Guide to Tongue Thrust
An incorrect oral rest posture of the tongue, lips, and excess space in the mouth can cause malocclusion. If the position of the tongue at rest is incorrect, the tongue will tend to thrust toward the open bite to fill the space. When the tongue thrusts forward it creates difficulty to seal the lips. Orthodontic relapse can be a sign of tongue thrust. Have you noticed, once braces are removed teeth begin protruding forward again, or signs of an open bite are present?
When a tongue thrust is present the muscle pattern is perceived as abnormal. This in turn can adversely affect the teeth and mouth. Speech may be affected by a tongue thrust swallowing pattern. Have you noticed trouble with pronouncing sounds such as s, z, t, d, n, and I?
Chewing and swallowing with a dysfunctional muscle pattern is not as effective as a normal chewing and swallowing motion. Some common causes of a tongue thrust would include, extended pacifier use, thumb sucking, and pressure of the tongue on teeth when swallowing, eating, or drinking. The pressure created by the sucking motion will cause jaws to form inward and not expand.
It is important to retrain the tongue for proper resting position in order to rid of a tongue thrust. Orthodontics alone, will not rid of a tongue thrust. Myofunctional Therapy will retrain the tongue to stay in correct resting posture and strengthen the supporting muscles of the lips and face.
