Tongue Thrust

tongue thrust

Tongue thrust, also known as an infantile or reverse swallow pattern, refers to a swallowing movement where the tongue moves forward to approximate the lower lip. This refers to the resting posture of the tongue against the teeth and the pushing of the  tongue against the teeth during a swallow. Excessive tongue thrust may result in protrusion of the anterior teeth (also known as an overbite) with possible distortions of speech sounds.

Myofunctional Therapy is the method of restoring to normal the action of the muscle groups related to tongue functioning and swallowing. The goal of therapy is to develop a normal oral resting position where the lips and teeth are closed, and the tongue tip rests against the ridge behind the upper front teeth.