to prevent the base of the tongue from collapsing during sleep by adsorbing and holding the tongue to the capsule. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-168579 A [Patent Document 2] Design Registration No. 1621611 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2023-20502 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The mouthpiece of Patent Document 1 has a front wall extending left and right along the upper jaw dentition, and this front wall moves the lower jaw, which is usually located behind the upper jaw, forward and fixes it. However, such a mouthpiece is prone to cause a foreign body sensation in the oral cavity, and how to eliminate the foreign body sensation is an issue. In addition, the mouthpiece of Patent Document 2 is equipped with a tongue exerciser that protrudes into the oral cavity, and it is also prone to cause a foreign body sensation in the oral cavity, and how to eliminate the foreign body sensation is an issue.

[0008] Furthermore, the mouthpieces in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are large in size, and since Patent Document 1 has a front wall and Patent Document 2 has a tongue exerciser, they may not fit the mouth of some people and may be uncomfortable to use.

[0009] Therefore, if the tongue is held by adsorption on the capsule as in Patent Document 3, a mouthpiece is no longer necessary, which is thought to reduce the foreign body sensation compared to a mouthpiece and provide a comfortable feel when used.

[0010] However, in the case of Patent Document 3, an aspirator consisting of a syringe or a ball pump is required, which makes the apparatus large-scale.

[0011] For example, it is said that about 70% of Japanese people breathe through their mouths instead of their noses. It is difficult to breathe through the mouth if the tongue is not positioned lower than it should be, so many people who breathe through their mouths have a low-lying tongue. It is known that people with a low-lying tongue tend to have a dry mouth due to reduced saliva secretion, which can cause problems with chewing and swallowing.

[0012] In this regard, Patent Document 1 is a mouthpiece for moving the lower jaw forward relative to the upper jaw and fixing it, so it cannot eliminate low-lying tongue. Patent Document 2 is a mouthpiece for training the tongue with a tongue exerciser, but is not intended to eliminate low-lying tongue. Furthermore, Patent Document 3, as shown in Figures 3, 6, and 10, holds the tongue in a low position, but is not intended to eliminate low-lying tongue.

[0013] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such points, and its purpose is to improve mouth breathing and increase saliva secretion by returning the low-lying tongue to its natural position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure can be based on a tongue-retaining device for retaining the tongue at a desired position behind the upper jaw. The tongue-retaining device is made of an elastic member formed to surround a portion of the tongue that is forward of the center in the front-rear direction, and includes a tongue attachment part to be attached to the tongue, a filament member having a base end connected to the tongue attachment part, and a fixing part attached to the tip end of the filament member and fixed to the upper front teeth.

[0015] According to this configuration, since the tongue attachment part is made of an elastic member, by inserting the tongue into the tongue attachment part, the tongue attachment part is attached to the tongue by elastic force. In this state, when the fixing part is fixed to the upper front teeth, the tongue attachment part is pulled upward via the thread-like member. As a result, the tongue moves from a low position to an upward position and is held in the desired position behind the upper jaw, so that the tongue returns to its original position.

[0016] The filament may include a first filament and a second filament connected to different portions of the tongue attachment part. In this case, the fixing part is attached to the tip side of the first filament and the tip side of the second filament. This allows the tongue attachment part to be fixed to the upper front teeth at multiple points, stabilizing the tongue. The base end side of the first filament can be connected to the upper side of the tongue attachment part, and the base end side of the second filament can be connected to the lower side of the tongue attachment part.

[0017] The fixing part may include a covering part that is placed on the upper left front tooth and the upper right front tooth, a first fixing part to which a tip side of the first thread-like member is fixed, and a second fixing part to which a tip side of the second thread-like member is fixed. By placing the covering parts on the upper left front tooth and the upper right front tooth, the fixing part is fixed to the teeth in a stable state.

[0018] A tongue retaining device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a tongue attachment part made of an elastic member formed to surround a part of the tongue that is forward of the center part in the front-rear direction, a thread-like member connected at its base end to the tongue attachment part, a first permanent magnet attached to the tip end of the thread-like member, and a second permanent magnet attached to the back of the upper jaw or the back of the upper front teeth and to which the first permanent magnet is attracted. As a result, when the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet are attracted to each other while the tongue attachment part is attached to the tongue by elastic force, the second permanent magnet is attached to the back of the upper jaw or the back of the upper front teeth, so that the tongue attachment part is pulled upward via the thread-like member. As a result, the tongue moves from a lower position to an upper position and is held at a desired position behind the upper jaw, so that the tongue returns to its original position.

[0019] A tongue retaining device according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure includes a pocket in which the tip side of the tongue is held while being accommodated, a guide member fixed to the back side of the upper teeth, extending along the upper teeth and guiding the pocket in a direction along the upper teeth, and a biasing member biasing the pocket toward the left-right center. That is, when the tip side of the tongue is accommodated in the pocket, the pocket is biased toward the left-right center of the upper teeth, so that the tip side of the tongue is positioned in the left-right center of the upper teeth. As a result, the tongue moves from a low position upward and is held in a desired position behind the upper jaw, so that the tongue returns to its original position.

[0020] The guide member may be a pipe member that defines a space extending along the upper row of teeth. In this case, the biasing member may be a coil spring that is housed in the space of the guide member. This allows the pocket to be biased toward the left-right center of the upper row of teeth with a simple structure. Effect of the Invention

[0021] As described above, according to the present disclosure, the tongue, which is in a low position, can be returned to its natural position, thereby improving mouth breathing and increasing the amount of saliva secreted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tongue retaining device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the tongue attachment part is attached to the tongue. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the tongue retaining device according to the first embodiment is used. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the state in which the fixing part is fixed to the upper front teeth. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line VII-VII in FIG. 6, showing a state in which the first fixed part has been slid to the left. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a tongue retaining device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a tongue retaining device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 10. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a rear view of a tongue retainer according to embodiment 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0024] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tongue-retaining device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a tongue attachment part 2 is attached to a tongue 100, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the tongue attachment part 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the tongue-retaining device 1 is a device for holding a human tongue 100 at a desired position on the back of the upper jaw 101, and includes the tongue attachment part 2, thread-like members (a first thread-like member 3 and a second thread-like member 4), and a fixing part 5. By holding the tongue 100 at a desired position on the back of the upper jaw 101, the symptoms of sleep apnea syndrome can be improved, so the tongue-retaining device 1 can also be called a device for improving the symptoms of sleep apnea syndrome.

[0025] In this specification, "front" corresponds to the front of the person on whom the tongue-retaining device 1 is to be worn, "rear" corresponds to the rear of the person on whom the tongue-retaining device 1 is to be worn, "left" corresponds to the left of the person on whom the tongue-retaining device 1 is to be worn, and "right" corresponds to the right of the person on whom the tongue-retaining device 1 is to be worn. Furthermore, "above" corresponds to above the person on whom the tongue-retaining device 1 is to be worn, and "below" corresponds to below the person on whom the tongue-retaining device 1 is to be worn.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the tongue attachment part 2 is made of a member that is attached to a portion of the tongue 100 that is forward of the central portion in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the tongue attachment part 2 is made of an elastic member that is formed so as to surround a portion of the tongue 100 that is forward of the central portion in the front-rear direction, and is ring-shaped or annular. Examples of materials for the tongue attachment part 2 include elastic materials such as rubber and thermoplastic elastomers, and silicone rubber is suitable. The circumferential length of the tongue attachment part 2 is set shorter than the circumferential length of the portion of the tongue 100 where the tongue attachment part 2 is attached. For example, when the tongue 100 is inserted into the tongue attachment part 2, the tongue attachment part 2 stretches to increase the circumferential length, and the tongue 100 can be inserted to a desired position. The tongue attachment part 2 may be attached to a portion of the tongue 100 that is forward of the central portion in the front-rear direction, and the attachment position may be the tip (front end) of the tongue 100 or may be a portion closer to the rear than the tip, and is not particularly limited.

[0027] The thickness of the member constituting the tongue attachment part 2 is not particularly limited, but can be set within a range of, for example, 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The width (dimension in the front-rear direction) of the tongue attachment part 2 is not particularly limited, but can be set within a range of, for example, 5 mm to 30 mm.

[0028] The inner surface of the tongue attachment part 2 is provided with an anti-slip part constituted by, for example, a protrusion. As shown in FIG. 3, an upper protrusion 2a that protrudes downward is formed on the inner surface of the tongue attachment part 2 in a portion that is the upper side when attached. The number of upper protrusions 2a may be one or more. When two or more upper protrusions 2a are formed, they are formed at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction of the tongue attachment part 2. Note that two or more upper protrusions 2a may be formed at intervals from each other in the width direction of the tongue attachment part 2.

[0029] Furthermore, on the inner surface of the tongue attachment part 2, a lower protrusion 2b is formed that protrudes upward from the part that becomes the lower side when attached. The number of lower protrusions 2b may be one or more. When two or more lower protrusions 2b are formed, they are formed at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction of the tongue attachment part 2. Note that two or more lower protrusions 2b may be formed at intervals from each other in the width direction of the tongue attachment part 2. The number of upper protrusions 2a and the number of lower protrusions 2b may be the same or different. One or both of the upper protrusions 2a and the lower protrusions 2b may be omitted.

[0030] Since an upper protrusion 2a and a lower protrusion 2b are formed on the inner surface of the tongue attachment part 2, when the tongue 100 is inserted into the tongue attachment part 2, the upper protrusion 2a is arranged to dig into the upper surface of the tongue 100, and the lower protrusion 2b is arranged to dig into the lower surface of the tongue 100. This makes it difficult for the tongue 100, once inserted into the tongue attachment part 2, to come out of the tongue attachment part 2. Although not shown, the protrusion on the inner surface of the tongue attachment part 2 may be formed on a part that becomes the left side when attached, or a part that becomes the right side when attached.

[0031] The thread-like members include a first thread-like member 3 and a second thread-like member 4 connected to different portions of the tongue attachment part 2. The base end side of the first thread-like member 3 is connected to the upper side of the tongue attachment part 2 (the portion that becomes the upper side when attached to the tongue 100). The base end side of the second thread-like member 4 is connected to the lower side of the tongue attachment part 2 (the portion that becomes the lower side when attached to the tongue 100). When connecting the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 to the tongue attachment part 2, they may be tied, fixed with an adhesive or the like, or fastened.

[0032] The first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 are made of the same material. The first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 are made of a material such as a thread, wire, string, etc., and have the property of easily loosening unless a pulling force is applied. In this way, the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 easily loosen, thereby reducing the discomfort in the oral cavity. The length of the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 is set to a sufficient length so that the tip side can be pulled out from the mouth to the outside of the oral cavity. The number of thread-like members is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more.

[0033] The fixing part 5 is a member attached to the tip side of the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4, and is fixed to the upper front teeth 102. In this embodiment, since the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 are included, the fixing part 5 is attached to the tip side of the first thread-like member 3 and the tip side of the second thread-like member 4. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 103 indicates the lower front teeth, reference numeral 104 indicates the upper lip, and reference numeral 105 indicates the lower lip. Reference numeral 106 indicates the oral cavity.

[0034] 5, when a human upper dentition is viewed from the front, there are front teeth 102a located at the left most front tooth, front tooth 102b located at the right most front tooth, front tooth 102c adjacent to the left of front tooth 102a, and front tooth 102d adjacent to the right of front tooth 102b. Fixing part 5 includes covering part 50 that covers left front tooth 102a and right front tooth 102b, first fixing part 51 to which the tip side of first thread-like member 3 is fixed, and second fixing part 52 to which the tip side of second thread-like member 4 is fixed.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the covering portion 50 has a groove 50a that opens upward. The covering portion 50 is made of, for example, an elastic material. The groove 50a is open in both the left and right directions. The left front tooth 102a is inserted into the left part of the groove 50a, and the right front tooth 102b is inserted into the right part of the groove 50a. The width (dimension in the front-rear direction) and depth (dimension in the up-down direction) of the groove 50a are set so that the front teeth 102a, 102b do not wobble when inserted. For example, the width dimension of the groove 50a is set slightly shorter than the thickness dimension of the front teeth 102a, 102b. As a result, when the covering portion 50 is placed on the front teeth 102a, 102b, the covering portion 50 is difficult to separate from the front teeth 102a, 102b, and is fixed to the front teeth 102a, 102b.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 8, the first fixing part 51 and the second fixing part 52 are attached to the front part of the cover part 50 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. That is, a right guide groove 50b for guiding the first fixing part 51 in the left-right direction is formed in the right part of the front surface of the cover part 50 so as to extend in the left-right direction. The first fixing part 51 is in the form of a plate extending in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The upper edge and the lower edge of the first fixing part 51 are in a state of being slidably engaged with the right guide groove 50b. In addition, a left guide groove 50c for guiding the second fixing part 52 in the left-right direction is formed in the left part of the front surface of the cover part 50 so as to extend in the left-right direction. The second fixing part 52 is also in the form of a plate extending in the up-down direction and the left-right direction like the first fixing part 51. The upper edge and the lower edge of the second fixing part 52 are in a state of being slidably engaged with the left guide groove 50c.

[0037] The first fixing portion 51 has a first insertion hole 51a through which the tip side of the first thread-like member 3 is inserted. The second fixing portion 52 has a second insertion hole 52a through which the tip side of the second thread-like member 4 is inserted.

[0038] 4 shows a state in which the tongue retainer 1 according to the first embodiment is used. When using the tongue retainer 1 according to the first embodiment, the tongue 100 is inserted into the tongue attachment part 2 to attach the tongue attachment part 2 to the tongue 100. After that, the front teeth 102a and 102b are inserted into the covering part 50 of the fixing part 5 to fix the covering part 50 to the front teeth 102a and 102b. At this time, the first fixing part 51 is slid to the right, and the second fixing part 52 is slid to the left. After the covering part 50 is fixed to the front teeth 102a and 102b as shown in FIG. 5A of FIG. 5, the tip side of the first thread-like member 3 is passed between the front teeth 102b and 102d and inserted into the first insertion hole 51a of the first fixing part 51 as shown in FIG. 5B. 5C, when the first fixing part 51 is slid to the left, the tip side of the first thread-like member 3 is sandwiched and held between the first fixing part 51 and the front surface of the covering part 50. Also, the tip side of the second thread-like member 4 is passed between the front teeth 102a and 102c and inserted into the second insertion hole 52a of the second fixing part 52. When the second fixing part 52 is slid to the right, the tip side of the second thread-like member 4 is sandwiched and held between the second fixing part 52 and the front surface of the covering part 50.

[0039] When the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 are fixed to the fixing part 5, the lengths of the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 from the tongue attachment part 2 to the fixing part 5 are set so that the tongue 100 is pulled upward. This causes the tongue 100 to move upward from a low position and be held at a desired position on the back of the upper jaw 101, so that the tongue 100 returns to its original position, improving mouth breathing and increasing the amount of saliva secreted.

[0040] (Embodiment 2) 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a tongue retaining device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is in use. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a magnetic force is used to retain the tongue 100. In the following, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted, and the different parts are explained in detail.

[0041] The tongue retaining device 1 of the second embodiment includes a tongue attachment part 2, a first thread-like member 3 and a second thread-like member 4, The device comprises a first permanent magnet 7 attached to the tip side of the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4, and a second permanent magnet 8 provided on the back of the upper jaw 101 or the back of the upper front teeth 102 to which the first permanent magnet 7 is attracted. In the illustrated example, the second permanent magnet 8 is fixed to the back of the upper front teeth 102 with an adhesive or the like, but the second permanent magnet 8 may be embedded in the back of the upper jaw 101 by cutting the back of the upper jaw 101. The second permanent magnet 8 is provided in advance on the back of the upper jaw 101 or the back of the upper front teeth 102.

[0042] After the tongue attachment part 2 is attached to the tongue 100, the first permanent magnet 7 is attracted to the second permanent magnet 8, whereby the tongue 100 moves up from a lower position and is held at a desired position on the back of the upper jaw 101. The lengths of the first thread-like member 3 and the second thread-like member 4 are set so that the tongue 100 can be held at a desired position on the back of the upper jaw 101 with the first permanent magnet 7 attracted to the second permanent magnet 8.

[0043] (Embodiment 3) 10 to 12 show a tongue retaining device 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The tongue retaining device 1 according to the third embodiment includes a pocket 30 in which the tip side of the tongue is accommodated and retained, a guide member 40 that is fixed to the back side of the upper teeth (shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 10) and extends along the upper tooth row while guiding the pocket 30 in a direction along the upper tooth row, and biasing members 60, 61 that bias the pocket 30 towards the center in the left-right direction.

[0044] The pocket 30 is made of, for example, an elastic material or a resin material, and is open toward the rear. By inserting a tongue into the inside of the pocket 30 from this opening, the tongue is held in the state inserted in the pocket 30.

[0045] The guide member 40 has a plurality of fixed attachments 41, a wire 42, and a pipe member 43. The fixed attachments 41 are members that are fixed to the back sides of the upper teeth. The number of fixed attachments 41 can be set as desired, and may be the same number as the number of upper teeth, or may be a different number. When fixing the fixed attachments 41 to the back sides of the upper teeth, adhesive or the like may be used in the same manner as in the case of fixing a conventional orthodontic appliance to the teeth.

[0046] The wire 42 extends along the upper row of teeth, is disposed behind the upper teeth, and is fixed at multiple points in the longitudinal direction to the fixed attachments 41. The material of the wire 42 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include metal, resin, etc.

[0047] The pipe member 43 is a member for forming a space R (shown in Figs. 11 and 12) extending along the upper row of teeth. That is, the pipe member 43 extends along the upper row of teeth, is disposed on the back side of the upper teeth, and is fixed to the wire 42. A slit 43a extending along the upper row of teeth is formed in a portion of the pipe member 43 located on the inside of the oral cavity.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 12, an insertion portion 30a is formed at the front end of the pocket 30 so as to protrude forward and be inserted into a slit 43a of a pipe member 43. The insertion portion 30a is movable within the slit 43a along the direction in which the slit 43a extends. An enlarged portion 30b is formed at the front end of the insertion portion 30a and is longer in the up-down direction than the insertion portion 30a. The enlarged portion 30b is disposed within the space R of the pipe member 43 and is movable within the space R along the direction in which the pipe member 43 extends.

[0049] The biasing members include a left biasing member 60 located on the left side of the enlarged portion 30b of the pocket 30, and a right biasing member 61 located on the right side of the enlarged portion 30b of the pocket 30. The left biasing member 60 and the right biasing member 61 are composed of coil springs. The left biasing member 60 is housed in a portion to the left of the enlarged portion 30b in the space R of the pipe member 43, and the contraction direction thereof corresponds to the extension direction of the pipe member 43. The right biasing member 61 is housed in a portion to the right of the enlarged portion 30b in the space R of the pipe member 43, and the contraction direction thereof corresponds to the extension direction of the pipe member 43.

[0050] The left-side biasing member 60 constantly biases the expanded portion 30b of the pocket 30 to the right. The right-side biasing member 61 constantly biases the expanded portion 30b of the pocket 30 to the left. The biasing forces of the left-side biasing member 60 and the right-side biasing member 61 are set so as to position the expanded portion 30b of the pocket 30 at the longitudinal center (frontmost portion) of the pipe member 43. This allows the pocket 30 to be positioned at the longitudinal center of the pipe member 43 without any external force acting on the pocket 30. The biasing forces of the left-side biasing member 60 and the right-side biasing member 61 can be set to be the same.

[0051] According to this embodiment 3, the tongue retaining device 1 can be attached to the back of the upper teeth when used. After the tongue retaining device 1 is attached, the tip of the tongue is inserted into the pocket 30, whereby the tongue is retained in the state of being inserted in the pocket 30. Since the pocket 30 is located behind the upper jaw, the tongue moves from a low position to an upward position and is retained in a desired position behind the upper jaw, and the tongue returns to its original position.

[0052] In addition, by repeatedly moving the tongue back and forth against the biasing forces of the left biasing member 60 and the right biasing member 61, the tongue can be trained, and the strength of the tongue muscles can be improved.

[0053] The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0054] As described above, the tongue-retaining device according to the present invention can be used by people with low tongue position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Tongue retention device 2 Tongue attachment part 3 First filament 4 Second filament 5 Fixed part 7 First permanent magnet 8 Second permanent magnet 30 Pockets 43 Pipe members 60 Left side biasing member 61 Right side biasing member

Claims

1. A tongue retaining device for retaining the tongue in a desired position behind the upper mouth, comprising: A tongue attachment part that is made of an elastic member formed to surround a portion of the tongue that is forward of the central portion in the front-rear direction and is attached to the tongue; A thread-like member having a base end connected to the tongue attachment portion; A tongue retaining device comprising a fixing portion attached to the tip side of the filamentous member and fixed to the upper front teeth.

2. 2. The tongue retention device of claim 1, The thread-shaped member includes a first thread-shaped member and a second thread-shaped member connected to different portions of the tongue attachment portion, The fixing portion is attached to the tip side of the first thread-like member and the tip side of the second thread-like member.

3. 3. The tongue retention device of claim 2, A base end side of the first thread-like member is connected to an upper side of the tongue attachment portion, A tongue holding device, wherein the base end side of the second thread-like member is connected to the underside of the tongue attachment portion.

4. 3. The tongue retention device of claim 2, The fixing portion of the tongue retaining device includes a covering portion that is placed over the upper left and right front teeth, a first fixing portion to which the tip side of the first filamentous member is fixed, and a second fixing portion to which the tip side of the second filamentous member is fixed.

5. A tongue retaining device for retaining the tongue in a desired position behind the upper mouth, comprising: A tongue attachment part that is made of an elastic member formed to surround a portion of the tongue that is forward of the central portion in the front-rear direction and is attached to the tongue; A thread-like member having a base end connected to the tongue attachment portion; A first permanent magnet attached to a tip side of the thread-shaped member; A tongue retaining device comprising: a second permanent magnet provided on the back of the upper jaw or the back of the upper front teeth, and to which the first permanent magnet is attracted.

6. A tongue retaining device for retaining the tongue in a desired position behind the upper mouth, comprising: A pocket in which the tip side of the tongue is held in a contained state; A guide member that is fixed to the rear side of the upper teeth, extends along the upper tooth row, and guides the pocket in a direction along the upper tooth row; A tongue retaining device comprising a biasing member that biases the pocket toward the center in the left-right direction.

7. 7. The tongue retention device of claim 6, The guide member has a pipe member that forms a space extending along the upper row of teeth, The tongue retaining device, wherein the biasing member is a coil spring housed in the space of the pipe member.

8. 8. The tongue retention device of claim 7, The tongue retaining device, wherein the biasing members include a left biasing member located on a left side of the pocket and a right biasing member located on a right side of the pocket.

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