"Helping Children Achieve their Potential"
Programs & Services
What is tongue thrust?
Tongue thrust , simply defined, is the habit of thrusting the tongue forward against or between the teeth while swallowing. With tongue thrust, the constant pressure of the tongue forces the teeth out of alignment. Tongue thrust is seldom corrected on its own. With the help of a trained therapist, however, 95% of patients can achieve successful results.
What causes tongue thrust?
There is no one specific cause of tongue thrust, but it may be caused by one or more of the following: thumb sucking, allergies, certain types of artificial nipples when feeding infants, and hereditary factors are a few examples.
Consequences
Many orthodontists have had the discouraging experience of completing dental treatment, with what appears to be good results, only to discover that the case had relapsed because the patient had a tongue thrust swallowing pattern. If the tongue is allowed to continue its pushing action against the teeth, it will continue to push the teeth forward and reverse the orthodontic work.
Prevalence
Children naturally exhibit a tongue thrust pattern from birth. Normally, children outgrow the tongue thrust pattern and develop the mature pattern of swallowing. However, if the tongue thrust swallowing pattern is retained beyond the age of four, the child will need, in all probability, some type of training program to develop the mature swallowing pattern. As a general rule, tongue thrust can be detected by orthodontists, general dentists, pedodontists, some pediatricians, and speech therapists.
Solution
The most proven and effective technique to solve the tongue thrust problem is by oral habit training. This is an exercise that re-educates the muscles associated with swallowing by changing the swallowing pattern. This method must be taught by a trained speech therapist.
Tongue thrust , simply defined, is the habit of thrusting the tongue forward against or between the teeth while swallowing. With tongue thrust, the constant pressure of the tongue forces the teeth out of alignment. Tongue thrust is seldom corrected on its own. With the help of a trained therapist, however, 95% of patients can achieve successful results.
What causes tongue thrust?
There is no one specific cause of tongue thrust, but it may be caused by one or more of the following: thumb sucking, allergies, certain types of artificial nipples when feeding infants, and hereditary factors are a few examples.
Consequences
Many orthodontists have had the discouraging experience of completing dental treatment, with what appears to be good results, only to discover that the case had relapsed because the patient had a tongue thrust swallowing pattern. If the tongue is allowed to continue its pushing action against the teeth, it will continue to push the teeth forward and reverse the orthodontic work.
Prevalence
Children naturally exhibit a tongue thrust pattern from birth. Normally, children outgrow the tongue thrust pattern and develop the mature pattern of swallowing. However, if the tongue thrust swallowing pattern is retained beyond the age of four, the child will need, in all probability, some type of training program to develop the mature swallowing pattern. As a general rule, tongue thrust can be detected by orthodontists, general dentists, pedodontists, some pediatricians, and speech therapists.
Solution
The most proven and effective technique to solve the tongue thrust problem is by oral habit training. This is an exercise that re-educates the muscles associated with swallowing by changing the swallowing pattern. This method must be taught by a trained speech therapist.
Tongue Thrust