Tongue Thrust Habit Breaking Appliances
A tongue thrust is the abnormal habit of placing the tongue between the anterior teeth before and during the act of swallowing that might lead to an “anterior open bite” where the anterior teeth do not overlap due to the forward position of the tongue.
Causes of a tongue thrust
There are several potential causes for tongue thrust that begin in infancy. Some of these include: long-term sucking habits that influence the tongue’s movement, allergies accompanied by chronically swollen tonsils or adenoids, and tongue-tie, where the band of tissue beneath the tongue is tight or short.
What are the consequences of a tongue thrust?
During each swallow, the tongue follows the lower lip position and exerts pressures on the surrounding structures of the mouth and the anterior teeth. Besides the effects on the anterior teeth, other changes may be observed in facial growth and appearance, health, and communication (speech). Some children produce sounds incorrectly (a lisp) because of a tongue thrust.
How is a tongue thrusting habit treated?
The most proven and effective technique to solve a tongue thrust problem is by oral habit training. Muscular exercises are important to re-educate the muscles associated with swallowing, thus changing the swallowing pattern causing a tongue thrust. Other solutions may involve orthodontic devices that are fitted behind the teeth against the roof of the mouth to block the tongue from thrusting forward against the anterior teeth.
