The rarest tongue shape ability is often considered the cloverleaf tongue, where the tongue is folded into multiple bends, unlike the more common U-shaped tongue roll. While tongue rolling is common (around 80%), cloverleaf tongue is much rarer (around 15%), making it a standout trick, though other unique shapes like tongue twisting or turning upside down also exist.
If you can twist your tongue into a cloverleaf, you are gifted. It is one of the rarest tricks.
Geographic tongue would fall into this category, affecting only one to three percent of the population. Even so, these irregular reddish patches resembling land masses on a map (hence the name) might be alarming at first glance—but they pose no danger and usually cause very little discomfort.
However, discrepancies between the specific tongue movements are large. Cloverleaf performance is found in 14.7%, whereas tongue rolling is present in 83.7%. This means that there are a large number of people, who can perform rolling but cannot perform cloverleaf.
The tongue rolling ability occurs due to the influence of a dominant allele of the gene. A person who has either one or two copies of the dominant allele will be able to twist their tongue. In the case that a person is born with two recessive alleles, they cannot twist their tongue.
If your tongue looks wavy or indented around the edges, it might be scalloped tongue. It's usually caused by swelling and can be linked to things like dehydration, vitamin deficiencies or sleep apnea. It's not harmful on its own, but it's worth checking with your provider to find out what's behind it.
Tongue posture, also known as tongue positioning, is a fancy way of describing how our tongues are positioned in our mouths while at rest. Believe it or not, there's actually a right way and a wrong way to rest your tongue.
Macroglossia, sometimes called giant tongue or enlarged tongue, is a rare condition that typically affects more children than adults. Most people have macroglossia because they have other conditions, such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome or Down syndrome.
Related abilities. Cloverleaf tongue is the ability to fold the tongue in a certain configuration with multiple bends. This trait has been speculated by David D. Whitney in 1950 to be a dominant trait inherited separately from tongue rolling.
Tongue-tie is congenital, which means your baby is born with it. Researchers aren't exactly sure why some babies are born with tongue-tie, but there may be a genetic component. Some research suggests tongue-tie may be passed down within families, possibly in an X-linked pattern of inheritance.
Anxiety has also been linked to tongue swelling and scalloped tongue, which is a condition that causes waves or ripples along the sides of the tongue.
A strawberry tongue involves having a tongue that's red with large bumps that look like the skin of a strawberry. It's usually a sign of scarlet fever, toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease. A strawberry tongue goes away once a healthcare provider treats the condition that caused it.
A kiss with the tongue stimulates the partner's lips, tongue and mouth, which are sensitive to the touch and induce sexual arousal. The sensation when two tongues touch—also known as tongue touching—has been proven to stimulate endorphin release and reduce acute stress levels.
The dorsal surface of the mammalian tongue is covered with four kinds of papillae, fungiform, circumvallate, foliate and filiform papillae. With the exception of the filiform papillae, these types of papillae contain taste buds and are known as the gustatory papillae.
Caviar tongue is caused by the natural process within the body and particularly by aging. So it is most common in people more than 60 and only very rare in people below 40—factors contributing to the development of the caviar tongue.
Scientists aren't sure. There is a long-standing myth that tongue rolling is controlled by a single gene, but this was based on a single piece of flawed research and was debunked as early as 1952. Tongue rolling seems to be an ability that comes with practice, not something you are born with.
If you can twist your tongue into a cloverleaf, you are gifted. It is one of the rarest tricks. According to a study published in the journal Dysphagia, 83.7% of the population could roll their tongue. Well, that's impressive.
Tongue thrust and other oral behaviors are considered examples of “stimming,” or repetitive movements or noises, which autistic children and teens often do as a coping mechanism during overwhelming situations.
Being able to roll your 'r's isn't a genetic trait like, say, being able to roll your tongue. No, it just takes practice. It may help to change how you think about it. The name 'rolled “r”' is a bit misleading.
The African ancestry individuals showed significantly longer tongues than the European ancestry individuals (p = 0.02) (Table 1).
Like the outside parts of the nose and the ear but unlike most other organs, the tongue continues to grow at advanced age.
Did you know a fox's tongue is approximately 5” long and 1” wide? J is using every one of those inches to give us this adorable pic!
Ideally, your tongue should rest gently against the roof of your mouth, with the tip just behind your front teeth. This position helps maintain the shape of your dental arches and supports proper teeth alignment.
Anxiety and tongue thrust
In adults, tongue thrust is sometimes related to stress and anxiety. Anxiety doesn't cause tongue thrust, but you're more likely to jut your tongue forward when you're doing other stress-related things, like: Teeth grinding (bruxism). Mouth breathing.
The Right Way – Your dentist in Kennesaw will recommend that you gently rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth and about a half an inch away from the back of your front teeth. At the same time, your lips should be closed, and your teeth held slightly apart to avoid placing unnecessary pressure on your teeth.