Tongue thrust is considered a very common oral habit in which the tongue constantly pushes forward against the teeth during the process of swallowing, speaking, or even at rest. Therefore, one may think of it as very harmless, but to your surprise, it can lead to lots of issues like speech disorders, improper alignment of teeth as well as swallowing over time. Thus, it becomes more than important to identify these issues as soon as possible in order to understand their overall implications as well as to find long-term and highly effective solutions for better oral health.
Nevertheless, Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) offered by TalkTools is considered an effective solution as it is highly efficient in retraining the muscles of the tongue in order to improve swallowing as well as speech over time. Moreover, here, in this article, we'll discuss the causes as well as impacts of tongue thrust for overall better oral health.
What is Tongue Thrust?
It is often called a reverse swallow or infantile swallow, in which the tongue moves forward against the teeth in a very uncontrollable manner. It can cause several issues like improper alignment of the teeth and affect overall speech patterns over time. Nevertheless, tongue thrust is quite common among children as they develop this habit during infancy which can severely affect their adulthood in the long run if not dealt with proper care in the early stages.
Causes of Tongue Thrust
There are lots of factors that cause tongue thrust over a period of time like:
- Prolonged Thumb Sucking or Pacifier Use: These habits are often considered as the major cause of tongue thrust as they push the tongue forward against the front teeth in a repeated manner which eventually leads to a forward tongue position.
- Mouth Breathing: A lot of children who suffer from common diseases like chronic allergies, colds as well as enlarged tonsils may develop the habits of mouth breathing which further leads to tongue thrust over time.
- Improper Swallowing Patterns: The incorrect patterns of swallowing on a regular basis can also lead to tongue thrust.
- Enlarged Tonsils or Adenoids: These are often called physical obstructions within the throat which affect the proper positioning of the tongue and eventually force it forward while swallowing.
The Impact of Tongue Thrust on Oral Health
Here are some common impacts of tongue thrust like:
- Misaligned Teeth
It creates a constant pressure on the front teeth which leads them to shift forward over a period of time. It can also cause several dental issues like an open bite in which the upper and lower teeth can't meet properly and eventually affect the overall aesthetics as well as the functioning of the teeth over time.
- Speech Disorders
It is often considered as a very common reason for speech impediments that severely impact certain sounds such as “s, z, and th” as the forward placement of the tongue disrupts the proper articulation of these sounds which can further lead to issues like LISP.
- Difficulty Swallowing
It also makes swallowing highly ineffective as it causes the tongue to push forward instead of up against the roof of the mouth develops an additional strain on the muscles of the face as well as the mouth and eventually causes digestive issues.
Effective Therapy Techniques for Tongue Thrust
Here are some highly effective tongue thrust methods such as:
1) Oral Placement Therapy (OPT)
It is considered one of the highly effective methods that is developed by TalkTools and uses visual representations to make the individual understand as well as control the overall movements of their tongue and mouth. Moreover, this method solely focuses on improving the overall proper coordination of those oral muscles that are involved in the process of swallowing as well as speech. Nevertheless, It is specially designed to target those muscles that are overused or underused among individuals who are affected by tongue thrust in order to develop as well as improve their overall movement patterns for better oral health.
2) Myofunctional Therapy
It is also considered as one of the widely used tongue thrust therapy which helps the individual to correct their tongue posture by retraining the muscles of their mouth as well as face through several highly effective exercises. These exercises help the patients to relearn how to keep their lips together in order to improve proper swallowing without pushing the tongue forward against the teeth.
3) Speech Therapy
It is also considered as a very crucial part among all the other tongue thrust correction techniques as it helps the individuals to get clarity in their speech over time. Moreover, the experienced speech therapists help the patients to develop better articulation in order to improve their overall speech production, especially for sounds like “s or z” which was severely affected by tongue thrust.
Conclusion
Tongue thrust is often considered as one of the most neglected conditions among all the issues related to oral health as it is very common in children. But to your surprise, it can cause lots of oral issues if not dealt with proper care in the early stages. Therefore, understanding the root causes of tongue thrust as well as looking for the best methods to treat it properly are considered as very important in order to protect your loved ones from its long-term effects. Nevertheless, it is highly advised to look for the best oral placement therapy (OPT) as it is highly effective in correcting the tongue thrust by improving swallowing as well as speech patterns for better oral health.
Are you also looking for the best ways to learn more about tongue thrust therapy? Then, don't hesitate and contact TalkTools today to book an appointment in order to take the first step towards improved oral health. You can also check out our AOTA CEU courses for a better understanding of the tongue thrust!
