Tongue Thrust

What is a tongue thrust? Tongue thrust is a term that describes the habit of pushing your tongue forward between your upper and lower teeth. This swallow parent is where an individual pushes the tongue against the teeth, or between the teeth if there's already a space from a sucking habit, and it's also very hard to break without help. Tongue thrust is also known as a reverse swallow, an oral myofunctional disorder, a visceral swallow, an infantile swallow pattern, or an abnormal swallow. Tongue thrust can be treated in many ways, but early diagnosis is important. Removal of the underlying cause will be another issue and correcting the tongue posture and the tongue habit, breaking the habit through the use of orthodontic appliances or oral myofunctional therapy or both. Seeing an oral myofunctional therapist and having you evaluated is a good place to start. Oral myofunctional therapy definitely plays a role and management of a tongue thrust, and it should be included as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Key Takeaways:-During the formative years, most children successfully transition from the infantile swallow to a mature swallow pattern during their formative years.-The causes of a tongue thrust-Oral myofunctional therapy focuses on the awareness and exercises for your mouth, lips and tongue to correct that tongue thrust.-The key for successful treatment of oral functions