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Self-inflicted cosmetic tongue split: a case report.

Tim Bressmann¹

¹Graduate Department of speech-language pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. tim.bressmann@utoronto.ca

Journal (Canadian Dental Association)

|March 9, 2004

Summary

This case study assessed cosmetic tongue splitting effects on speech and tongue movement. Results show minimal impact on speech intelligibility and tongue motility despite mild scarring.

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Area of Science:

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Speech Pathology
Body Modification

Background:

Cosmetic tongue splitting is a body modification procedure with unknown functional consequences.
Understanding the impact on speech and tongue motility is crucial for assessing safety and patient outcomes.

Observation:

A case study interviewed and assessed one male patient who self-performed a tongue split.
Evaluations included speech intelligibility testing, tongue motility assessment, and 3D ultrasound imaging.

Findings:

Mildly reduced tongue motility was observed due to tissue scarring.
Speech remained fully intelligible, with only slight distortions of sibilants noted by some raters.
Ultrasound revealed preserved tongue side synergy and compensatory genioglossus furrowing.

Implications:

The tongue split procedure appears to have limited negative functional consequences on speech and motility.
Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm these findings.
This study provides initial insights for clinicians and individuals considering tongue splitting.

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