Tongue thrust is the abnormal habit of placing the tongue between the teeth before, during, and after the act of swallowing. During each swallow, the tongue exerts momentary pressure of 1 to 6 pounds on the surrounding structures of the mouth. Tongue thrust will move teeth into abnormal positions and can cause growth distortions of the face and teeth. Most often this is manifested by the front teeth being thrust forward to create an overjet and in some cases an open-bite.

Most people do their quiet breathing through the nose with their lips closed. The tongue most often rests on the roof of the mouth and pulls back during swallowing, which occurs an average of once a minute while we are sleeping and twice a minute when we are awake. During normal swallowing, the mid-tongue should be placed on the roof of the mouth. The facial muscles, especially the upper lip, should rest against the teeth to support them. The lips act as a lifetime retainer and protect the teeth.

Our therapy program is similar to that for mouth breathing and begins by re-training the tongue to assume the correct resting and swallowing position on the roof of the mouth as well as establishing a nasal-breathing pattern. Just as importantly, we teach the facial muscles to support this corrected position. This is accomplished by an exercise program designed to take about 5 minutes 3 times per day.