Tongue thrust is a pseudo-pathological name of what is either considered a normal adaptive lip seal mechanism, whereby normal nasal breathing or normal swallowing can occur, or seen as an oral myofunctional ...
What are the symptoms of tongue thrust? Although there is more than one symptom indicating tongue thrust, the primary sign is your tongue pushing against the back of your teeth when you swallow. Tongue thrust can be easier to detect when you attempt to swallow.
Tongue thrust is the persistence of an infantile swallow pattern during late childhood. This leads to breathing and speech difficulties, open bite, and protruded teeth. During formative years, most children successfully transition from an infantile to a mature swallowing pattern.
Rubbing and thrusting of the tongue against the teeth occurs as a manifestation of anxiety in the tense, apprehensive, pent-up individual; it occurs par ticularly when the person is subject to emo tional stress.
Tongue thrust that isn't treated can result in long-term damage to speech and language development. Articulation disorders are among the most commonly seen speech disorders in children with tongue thrusts.
People with tongue thrust tend to have the tongue up against their teeth or protruding between their upper teeth and lower teeth when speaking and swallowing, or even at rest.
Tongue-thrust swallowing is virtually universal in infancy and still seems to be present in around 25% of adults. Tongue-thrust swallowing is different from the tongue-protrusion reflex in infants, which mostly fades out around 6 months of age.
Consulting a dentist or pediatrician about tongue thrust is usually unnecessary for an infant, but there are some signs you can look for in older babies. Symptoms of abnormal tongue thrust include the tongue resting in the wrong position, prolonged sucking, open resting lips, and difficulty chewing food.
Make sure your tongue is pushing against the gum. Next, bite your teeth together and keep your lips apart. Lastly, swallow but be sure to keep your teeth together and lips apart. Performing this exercise two times in the morning and in the evening can stop tongue thrusting in its tracks.
If caught early, tongue thrust can be corrected with speech therapy. Treatment will likely focus on changing tongue placement to improve the habit of pushing the tongue against teeth and position as well as retraining the muscles to correctly place the tongue when speaking or swallowing.
With treatment, oral thrush should clear up in about two weeks. Without treatment, it may last up to eight weeks or longer. Monitor your symptoms and visit a doctor immediately if you believe it has spread to your esophagus, as this can cause more serious infection.
The tooth misalignments and bite issues that come with tongue thrusting can affect your child's overall face shape. Left untreated, their tongue thrusting may contribute to an elongated profile. They may also develop the habit of resting with their mouth open or with their tongue sitting past their teeth.
Tongue thrusting won't go away on its own — and the longer it's left untreated, the more difficult it can be to treat effectively. Dr. Touni and our team specialize in early orthodontic intervention for children.
Known as “tongue positioning,” there is a right and wrong way. When closing the mouth, the teeth should be slightly apart while the tongue rests on the roof of the mouth but not against the teeth. Not only does this correct form of tongue positioning ensure better oral health, but it also prevents teeth from shifting.
The causes of tongue thrust range from hereditary factors to daily habits. For example, tongue-tie, an enlarged tongue, or enlarged tonsils can lead a child to thrust his or her tongue forward while swallowing.
The tongue thrust, or extrusion reflex, is a reflex present at birth that persists until 4 to 7 months of age in typically developing babies. In young infants, the tongue thrust is stimulated by touching the tip of the tongue, causing the tongue to “thrust” or stick out of the mouth.
“Tongue thrust” is now known as an incorrect tongue resting posture and incorrect swallowing pattern and it is the most common orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD) and involves inappropriate muscle function and incorrect habits involving the tongue, lips and jaw.
A full treatment of braces or Invisalign may be necessary to correct the damage done by tongue thrusting, but the habit of tongue thrusting can't be corrected with braces alone.
This constant pressure of the tongue will force the teeth and arches out of alignment. Aside from the pressure exerted while swallowing, nervous thrusting also pushes the tongue against the teeth while it is at rest. This is an involuntary, subconscious habit that is difficult to correct.
Proper Tongue Positioning
When your mouth is at rest, your tongue should be against the roof of your mouth, but it should not be pressing against any of your teeth. Your teeth should be slightly apart, and your lips should be closed.
Detecting a tongue thrust swallower requires a hands-on approach. In a normal swallow, the tongue rests in the palate, the teeth come together, and a person swallows. The facial muscles (obicularis oris) do not move, so any lip puckering or licking of the lips before swallowing should be warning signs of tongue thrust.
The teeth should not touch ever – except when swallowing. This comes as a big surprise to most people. When not chewing or swallowing, the tip of the tongue should rest gently on the tip and back of the lower incisors.