Treatments

Tongue Thrust

Tongue Thrust is also called a reverse swallow or an immature swallow, where the tongue moves forward past the anterior incisors during swallowing, speech and while the tongue is at rest. Nearly all infants exhibit this swallow pattern, but lose this reflex by six months of age as they learn how to swallow solid foods. Most children have automatically switched to a normal swallow pattern by the age of six. However, some children do not “grow out of” this immature swallow or may have other factors that contribute to tongue thrust, such as an enlarged tongue (macroglossia), thumb sucking, large tonsils, and even allergies or nasal congestion.

Symptoms of tongue thrust:

• Mouth breathing – the mouth is open at rest, and the tongue is often forward or sticking out.

• Speech concerns, especially lisping.

• Sucking habits, especially thumb sucking, and/or prolonged sippy cup use can cause a tongue thrust to occur. When the thumb is constantly in the mouth, the swallowing pattern of the tongue develops incorrectly. It is important to realize that even when the sucking habit has stopped, the condition usually still remains.

• Malocclusion or misalignment of the teeth, or the front teeth are pushed forward.

To correct tongue thrust, speech pathologists prescribe exercises designed to promote a normal swallowing pattern, as well as correct speech production.