What is a tongue thrust?
Tongue thrust is a swallowing disorder that affects many children and adults. Each time these individuals swallow, they push their tongues against or between their teeth. During a normal swallow, the tongue pushes upward against the palate.
What damage is caused by a tongue thrust?
Individuals with a tongue thrust will often:
- Reverse their orthodontic results
- Reposition their teeth
- Pronounce words incorrectly
- Be messy eaters
- Have chronic neck and jaw pain
How can treatment help?
Motivated individuals can correct their tongue thrusts in as little as four months. Treatment programs must start with a thorough evaluation done by a professional oral myologist. These specialists are trained to identify all of the factors contributing to the tongue thrust. Then they set up individualized treatment programs to:
- maintain beautiful smiles
- reduce the time spent in braces and/or retainers
- retrain the lips, tongue and jaw to chew and swallow correctly
- habituate nose breathing while eliminating mouth breathing
- tone and strengthen facial muscles
- eliminate unhealthy habits like sucking fingers, pacifiers or pencils
