JP2023113744A - Food product for tongue muscle training and tongue muscle training method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a food product and a training method of a tongue muscle which can train a tongue muscle without choosing a place and a time.SOLUTION: A food product for tongue muscle training is composed of a sheet-like food product obtained by forming a slowly-soluble material containing a water-soluble material as a main raw material into a sheet, or by stacking a slowly-soluble material and the other material to form a sheet. The sheet-like food product has thickness of 20 μm or more and less than 100 μm, and at least one of a surface and a rear face of the sheet-like food product is composed of a surface where a projection is not formed so as to adhere to the inner surface of an oral cavity. A tongue muscle training method adheres the sheet-like food product to at least an outside surface of a tooth row of an upper jaw or a tooth row of a lower jaw, or both tooth rows of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, and slowly solves the sheet-like food product by licking with the surface or rear face of a tongue. Not only the outside surface but also the inside surface is similarly usable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a tongue muscle training food and a tongue muscle training method.

Tongue movement exerts important functions in mastication and swallowing during eating, and also in other movements such as breathing and sliding the tongue. This movement of the tongue is due to the muscles of the tongue, but as muscle strength declines with age, chewing power decreases, causing trouble in smooth swallowing (aspiration), and sinking of the base of the tongue during sleep. It was also a cause of apnea syndrome due to congestion. Moreover, in recent years, attention has been paid to the function of the tongue muscle in cosmetic aspects such as a double chin and nasolabial folds. Therefore, in order to improve the strength of the tongue muscles, training methods that use the tongue consciously have been introduced in various fields.

In order to train the tongue muscle, a method has been devised in which the trainee consciously licks the surface of the maxillary or mandibular dentition with the tongue (see Non-Patent Document 1). However, when the trainee consciously licks the upper jaw tooth row or the like with the tongue, the effect is different depending on the strength of the will to the training because it is entrusted to the autonomy of the trainee. Therefore, a training device for training this type of muscle has been developed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-67732 A

http://every-day-life. com/tongue-muscle/

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 relating to the above-mentioned training device, a device made of an elastic elastomer is inserted into the oral cavity, and a part of the device (the occlusal portion) reaches the first molars and is chewed. It is used for To train the tongue muscles, the tongue is used to push up the portion (tongue support) projecting obliquely downward from the occlusal portion.

However, when using this type of device to train the tongue muscles, the device must be inserted into the oral cavity. The support part) must be kept clean and can be used at home, but is unsuitable for carrying and using when going out. In addition, since it is made of elastic elastomer, even if it can be elastically deformed as appropriate, there are individual differences in the size of the oral cavity and the length of the tongue, and it was necessary to select the size of the device itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a food and a method for training the muscles of the tongue that can train the muscles of the tongue regardless of place and time. .

Therefore, the present invention related to a tongue muscle training food is a sheet-shaped food made of a slowly soluble material made only from a water-soluble material or a slowly soluble material mainly made from a water-soluble material, or a sheet-shaped food made from a desired food material. A sheet-shaped food product obtained by laminating or supporting the slow-dissolving material on the surface of a sheet-like base material layer, or a sheet-like product obtained by laminating the slow-dissolving material and the same or different slow-dissolving material or other food material. It is characterized by being constituted by a sheet-like food that has been rolled.

Since the food for tongue muscle training of the present invention itself is a food, it can be hygienically stored by individual packaging or the like, and it is also hygienic because new food can be eaten each time it is used. is. In addition, since the food for tongue muscle training of the present invention has the above structure, by attaching a sheet-like food made of a slowly soluble material (or a laminate of this and other materials) to the dentition, it is possible to use the tongue. By gradually dissolving the sheet-like food attached to the teeth, the food can be eaten while training the tongue.

The slow-dissolving material may be a water-soluble material alone, or may be a water-soluble material as a main raw material to which supplement components, food additives, and the like are added. In addition, the sheet-shaped food may be formed by forming only the slow-dissolving material into a sheet, or by making a sheet of an appropriately selected desired food material, and then laminating or supporting the slowly-dissolving material on the surface thereof. It may be configured to Supporting at this time may be a state in which the slowly soluble material powder is fixed using the adhesiveness of the substrate layer, or a state in which a sol-formed slowly soluble material is applied and gelled. Further, the sheet-like food may be obtained by laminating another food material on the sheet-like slow-dissolving material. In this case, other food materials include the same kind of slow-dissolving material laminated for wall thickness adjustment, etc., and the case where different kinds of slow-dissolving material are laminated. Foods that are extremely difficult to dissolve may be layered. When using a food that does not have slow-dissolving properties or is extremely difficult to dissolve, the food can be chewed and eaten after the slowly-dissolving material portion has dissolved. The other food materials are not limited in terms of food type, raw materials, etc., as long as the shape is stable at room temperature.

Note that the sheet-like food in which the slow-dissolving material and other food materials are laminated includes other food materials coated with the slow-dissolving material, and the slow-dissolving material is exclusively laminated on the surface. By laminating the slowly soluble material on the surface, the adhesion to the surface of the dentition is improved, and the food inside can be eaten after the slowly soluble material on the surface disappears.

By the way, water-soluble materials include starch, starch derivatives, glutinous rice, rice flour, agar, gelatin, carrageenan, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, furcellaria gum, gellan gum, guar gum, cassia gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, and psyllium seed. One or more of gum, azotobacter binerangie gum, pectin, konjac mannan, sodium alginate, curdlan, soybean protein, zein, casein, pullulan and cellulose derivatives can be selected and used. If the shape is not stable with a single material, a mixture of two materials can be used.

Slowly soluble materials include tea catechin, urea peroxide, lactic acid bacteria, vitamins, collagen, folic acid, enzymes, protein, α-linolenic acid, protein, anthocyanin, polyphenol, placenta, glucosamine, chondroitin, zinc, proteoglycan, At least one or more of magnesium, turmeric and food sweeteners may be contained.

Containing the above substances in the slowly soluble material means that the above substances are added to the water-soluble material. effect can be obtained. For example, tea catechins can kill bacteria in the oral cavity and exert the effect of preventing bad breath, and urea peroxide can exert the effect of whitening teeth. In addition, by adding substances such as vitamins and collagen that are usually ingested as granular supplement foods, it is possible to ingest these supplement foods while training the tongue muscles.

The sheet-like food can be produced as a concept food selected from candy, rice cake, dumpling, candy, chewing gum, gummy candy, chewing candy and wafer. Gummy candies and chewing candies are familiar as relatively soft foods, and wafers are familiar as easy-to-deform sheet-shaped foods. can. In addition, candy, candy, etc., which are considered to be non-deformable foods, can be used by shaping them so that they can be attached to the dentition. Chewing gum is a food product that is ejected after chewing, but can be made into a product that can be chewed and eaten after tongue muscle training. When this chewing gum is bubble gum, performing an operation of blowing up a balloon in addition to normal mastication can effectively train the muscles of the tongue. In other words, when inflating bubble gum, it is necessary to move the tip of the tongue out from the upper and lower lips. Together, it is possible to obtain training effects for various tongue muscles.

It is preferable that the sheet-like food is formed in a laterally long rectangular shape in order to produce the above-mentioned various foods. Further, it is preferable that the product is folded in half along the longitudinal fold line depending on the product. Further, it is preferable that the sheet is folded in two along the center line along the longitudinal direction, and the long side edges are folded inward along the two folding lines along the longitudinal direction. In particular, in the case of hard-to-deform products such as candies and candies, it is preferable that the length or shape be configured according to the dental arch of the upper or lower jaw.

Further, in the case of producing the various foods described above, the sheet-like food may be formed in an arbitrary shape with an appropriate area, in which case projections having appropriate intervals are formed on at least one side surface. can be configured with

In the case of the above configuration, instead of attaching the sheet-like food to the dental arch, the sheet-like food is attached to the inner surface of the maxillary dentition excluding the teeth, and the tip of the tongue is moved to gradually dissolve it. method becomes possible. When the protrusions are formed on one side surface of the sheet-like food, it is possible to perceive the gradual change of the protrusions from the tip of the tongue by moving the tip of the tongue (slow dissolution). It is also possible to train the tip of the tongue with the goal of In addition, since it is a structure having a protrusion on at least one surface, it is sufficient that the surface on the side where the tip of the tongue hits has a protrusion, and the other surface may or may not have a protrusion. .

The sheet-like food may be formed by laminating two sheets of the same kind or different kinds, and the projection may have a hollow inside. In this way, when the protrusion is configured in a hollow state, the protrusion can be destroyed (slowly burst) by pressing the tip of the tongue against the protrusion with an appropriate amount of force. It is possible to perform training to apply moderate force to the tip of the tongue. In addition, when two sheets are laminated to make the protrusion hollow, the sheet on the side that constitutes the protrusion has a thickness that can be appropriately broken (ruptured) according to the force with which the tip of the tongue is pressed. It will be done.

Furthermore, the sheet-like food formed in an arbitrary shape with an appropriate area can be formed in a substantially dome shape as a whole. In the case of such a configuration, it is possible to attach the dome-shaped sheet-like food to the tip of the tongue. When the sheet-shaped food is attached to the tip of the tongue, it is necessary to bring the tip of the tongue into sliding contact with some surface in the oral cavity in order to slowly dissolve the sheet-shaped food. The training effect of the tongue muscle can be obtained by making it slide on any surface such as the maxillary surface of the tongue. Since the sliding contact surface in this case is arbitrary, it can be started from a position close to the tip of the tongue and gradually changed to the back side according to the developmental state of the tongue muscle.

On the other hand, the present invention, which relates to a method for using a tongue muscle training food, is a method for using the tongue muscle training food according to any one of the above, wherein the sheet-like food is applied to the maxillary dentition, the mandibular dentition, or the maxillary dentition. and at least the outer surface of both dentitions of the mandible, and slowly dissolved by licking with the surface or underside of the tongue. In this case, in addition to the case where the whole sheet-shaped food is slowly dissolved, the case where the remaining portion is chewed and eaten after slowly dissolving an appropriate amount of the food is included.

According to the above configuration, the food for tongue muscle training is attached to at least the outer surface (labial side surface) of one or both of the dentitions of the upper jaw and the lower jaw. In order to lick and slowly dissolve, the tongue must be extended and the tip of the tongue must be extended upward or downward. For such tongue movement, it is necessary to make the tongue muscle work strongly, and as a result, the tongue muscle can be activated and a training effect can be obtained. Naturally, the tongue muscle training food can also be adhered to the inner surface of the maxillary and mandibular teeth (surface on the throat side) at the same time. This will also get the training effect of the tongue muscles.

In addition, when the sheet-shaped food is rice cake, dumpling, gummy candy or chewing gum, the whole sheet-shaped food is not eaten only by slowly dissolving, but an appropriate part of the surface is slowly dissolved. It is also possible to let the whole body rest and then eat the remainder by chewing. Furthermore, when the sheet-like food is chewing gum and the chewing gum is bubble gum, there is also a method of use in which an operation such as inflating the bubble gum is added.

By the way, the muscles of the tongue are divided into the extrinsic muscles (genioglossus, hyoglossus, and styloglossus) and the internal muscles (superior, inferior, transverse, and vertical). It is said that the extrinsic muscle is a muscle that moves the position of the tongue, and the extrinsic muscle is a muscle that changes the shape of the tongue. Among these muscles, the genioglossus muscle is a muscle that controls the tongue downward and protrudes the tongue forward. It is said to cause respiratory syndrome. In addition, the styloglossus muscle is a muscle for forming a depression (concave) on the surface of the tongue during swallowing. Therefore, by training these, it will be effective in preventing aspiration and preventing sleep apnea syndrome.

In addition, the present invention, which relates to the method of use in the case where the food for tongue muscle training is folded in two, is capable of simultaneously attaching the two sheet portions that are folded in two and face each other to both the inner and outer surfaces of the dentition. It is characterized by slow dissolution by licking with the surface or back of the tongue.

In the case of the above configuration, since the food for tongue muscle training is folded in two in advance, it can be attached to both the front and back sides of the dentition of the upper jaw or the lower jaw at the same time, so that the front and back sides of the dentition are evenly distributed. By licking the food with the tongue and eating it, the tongue muscle is activated as a whole, and a training effect for the entire tongue muscle can be obtained.

In any method of use, it is effective to attach the sheet-like food to each of the maxillary and mandibular dentitions. They may be attached at the same time. When they are attached simultaneously, they may be attached only to either the outer surface or the inner surface of the dentition, or may be attached to both the front and back surfaces at the same time.

Furthermore, in the case where the tongue muscle training food is in the form of a sheet-like food having an appropriate area and an arbitrary shape, the invention pertaining to the method for using the sheet-like food is placed on the back side of the maxillary dentition. It is characterized by being adhered to the intraoral surface and gradually dissolved by licking it with the surface of the tongue.

In the case of the above configuration, since the sheet-like food is attached to the oral cavity surface on the back side of the maxillary dentition, it is possible to lick the food while bending the tongue further upward, thereby training the tongue muscles. effect can be obtained. In particular, in the case of a configuration having projections, the tip of the tongue can be moved with the aim of eliminating the projections, and achievement of the target can be used as a guideline for ending training. In addition, when the protrusion is hollow, it is possible to destroy (rupture) the protrusion by pressing the tip of the tongue with an appropriate amount of force. effect can also be obtained.

In addition, the tongue muscle training food is formed by attaching the inside of the sheet-shaped food formed in a substantially dome shape to the tip of the tongue together, and bringing the tip of the tongue into sliding contact with an arbitrary surface in the oral cavity with the sheet-shaped food interposed therebetween. It is characterized by slow dissolution by the surface of the tongue.

According to the above configuration, the sheet-like food is attached to the tip of the tongue instead of being attached to the oral cavity, and the tip of the tongue is brought into sliding contact with any surface in the oral cavity to slowly dissolve. Appropriate training is possible according to the state of In this case, immediately after the start of use, it is brought into sliding contact with the row of teeth or its vicinity, and in the case of further training of the tongue muscles through continuous use, the tip of the tongue is brought into sliding contact with an appropriate surface on the back side of the oral cavity as appropriate. can be changed.

According to the tongue muscle training food of the present invention, since it is basically a food that slowly dissolves with saliva like gummy candy and wafers, it is eaten with the tongue while attached to the dentition. Free time can be used to assist in training without the necessary equipment. In particular, in the case of foods containing food sweeteners that give a refreshing feeling, they can be used in the same way as foods eaten for refreshment during breaks at work, etc., and contain substances inoculated as other supplement foods. In the case of foods, a supplement effect can be obtained at the same time.

According to the tongue muscle training method of the present invention, since no special equipment or the like is used, the tongue muscle can be trained anywhere and at any time. In addition, by eating food that has adhered to the outer surface of the tooth row, the genioglossus muscle, which is the muscle that protrudes the tongue forward, can be trained, and a preventive effect against sleep apnea syndrome can be obtained. . Similarly, by moving the tongue from side to side, the styloglossus muscle can be trained, the muscular strength for normal swallowing can be cultivated, and the effect of preventing aspiration can be obtained.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a tongue muscle training food. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing various forms of food for tongue muscle training. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the state of use of the food for tongue muscle training. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a method for using the tongue muscle training food. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a method for using the tongue muscle training food. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a third embodiment of the food for tongue muscle training. (a) is a cross-sectional view along the VIIA-VIIA line in FIG. 6, (b) is a cross-sectional view along the VIIB-VIIB line in FIG. It is an explanatory view showing an embodiment. (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing a fourth embodiment of the tongue muscle training food, and (c) is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment relating to a method of use when these are used.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention relating to food for tongue muscle training. FIG. 1(a) illustrates the tongue muscle training food 100 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) illustrates the tongue muscle training food of the second embodiment. .

<First embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 1(a), the food for tongue muscle training 100 of the first embodiment is composed of a sheet-like food 1 made of a slowly soluble material in the form of a sheet. This sheet-like food 1 is in a horizontally long, substantially rectangular shape so that it can be attached along the dentition of the upper or lower jaw, and the length of the long side is equal to or slightly shorter than the length of the dentition. , the length of the short side is equal to or slightly shorter than the length of the crown. Further, the sheet-like food 1 is entirely made of a slow-dissolving material, and the main raw material is a water-soluble material. The slowly soluble material may be made from only water-soluble material.

Water-soluble materials include starch, starch derivatives, glutinous rice, rice flour, agar, gelatin, carrageenan, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, furcellaria gum, gellan gum, guar gum, cassia gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, psyllium seed gum, Azotobacter vinerandii gum, pectin, konjac mannan, sodium alginate, curdlan, soy protein, zein, casein, pullulan and cellulose derivatives can be mentioned, and one or more of these raw materials can be selected. preferable.

The above-mentioned water-soluble materials may be materials such as wafers that dissolve relatively quickly due to starch or starch derivatives, and materials that have the property of transitioning from sol to gel due to temperature changes (thermoreversible gel). By containing it, the dissolution time may be relatively long. When this thermoreversible gel is added, the solution is adjusted in the sol temperature range, and the food is slowly dissolved while maintaining a predetermined shape by drying by drying after molding as appropriate. Materials of this type include agar, gelatin, carrageenan, etc. In any case, the slowly soluble material can be obtained by drying while shaping the solution. In addition, when glutinous rice or rice flour is used, it can be processed into foods such as rice cakes and dumplings. Can be used as material.

Furthermore, the thickness T of the sheet-like food 1 can be adjusted according to the length of time for the water-soluble material itself to dissolve, and the time for dissolving in the oral cavity can be adjusted. For example, in the case of food such as wafers made of starch or the like, the thickness T is set to 40 μm to prolong the dissolution time. is 20 μm, the dissolution time may be shortened. When glutinous rice or rice flour is used, the dissolution time can be shortened by making it thinner.

The selection of the thickness T is based on the dissolution time in the case of using a starch-based wafer, and when using the wafer, the thickness T should be in the range of 30 μm to 50 μm. , the balance between the time required for training the tongue muscle and the dissolution time was the best. Although it is called a sheet shape, it may be called a film shape because the thickness T is thin, but both are in a flexible and deformable state.

The above water-soluble materials include tea catechin, urea peroxide, lactic acid bacteria, vitamins, collagen, folic acid, enzymes, protein, α-linolenic acid, protein, anthocyanin, polyphenol, placenta, glucosamine, chondroitin, zinc, proteoglycan, At least one of magnesium, turmeric and food sweeteners may be contained. That is, the slow-dissolving material can contain the aforementioned additive substances by appropriately selecting them.

The above-mentioned additive substances are added in order to promote specific functions individually. For example, tea catechins are added to reduce bacteria in the oral cavity, and urea peroxide is added to enhance the whitening effect of the crown. Other additive substances are added to obtain a supplement effect by ingestion. In addition to the additive substances listed above, other substances may be added. For example, by adding a fruit extract or the like, a slow-dissolving material with a fruity taste can be obtained.

The sheet-shaped food 1 shown above is basically a deformable sheet having a thickness of several tens of micrometers. Therefore, the sheet-like food 1 can be deformed appropriately and attached along the row of teeth in a laterally long state. Examples of sheet-like foods include candy, mochi, dumplings, candy, chewing gum, gummy candy, chewing candy, wafers, and the like. Foods falling into these categories can be made into products, but are limited to these. not to be

In the case of a sheet-shaped food that can be eaten by slowly dissolving the whole, as described above, it is basically desirable to have a thickness of several tens of μm, but only a part is slowly dissolved, In the case of a sheet-like food whose remainder is chewed, it may be made thicker depending on its flexibility and solubility. For example, the thickness can be 1 mm to 5 mm. For example, candies, rice cakes, dumplings, gummy candies, etc., may become difficult to handle if they are made thin, and may be difficult to dissolve as a whole. shall be allowed. In this case, the whole may be composed of a single material, but the surface and the main body may be composed of different layers.

<Second embodiment>
On the other hand, the tongue muscle training food 200 of the second embodiment is in a state in which the sheet-like food 1 is folded in two, as shown in FIG. 1(b). As shown in the figure, it may be configured in advance to match the shape of the row of teeth, but simply increasing the length of the short sides of the first embodiment 1 and folding lines along the long sides ( center line) may be folded in half. When the amount of thermoreversible gel such as agar added is large, it is not easy to deform. Since it is flexible, it is preferable to make it into a sheet shape folded in two, together with the thickness T.

In the case of forming a shape along the tooth row, two plane portions 11 and 12 are formed, and a groove portion 13 is formed in order to form a gap H between them in which the entire dental arch can be inserted. The Rukoto. Since the flat portions 11 and 12 are not a little deformable due to their thin wall thickness T, the groove portion 13 is not required to match the user's personal dental arch. That is, it is sufficient that the groove portion 13 is formed to such an extent that the entire general dental arch can be inserted.

The details of the first embodiment 100 and the second embodiment 200 described above will be described. FIGS. 2A and 2B show the respective forms, FIGS. 2A and 2B show end faces of specific forms in the first embodiment 100, and FIGS. 2C to 2E. shows an end surface portion of a specific form in the second embodiment 200. FIG.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2(a) is a form of a single sheet as described above. The sheet-like food 1 may be made of a single raw material, mixed with a plurality of raw materials, or containing additives.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2(b), the sheet-like food 1 similar to that described above is laminated on another material 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. The other material 2 is, for example, gum base. A vinyl acetate resin, polyisobutylene, or the like can be used as the gum base. By arranging the gum base in the center and laminating the sheet-like food 1 on both sides, firstly, it can be used without distinguishing between the front and back sides, and secondly, one of the sheet-like foodstuffs 1 is attached to the dentition. , and the other sheet-like food 1 can be subjected to slow dissolution by the tongue (saliva). In addition, since the central layer 2 is not a slow-dissolving material, after the surface sheet-like food 1 is dissolved by saliva, it can be eaten as an original food (chewing gum, etc.).

In the case of food that is chewed and eaten after slow dissolution, such as chewing gum, the mastication itself serves as a training for the tongue muscles. Can be trained further. That is, inflating the bubble gum requires an unusual tongue movement. Therefore, the action of moving the tongue along the dentition in slow dissolution and the action of inflating the balloon are combined to enable efficient training of the tongue muscles.

In the case of hard-to-dissolve foods such as candies, rice cakes, and gummy candies, the surface layer 1 and the main body layer 2 may be laminated. In this case, both layers 1 and 2 may be made of the same material or may be made of different materials. Basically, the material of the surface layer 1 is made of a material that dissolves more easily than the material of the main body layer 2, so that after the surface layer 1 has slowly dissolved, the main body layer 2 is chewed and eaten. can be done. At this time, if the taste of the surface layer 1 and the body layer 2 is changed, it can be easily guessed that the surface layer 1 has dissolved. The material to be laminated (main body layer 2 only) is not limited to the above-exemplified materials, and any food that is stable in shape at room temperature can be used. When using a food that is difficult to dissolve, it can be eaten by chewing after the surface layer 1 has dissolved.

Furthermore, when the main body layer 2 is used as a base material layer, the main body layer 2 is a desired food material (for example, rice cakes, Japanese sweets, etc.), and the surface layer 1 made of a slowly soluble material can be laminated on the surface. Further, the surface layer 1 may be formed by supporting powder of slowly soluble material. That is, the same effect can be obtained if the main body layer 2 is in the form of a suitable sheet and the slowly soluble material is present on its surface. When the main body layer (substrate layer) 2 is sticky, the powder of the slowly soluble material is fixed by using the stickiness of the body layer (substrate layer) 2. It also includes the case where the slowly soluble material is gelled in the applied state, and the slowly soluble material exists in a thin film state on the whole or part of the surface of the main body layer (base material layer) 2 .

FIGS. 2(c) to (e) are specific forms of the second embodiment, but the individual sheet-shaped foods constituting these are single-layered as shown in FIG. 2(a) or (b). Both molds and multilayers can be used. Descriptions of this kind are omitted in the descriptions of individual specific forms.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2(c) is simply folded in half. The fold line at this time is the central portion (central line) 3 along the longitudinal direction. In the case of the embodiment 200 in such a folded state, the flat portions 11 and 12 can be adhered to the front and back of the tooth row at the same time.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2(d) is a form in which the folded form is further folded inward. In this embodiment, the central portion (central line) 3 along the longitudinal direction is the first fold line, and the two fold lines 4 and 5 along the longitudinal direction are the two fold lines 4 and 5. By folding back, flat portions 11 and 12 are formed with the long side edges facing inward. In this case, for example, even when a multi-layered sheet-like food (Fig. 2(b)) is used, the slowly soluble material is not necessarily laminated on both sides, and the slowly soluble material is laminated only on one side, If this slow-dissolving material layer is configured as the outermost layer, it can be slowly dissolved by the tongue (saliva) while adhering to the dentition surface.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2(e) has a shape in which a gap H corresponding to the dental arch is opened in advance. Basically, it is partially opened when using the double-folded form shown in FIG. can be

Since the embodiments of the tongue muscle training foods 100 and 200 are as described above, any of the tongue muscle training foods 100 and 200 are adhered to the dentition and slowly dissolved by the movement of the tongue (effect of saliva). can be made Due to the slow dissolution at this time, the material components are gradually taken into the oral cavity and become ingestible, so that it can be enjoyed as a food (a type of luxury item). By moving the tongue for this slow dissolution, a training effect for the tongue muscles is obtained.

Therefore, an embodiment relating to a method for using the tongue muscle training food will be described. FIG. 3(a) shows a state in which the above-described tongue muscle training food 100 is adhered to the outer surfaces of the maxillary dentition Aa and the mandibular dentition Ab as a representative example of the state of use. As described above, since the tongue muscle training food 100 of the first embodiment is formed in a sheet shape (not folded in half), it is attached horizontally along the rows of teeth Aa and Ab. be able to. The adhesion at this time is due to the slow dissolution of the surface of the sheet-like food by a small amount of saliva present on the surface of the dentition. That is, just before wearing, the surfaces of the dentitions Aa and Ab are moistened with saliva by licking the dentitions Aa and Ab. By slightly dissolving the slowly soluble material on the surface with this saliva, the sheet-like food can easily adhere to the surfaces of the dentitions Aa and Ab.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 3(a), one side surface of the tongue muscle training food 100 is attached to either one of the outer surface A1 and the inner surface A2 of the tooth A, or both. When attaching to both surfaces A1 and A2, individual tongue muscle training foods 100 are attached individually.

Further, when using the tongue muscle training food 200 folded in two, as shown in FIGS. It is attached to the inner surface A2 (Fig. 3(c)) and then the other planar portion 12 is attached to the outer surface A1 of tooth A (Fig. 3(d)). In this way, by individually attaching the tongue muscle training food 200 to both surfaces A1 and A2 of the tooth A instead of attaching them simultaneously, the attached food for tongue muscle training 200 is in a suitable state along the dental arch. The order of this attachment is not particularly limited, and the outer surface A1 may be attached first, and then the inner surface A2 may be attached.

As described above, once one of the foods for tongue muscle training 100, 200 is attached to the dentition, the tongue is then moved to lick the surface of the foods for tongue muscle training 100, 200. The manner of moving the tongue is such that the tip of the tongue reaches the entire surface of the food for tongue muscle training 100, 200 so that the slow-dissolving material is completely dissolved.

This operation is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(a), when licking the outer surface of the maxillary dentition Aa, the lower jaw C is protruded slightly, the tongue B is extended forward, and the tip of the tongue B1 is positioned between the upper lip Da and the dentition Aa. It pushes into. Furthermore, by moving the tip of the tongue B1 left and right along the dental arch while maintaining this state, the tip of the tongue B1 can reach the entire area. This action promotes the activity of the extrinsic muscles (genioglossus, hyoglossus, and styloglossus), and provides a training effect for the tongue muscles.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4(b), when licking the outer surface of the lower dentition Ab, the lower jaw C is slightly retracted, the entire tongue B is pulled back, and the tip of the tongue B1 is moved toward the lower lip Db and the teeth. Push it in between row Ab. At this time, the user can lick the outer surface of the row of teeth Ab with the back side of the tip B1 of the tongue. In this case also, by moving the tip of the tongue B1 left and right along the dental arch, the extrinsic muscles of the tongue are actively exercised, and the effect of training the tongue muscles can be obtained.

In general, the act of reaching the tip of the tongue B1 to the outer surfaces of the dentitions Aa and Ab is minimal, so it is possible to train the tongue muscles around the outer surfaces of the dentitions Aa and Ab at least as described above. Although it is preferable, it is effective in training the tongue muscles by exercising the tongue tip B1 together with the inner surfaces of the rows of teeth Aa and Ab.

In this case, when the tip of the tongue B1 reaches the inner surface of the maxillary dentition Aa, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the tip of the tongue B1 is lifted while pulling the tongue B backward. Also, when the tip of the tongue B1 reaches the inner surface of the mandibular row of teeth Ab, as shown in FIG. It works. In this state, by moving the tip of the tongue B1 left and right along the dental arch, the extrinsic muscle of the tongue is actively worked, and the effect of training the tongue muscle can be obtained.

The entire tongue muscle is trained by performing the movement of moving the tip of the tongue B1 evenly on the outside and inside of each of the upper and lower teeth Aa and Ab as described above several times a day. By exclusively training the extrinsic muscles, a preventive effect against sleep apnea syndrome can be obtained, and muscle strength for normal swallowing can be cultivated.

<Third Embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 6(a), the third embodiment of the tongue muscle training food is composed of, for example, a sheet-like food 1 having an oblong surface made of slowly soluble material. The surface shape of the sheet-like food 1 is not limited to an oval shape, but may be a rectangular shape, and various other shapes such as a daruma doll shape and a circular shape are possible. The food for tongue muscle training 300 configured in this way can be attached to any surface in the oral cavity and slowly dissolved using the tip of the tongue in that state.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c), a tongue muscle training food 400 having a plurality of relatively small protrusions 6 arranged at suitable intervals on one side surface (surface) 10a of the sheet-shaped food 1 is provided. may be configured. The protrusions 6 are, for example, cylindrical with a circular bottom surface having a diameter of 2 mm to 5 mm, and the distance between them can be set within a range of 1 mm to 3 mm. Then, when the surface of the sheet-like food 1 is a rectangle of 30 mm×20 mm, for example, the state having 12 protrusions 6 as shown in FIG. A state in which the projecting portion 6 is provided can be obtained. The surface shape of the sheet-like food 1 is not limited to a rectangle, but may be circular, elliptical, or any other shape. Also, the columnar protrusion 6 may be hollow.

When constructing the hollow protrusion 6, as shown in FIG. 6(d), two types of sheet-like foodstuffs 1A and 1B may be laminated. In this case, one sheet-like food 1A is used as a surface layer, and the other sheet-like food 1B is used as a main layer. By laminating, the projecting portion 6 can be made hollow. The two types of sheet-like foodstuffs 1A and 1B can be made of the same slow-dissolving material, or can be made of different materials and laminated.

In this way, in the form having the protrusions 6, for example, in addition to the form in which the protrusions 6 are simply formed from a single slowly soluble material, a plurality of slowly soluble materials may be layered. The protruding part 6 can be hollow as shown in FIG. 7(b), in addition to the structure in which the slowly soluble material protrudes as shown in FIG. 7(a).

As shown in FIG. 7(c), the training foods 300 and 400 in either form are adhered to the oral cavity surface on the back side of the maxillary dentition and slowly dissolved by the tip of the tongue. You train your muscles. In the case of the form without the protrusion 6, there is no distinction between the front and back, so if one surface is attached to the oral cavity surface, the other surface will be exposed in the direction of the tongue, and this surface will be exposed. It can be slowly dissolved by licking it with the tip of the tongue.

On the other hand, in the case of the form having the projections 6, by attaching the surface (back side) not forming the projections 6 to the intraoral surface, the surface of the side having the projections 6 (front side) ) is exposed in the direction of the tongue. Therefore, the protrusion 6 can be slowly dissolved by the tip of the tongue. Furthermore, when the protrusion 6 is hollow, it can be used to destroy (burst) the protrusion 6 by pressing the tip of the tongue against the protrusion 6 with an appropriate amount of force. Since the motion of pressing the tip of the tongue strongly against the oral cavity surface is not a motion in normal life, it improves the training effect of the tongue muscles.

Incidentally, the protrusions 6 may be provided on both side surfaces (the front surface 10a and the back surface 10b) of the sheet-like food 1. As shown in FIG. In this case, by setting the position of the protrusion 6 on the back surface 10b to a position where the protrusion 6 is not provided on the front surface 10a, pressing the flat portion on the front surface 10a side with the tip of the tongue can A tongue motion that destroys (ruptures) the protrusion 6 of the tongue is also required, and training involving more complicated tongue motions becomes possible.

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the fourth embodiment of the tongue muscle training food, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), for example, the sheet-like food 1 as a whole is substantially dome-shaped. The substantially dome shape means that the sheet-like food 1 has an arc-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. It is a concept that includes a bottomed tubular shape with a bottom portion and a side portion by folding the peripheral portion into a pleated shape. These sheet-like foodstuffs 1 having a substantially dome shape may be formed by forming with a forming die, or may be formed by drawing (drawing forming die). It is also possible to form the folded shape by drawing with a drawing die.

Thus, by forming the sheet-like food 1 into a substantially dome shape as a whole and setting the diameter of the opening to about 5 mm to 20 mm, it is possible to insert the tip of the tongue into the substantially dome-shaped interior. In other words, the tip of the tongue can be covered with the sheet-like food 1 . In addition, in the case of a shape having a fold-like portion, by expanding the fold-like portion, it is possible to increase the diameter of the opening according to the size of each individual tongue. When the tip of the tongue comes into contact with the sheet-like food 1, the surface of the food sheet 1 slightly melts, so that the tip of the tongue can be adhered to the tip of the tongue. In such a state in which the sheet-like food 1 is in close contact with the tip of the tongue, even if the tip of the tongue is brought into sliding contact with the intraoral surface, the sheet-like food 1 does not easily separate from the tip of the tongue and maintains the covering state. It is possible to move the tip of the tongue freely.

Therefore, when using the tongue muscle training food 500 having the above configuration, as shown in FIG. When the sheet-like food 1 is brought into sliding contact with the surface, the sheet-like food 1 gradually dissolves, and this action trains the muscles of the tongue. Furthermore, in the case of the training food 500 of this form, not only the tip of the tongue but also the body of the tongue is covered with the sheet-like food 1, so that only the tip of the tongue is used in a concentrated manner. By bringing the side part of the body into sliding contact with the intraoral surface, the substantially dome-shaped sheet-shaped food product 1 can be slowly dissolved as a whole. In this way, active movement of the tongue, such as changing the direction of the tip of the tongue, is required. Therefore, it is possible to improve the effect of training the tongue muscles through complex movements of the tongue.

This type of training food 500 may be sized to cover only a small portion of the tip of the tongue, as shown in the figure (FIG. 8(c)). It may have a size that can cover a wide range. In this case, the diameter of the opening of the sheet-like food 1 is made larger than the above.

Although the embodiments of the present invention are as described above, the above embodiments show examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Therefore, some of the constituent elements of this embodiment may be changed, or other elements may be added.

That is, in the above embodiment, it was explained that it can be eaten as food, but if these foods can be easily eaten as luxury goods, the purpose of ingesting luxury goods will be achieved. While you can get the training effect of the tongue muscle. Therefore, it can be used at the timing and place of ingestion of general luxury goods. For example, the tongue muscle training foods 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 can be eaten like gummy candies containing cooling agents that are eaten during breaks at work. Although the tongue muscle is trained, the tip of the tongue can be moved many times along the dental arch or in sliding contact with the oral cavity surface for about 1 minute. Because it can be melted and eaten whole.

1 sheet food (or surface layer)
1A sheet-like food (surface layer)
1B sheet-like food (body layer)
2 Other materials (gum base or body layer)
3 fold line (central part, center line)
4, 5 folding line 6 protrusion 10a surface (surface) of sheet-like food
10b Surface of sheet-like food (back surface)
11, 12 Plane portion 13 Groove portion 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 Tongue muscle training food A Teeth Aa, Ab Row of teeth B Tongue B1 Tip of tongue C Lower jaw Da Upper lip Db Lower lip E Oral surface (maxillary surface)
H Gap T Thickness

Claims (7)

A food for tongue muscle training that is attached to the intraoral surface on the back side of the maxillary dentition and can be dissolved at the tip of the tongue to train the tongue muscle, and is a slowly soluble food made only from a water-soluble material as a raw material. A sheet-like food made of a slowly soluble material whose main raw material is a material or a water-soluble material, and a sheet-like food obtained by laminating or carrying the slowly soluble material on the surface of a sheet-like base layer made of a desired food material. or a sheet-like food formed by laminating a slowly-dissolving material of the same or different kind as the slowly-dissolving material or other food material on the slowly-dissolving material, and the sheet-like food is meat having a thickness of 20 μm or more and less than 100 μm. A food for tongue muscle training, characterized in that it has a thickness, and at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the sheet-like food is constituted by a surface having no projections so as to adhere to an intraoral surface. The water-soluble materials include starch, starch derivatives, glutinous rice, rice flour, agar, gelatin, carrageenan, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, gum arabic, furcellaria gum, gellan gum, guar gum, cassia gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, psyllium seed gum, 2. Tongue muscle training according to claim 1, wherein the tongue muscle training is at least one selected from azotobacter vinerage gum, pectin, konjac mannan, sodium alginate, curdlan, soybean protein, zein, casein, pullulan and cellulose derivatives. Food for. The slowly soluble material further includes tea catechin, urea peroxide, lactic acid bacteria, vitamins, collagen, folic acid, enzymes, protein, α-linolenic acid, protein, anthocyanin, polyphenol, placenta, glucosamine, chondroitin, zinc, proteoglycan, magnesium, 3. The food for tongue muscle training according to claim 1, which contains at least one of turmeric and food sweeteners. The tongue muscle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sheet-shaped food is produced as a food selected from candy, rice cake, dumpling, candy, chewing gum, gummy candy, chewing candy and wafers. food for training. 3. The food for tongue muscle training according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble material is starch, the sheet-like food is wafer, and the thickness is in the range of 30 μm to 50 μm. The food for tongue muscle training according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sheet-like food is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape. 7. A tongue muscle training method using the tongue muscle training food according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the surface of the sheet-like food on which no projections are provided is placed from the upper jaw row of teeth. A training method for the tongue muscle, characterized by adhering it to the inner surface of the oral cavity on the back side and slowly dissolving it by licking it with the tip of the tongue.

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