Tongue Thrust

I had an interesting experience a couple of months ago when my dentist tried to convince me that my daughter, Grace, has a tongue thrust. (She had no idea that I'm a speech therapist.) Luckily, I was quite confident that Grace's tongue functions just fine so I wasn't worried. Grace had recently had an expander put in the roof of her mouth by the orthodontist and it did change her swallowing and speaking habits for a time, but she adjusted quickly. I left the office chuckling to myself but also grateful that I knew not be worried about what the dentist had said. Some parents are not so lucky.

A tongue thrust occurs when the tongue extends between the front teeth during swallowing, chewing, speaking, and often while at rest. It can effect the teeth by creating an open bite and can cause concerning speech patterns (what some would call a "lisp"). I met this week with an orthodontist who is interested in referring his patients to me when he notices a tongue thrust. He is worried that his patients will spend thousands of dollars on braces only to have the work undone by a tongue thrust. He is concerned that once the braces come off, the tongue thrust will open the bite again. It is important to know that adding metal to your child's mouth will likely change their speech patterns for a while. This is completely normal. Most children adjust within a short period of time and their speaking goes back to normal. Some will sound different until the braces come off, but should return to their natural way of speaking at that time. A tongue thrust, however, is something that would need to be addressed by a speech pathologist. It is a life-long habit that would most likely require the help of a professional to change. Luckily for you, you know where to find me if you need me. :)