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Tongue depressor

It is often necessary for an individual to undergo an examination of the mouth or upper throat, to facilitate a doctor or dentist in determining the cause of a particular ailment. The human tongue extends from an elevated arc area near the throat toward the tongue tip at the mouth. The arc area of the tongue must be depressed to obtain a good view of the throat. The sensitivity of the tongue is the highest at the arc near the base of the tongue and decreases toward the tip. The most common instrument for this examination is a tongue depressor which is used in conjunction with a light or other viewing device. A tongue depressor permits the examining of the pharynx when the tongue is moved downward, by a pressure exerted thereon. Tongue depressors also allow the reaching of the frenum labii and the frenum linguae, so that it is possible to examine these parts and surrounding regions, such as the gums, the internal mucous membrane of the lips and the mucous membrane of the mouth. The medical professional typically stores tongue depressors in a jar with a lid, or in a storage box for shipment as provided by the manufacturer. For example, a physician's examining room often times contains a jar of tongue depressors. Despite efforts to develop and manufacture tongue depressors of other materials, by far the most commonly used tongue depressors are those constructed of wood.

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