Orofacial myofunctional therapy in tongue thrust helps to:
Improve tongue elevation strength
Correct tongue resting posture
Correct tongue placement while swallowing
Improve tongue motility
Prevent relapse of corrected malocclusion
Do I Have a Tongue Thrust?
There are many characteristics to look for in order to determine if you, or your child, have a tongue thrust. Below are the most common signs:
Mouth breathing with the mouth open at rest, and the tongue is often forward or sticking out.
Speech concerns, especially lisping, can be a sign of a tongue thrust. If there is difficulty pronouncing “T, D, N, and L” sounds, this is another indicator. General problems with articulation, rate of speech, and voice quality and clarity may also be present.
Note: Myofunctional therapy does not replace speech therapy. If you are in need of speech therapy, it is recommended that you find a qualified Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP).
Sucking habits, past or present, can cause a tongue thrust to develop. The formation of the mouth and position of the tongue are changed by the thumb or finger during a sucking habit. Even if the child quits the habit, the damage caused to the function of the tongue, facial musculature, and other structures often still remains.
Open bite having front or side teeth unable to bite together is an excellent sign of a swallowing dysfunction.
Note: If you have braces, a tongue thrust can be a problem because:
A tongue thrust can slow down your orthodontic treatment, keeping your braces on for a longer time.
A tongue thrust can make your teeth move again, after your braces are taken off.
A tongue thrust can make moving your teeth and closing spaces much more difficult for your orthodontist.
Using face muscles. In a normal swallowing pattern the tongue does all the ‘work.’ In a dysfunctional swallowing pattern, the lips and cheek muscles contract to create a vacuum effect to get the food, water, or saliva down the throat.
TMJD or facial pain. One symptom of a tongue thrust swallow is pain in the cheek muscles or pain in the jaw joint from frequent over use of these body parts.
Two common tongue dysfunctions are tongue thrust and tongue restriction
Tongue Thrust Swallow
A muscular imbalance that affects the oral and facial structures often called a “tongue thrust” or “reverse swallow.”
A tongue thrust occurs when the muscles for swallowing have learned to work together the wrong way. The tongue is very strong. When it constantly rests against the teeth and pushes forward during a swallow, it can cause the teeth to move.
An Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist (OMT) can be an instrumental figure in helping a patient learn how to re-train the muscles of the face and tongue. For those who struggle with tongue thrusting, eliminating the habit is not always easy. This is due to the fact that the muscles of the face and mouth have been programmed over many years to adopt this behavior. It takes neuromuscular re-education to correct this habit and learn a functional swallow.
Tongue restriction (aka ankyloglossia or tongue-tie)
The IAAP (International Affiliation of Tongue-Tie Professionals) defines “tongue-tie” as an embryological remnant of tissue in the midline between the undersurface of the tongue and the floor of the mouth that restricts normal tongue movement.
Important note: It is important to understand that not all lingual restrictions need surgical intervention in order for myofunctional therapy to be successful. This is an individualized therapy and if we find that a tongue restriction is inhibiting your progress, I will refer you to the appropriate provider for further evaluation and treatment if deemed necessary.
Additional Resources:
Myofuntional Therapy and Tongue Thrust:
Combined effect of tongue tie release surgery with myofunctional therapy
A very clinical explanation of tethered oral tissues: PDF
A study showing the effectiveness of tongue tie releases with myofunctional therapy PDF
A clinical dissection of tongue ties a paper describing the anatomy of a tongue tie: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330756535_What_is_a_Tongue_Tie_Defining_the_anatomy_of_the_in-situ_lingual_frenulum
Research study defining tongue tie https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11325-016-1452-7
A description of a ‘functional release’ combining myofunctional therapy with a tongue tie release https://www.lightscalpel.com/publications/tongue-tie-functional-release/
A study demonstrating both safety and effectiveness of myofunctional therapy and tongue tie release of professional singers and professional speakers: https://ijom.iaom.com/journal/vol49/iss1/1/?fbclid=IwAR3p6e6yRIBeMOMbMyp9p_ouhCearKTrbiIuMuqjWw2Z7EFEXSpXJ8FdNS8
Combined effect of myofunctional therapy and orthodontics
Study showing the importance of myofunctional therapy in combination with orthodontics when treating ‘anterior open bite’ 10.1016/j.ajodo.2008.07.016
A study showing the connection of tongue tie to a narrow roof of the mouth PDF