How to Stop Tongue Thrusting? Tongue Thrust Speech Therapy Can Help!

Tongue thrusting is a condition where the tongue is pushed forward during speech or swallowing. It impacts the precision of speech, the functionality of swallowing, and it can affect dental health.

Tongue thrusting occurs in both children and adults, often requiring intervention. Speech therapy offers effective techniques to correct tongue thrusting through exercises and behavior modification.

What Is Tongue Thrust?

Tongue thrust is a condition where the tongue pushes against or between the teeth when swallowing or speaking. Tongue thrust is a myofunctional disorder affecting speech, dental alignment, and facial structure. Untreated tongue thrust can lead to prolonged orthodontic issues, articulation difficulties, and feeding and swallowing problems.

Signs of Tongue Thrust in Adults

Tongue thrust affects speech, including lisping or difficulty pronouncing certain sounds like /s/ and /z/. Dental signs of tongue thrust include an open bite, misaligned teeth, or excessive pressure against the front teeth when swallowing.

Habits associated with tongue thrust include frequent mouth breathing, resting the tongue against or between the teeth, and difficulty keeping the lips sealed. Tongue thrust often causes issues with eating and drinking, such as difficulty swallowing or frequent food residue left on the tongue or in the buccal (cheek) cavities.

What Causes Tongue Thrust in Adults?

• Prolonged oral habits from childhood, such as mouth breathing or incorrect tongue posture, can result in persistent tongue thrust.
• Misaligned teeth, jaw structure, or orthodontic issues contribute to tongue thrust in adults.
• Neurological conditions, muscle tone disorders, or habitual speech patterns can lead to persistent tongue thrusting.

What Causes Tongue Thrust in Babies and Children?

• Common early causes of tongue thrust include prolonged pacifier use, thumb-sucking, bottle-feeding, and mouth breathing.
• Enlarged tonsils, chronic nasal congestion, structural abnormalities of the oral cavity, or allergies can encourage tongue thrusting in young children.
• Developmental factors can contribute to tongue thrust, such as delayed oral motor skills. Neurological or genetic conditions can also result in tongue thrust.

How Does Tongue Thrust Affect Speech and Oral Health?

Tongue thrust impacts articulation, leading to speech sound distortions such as lisping. Tongue thrust causes difficulty in properly positioning the tongue for swallowing. Tongue thrust can result in dental and orthodontic consequences, such as open bites, overbites, and misalignment.

When Should You Seek Treatment for Tongue Thrust?

Signs of tongue thrust that indicate a need for intervention include difficulty with speech sounds, difficulties with oral feeding and swallowing, or prolonged dysfunctional oral habits. Early intervention for tongue thrust can help prevent speech and dental issues in children. Adults can also benefit from speech therapy, especially if tongue thrusting is causing persistent speech or dental concerns.

Speech Therapy for Tongue Thrust

Speech therapists identify tongue thrust by assessing tongue movement, swallowing patterns, and speech articulation. Therapy focuses on restraining the tongue's position to prevent forward thrusting during swallowing and speaking. Targeted exercises improve tongue coordination and muscle control for proper oral function. Speech therapy helps correct speech distortions caused by tongue thrust, such as lisps or unclear articulation. Personalized treatment plans help reduce or eliminate tongue thrusting, targeting improvements in speech and oral habits.

Tongue Thrust Exercises for Correction

Awareness Training

• Mirror exercises and tactile feedback help individuals recognize incorrect tongue positioning.
• Exercises such as tongue-to-palate placement drills may help to encourage proper resting posture.

Feeding Therapy

• Practicing oral manipulation of a variety of food textures can help with tongue movements and coordination
• Tongue movements to sweep the oral cavity can help reduce storing or pocketing of food in the mouth

Swallowing Retraining

• Methods such as the "hold and swallow" technique allow individuals to practice keeping their tongue in the correct position while swallowing.
• Therapy may involve activities with the tongue that focus on the efficiency of “oral transit” or how the food moves from the mouth to the throat

Speech Sound Practice

• Therapy for tongue thrust may include articulation drills for correcting lisped sounds, focusing on /s/ and /z/ pronunciation.
• Slow, exaggerated speech exercises can help to build muscle memory and improve clarity.

How to Fix Tongue Thrusting at Home

• Avoiding pacifiers and thumb-sucking in children may help to avoid tongue thrusting
• Parents can encourage proper tongue placement with reminders and positive reinforcement.
• Incorporating exercises learned in speech therapy into daily routines can support progress.

Take the First Step Toward Correcting Tongue Thrust

It is important to address tongue thrust early to improve speech, oral health, and confidence. Seek professional speech therapy for personalized treatment.

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