Tongue Exercises
Understanding myofunctional balance
Resting positions of the tongue, the jaw, and the lips are very important in normal oral growth and condition.
When the tongue rests between the teeth, the teeth many not fully erupt, resulting in an “open bite”
appearance. If the tongue rests against the upper front teeth (especially if the upper lip is short or weak) the
upper teeth may begin to protrude too far forward. When the lips are not in a closed resting position most of
the time (when not talking, eating, etc.) the growth and development of the mouth can be adversely affected
by the tongue pressures.
Tongue thrust, excessive oral habits and mouth breathing (which can be due to upper airway infections and
obstructions, enlarge tonsils or adenoids) are frequently identified as a cause of oral myofunctional disorders,
especially when these problems cause the mouth to rest open most of the time. Reduced oral muscle tone or
poor facial muscle postures appear to impact negatively on the growing mouth and facial structures.
What is a tongue thrust?
Tongue thrust is a pattern of swallowing in which the tongue pushes forward and/or sideways against and/or
between the teeth during swallowing. It is estimated that every 24 hours you swallow a total of 1,200 to 2,000
times, with about four pounds of pressure per swallow. This constant pressure of the tongue will force the
teeth and arches out of alignment. Besides the pressure exerted while swallowing, nervous thrusting also
pushes the tongue against the teeth while it is at rest. This is an involuntary, subconscious habit that is
difficult to correct.
What causes tongue thrust?
No one specific cause has actually been determined for the tongue thrust problem. There are several
suspected causes: Thumb sucking, mouth breathing (which can cause the tongue’s posture to be very low in
the mouth), nasal congestion and allergies, difficulty swallowing (which can be a result of adenoids, frequent
sore throats or tonsils), an exceptionally large tongue, the angle of the jaw line or other hereditary factors
within a family, being” tongue tied” (a short lingual fraenum), muscular, neurological, or other physiological
abnormalities
Bad oral habits
Excessive oral habits, such as clenching, bruxing (grinding the teeth), long term sucking habits (thumb and
finger sucking) and other oral habits (long term pacifier use, chewing on objects, nail biting etc.) can affect the
position of the teeth, health of the mouth and the growth of the jaw. It is normal for infants to suck on
thumbs, fingers, pacifiers, and/or other objects. The problems start when the habit persists into childhood
past 3 years of age, and become important to deal with past 6 years of age. Sometimes poor speech
articulation patterns may indicate neurological or physical deficits. It is often difficult to determine why an
oral myo-functional disorder or a bad oral habit exists.
Regardless of the cause, once inappropriate oral behavioural patterns are established, they tend to continue
until some external stimulus, therapy, or treatment alters enough of the patterns so that new behaviours can
be learned. Sometimes changes of the oral environment by the orthodontist may bring about improved oral
functioning. However, you may be recommended myofunctional exercises or referred for oral myofunctional
therapy when there are indications that dental treatment or orthodontic treatment alone may not bring about
the desired changes in oral behaviors.
Myofunctional exercises
Oral myofunctional excercises or therapy is a structured for retraining and restoring normal oral functioning.
It involves exercises designed to stop bad habits, inhibit incorrect muscle movements, develop normal resting
postures of the tongue, jaw, and facial muscles, in addition to establishing normal biting, chewing, and
swallowing patterns. You will need to spend 5-10 minutes each day practicing (with a little more practice time
5 out of 7 days is okay, too).
Tongue exercises
The correct swallow is an up and back motion, not down and forward, with the tip of the tongue resting at the
roof of the mouth at the anterior portion of the alveolar ridge (right behind the 2 top front teeth). This is also
tongue tip's correct resting position (when you are not swallowing, talking, etc.) the tongue tip should touch
and stay in that area. Also the lips should always be kept closed at the resting position or when swallowing,
this is very important.
When you swallow correctly, the food or water to be swallowed should be tightly trapped between the tongue
and the roof of the mouth. The tongue tip is placed on the "spot" with the sides of the tongue lifted to
approximate the roof of the mouth. When we swallow, the tongue slightly moves back pushing the food
posteriorly into the esophagus. The lips should remain closed and relaxed during the swallow.
1. “Click”
Place the tip of the tongue in the upper front area of the roof of the mouth, press, and then bring it down
forcefully to make a clicking or popping sound. Repeat this exercise as often as possible throughout the day.
The tongue will begin to feel more comfortable resting on the palate, rather than around the lower teeth.
2. “Suck”
After practicing the first exercise, place the tongue as if to “click”, but instead suck air back into your throat.
This pulls your tongue backward. Now swallow while pressing the tongue against the roof of your mouth,
without allowing the tongue to thrust forward.
3. “Squeeze”
This is where to biting forces come into play. Swallow while biting your teeth together as hard as possible.
4. “Swallow”
Put a small sugarless mint or candy on the tip of the tongue and touch it to the roof of the mouth at the
anterior portion of the alveolar ridge (right behind the 2 top front teeth). Hold the mint between the tongue
tip and ridge while a swallow is made, lips closed of course. Do not let the tongue go forward against the
teeth; rather, keep it on the alveolar ridge. Swallow repeatedly, holding the mint up, until the tongue
becomes very tired.
When the mint is gone or eaten, swallow again, keeping the tongue up in the same position. Try to swallow
this way from now on. Do not allow the tongue to touch or push on the front teeth; make sure the tongue
goes up and back, not down and forward. Always with the lips closed.
Now take a soft bite of food and chew it up, keeping the lips closed as you chew. Swallow, remembering to
keep the tongue tip up on the alveolar ridge. Do not allow the tongue to push on the front teeth.
Now drink a glass of water. Again, remember to swallow with the tongue in this new swallow position. Do not
let it touch, push, or come through the front teeth, always with the lips closed.
It may help to exercise in front of a mirror, holding the lower lip down so the teeth and tongue are visible.
Remember this is a very difficult habit to change. It will require repeating these exercises many times
during the day for many weeks before the changes become natural. Try to perform the first three
exercises 20 times each at least 4 times each day.
Success in correcting this habit will mean that your orthodontic treatment will be more successful and
more stable on the long term. The tongue is a very strong muscle that can act against your braces, so
wrong tongue positioning at rest and during swallowing can limit the success of your orthodontic
treatment or the tongue can push the teeth back to their old position after the orthodontic treatment is
completed.
Good luck, I know you can do it☺
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