Where is tongue supposed to press?

[fromjersey]

I have heard about tongue thrust against top front teeth. I've read that tongue is supposed to be up against palate. My tongue pushes against top inside of gums, just behind upper front teeth, not palate. Exactly where in mouth is tip of tongue supposed to be?
Helen

[fromjersey]

Have wondered for a long time whether the "stop sucking your thumb" argument and "that's what's pushing your teeth forward" is a diversion from the mouth breathing and nasal obstruction that puts the tongue in an inappropriate position. I have a a friend who was told her thumb-ssucking was to blame for her overjet when in reality this woman has nasal obstruction and many allergies. Interestingly, she has asthma and both parents were heavy smokers. Anybody blaming such parents?
Helen

[Rickysa]

I may have mentioned this before, so if I have, sorry

"Tongue thrust" swallowing and its possible role in malocclusion is a bit of a hot button topic.

There is no doubt that thumb sucking habits can alter maxillary growth as well as move teeth...due to the duration of the action...light continuous forces move teeth.

My opinion on the "tongue thrust", quoting from Contemporary Orthodontics (Dr. William Proffit)

"Tongue thrust swallowing simply has too short a druation to have an impact on tooth position."

"A typical individual swallows about 800 times while awake (for a duration of about a second), but has only a few swallows per hour while asleep. The total per day there is usually under 1000. One thousand seconds of pressure, of course, totals only a few minutes, not nearly enough to affect the equilibrium"

"If the postural position is normal, the tongue thrust swallow has no clinical significance"

[CanehdianGal]

I'm a tongue thruster..I had no idea a person's tongue was supposed to hit the roof of pallete..I've been pushing forward on my top teeth my whole life. I'm going to need 2 appliances soon A fence retainer to stop my tongue from pushng forward, then my ortho is going to bond these metal spikes on my lowers..So when my tongue hits these it will automatically push up from the PAIN and DISCOMFORT! ugh not looking forward to this at all.