Tongue

It's not possible to fit ROS to a TPE doll the way you can with a silicone doll. That said, you can still improve the mouth by adding a tongue. For a TPE head, this is the only way to make the oral opening more realistic, so this upgrade carries more weight here than it does for silicone models.

How it works

This upgrade adds a movable tongue to the doll's mouth. The tongue is made from the same material as the rest of the doll's head (TPE or STPE). The tongue is movable, and can press against the upper palate. With some brands you can even pull it out slightly (as if the doll is sticking her tongue out).

Note that, depending on the brand, the tongue can be made in two ways.

Type 1 — Fixed Tongue

This tongue is fitted and secured inside the doll's mouth. In other words, it forms a single, unified construction with the doll's oral opening.

This is the preferred tongue option, and the most suitable for use. It's securely fixed, doesn't shift during functional use, and needs no separate care: it's washed together with the oral channel.

Type 2 — Removable Tongue

This type of tongue can be pulled out of the doll's mouth. It sits loosely, and during use it can fall out or get pushed further into the doll's mouth.

The only practical advantage of this option: the tongue can be taken out if it's in the way, and replaced if it wears out. For TPE this argument carries slightly more weight than for silicone: the soft material wears faster, and with active use a removable tongue can simply be refreshed. But, in our view, these advantages don't outweigh the unreliable fit.

Is it worth adding

For a TPE doll, we rate this upgrade higher than for a silicone one. Silicone models have ROS, and there the tongue is a compromise for the soft head. With TPE, there's no alternative, it's either an empty channel or a channel with a tongue. So if you're planning to use your TPE doll's oral opening, the tongue is worth adding. If oral contact is such a priority for you that you need full mouth anatomy, the only path is a silicone model with ROS, or a hybrid doll. We cover this in more detail in the Head Type section for silicone dolls.

Care

Wash the tongue together with the mouth after every functional use, and dry it thoroughly. For TPE this rule is strict: the porous material holds moisture, and a mouth with a tongue is harder to dry than an empty channel. The folds around the base of the tongue are exactly where moisture lingers the longest.