Metal Mouth Message Board

I have been trying to correct my tongue thrust for several months now. I think I'm going good and not doing it anymore and then I go to the Orthodontist and he says "Nope, you're still doing it"

Now, I'm scheduled to get my braces off on Monday (I'll be sure to post before and after pictures later) and he says that my teeth are going to push forward if I dont get the tongue thrust under control.

I don't want to ruin my new beautiful smile, but I don't know what else to do! Has anyone been through this? Any advice is appreciated

Thanks!

Hi Ronni,

I thought I was the only one here with this problem. My braces were put on in Jan and my Ortho told me even before that I 'm going need those sharp painful tongue spurs. I keep putting them off. My first adjustment was on Monday and he said in 10 weeks make an apt for Friday so he can put the spurs in because I will be in alot of discomfort for a few days until my tongue is trained to push up not out. I talked him out of it again because elastics just went in the front of my teeth and I need to deal with that first. I'm hoping till after the summer I can stall but def will need them.

How are you trying to correct it on your own?

Tongue thrust is definitely one tricky thing to treat...When I first had braces in junior high I had the tongue spurs...they definitely won't teach ya to not let your tongue push! lol

CanehdianGal - I am trying to correct it using tongue exercises that my Orthodontist gave me. He also referred me to a speech therapist, but I can't afford her (doesn't take insurance).

Sometimes I think that the braces are what caused me to have the tongue thrust. I never had an open bite until AFTER I got the braces on (well I never noticed it anyway).

Has anyone heard of braces causing a tongue thrust?

Is tounge thrusting selg afflicted? or is it just a habit you have? or its involuntary movement?

I had an anterior open bite and a tounge thrust (which came first is anyone's guess. My problem was skeletal and related to my jaw structure. I had upper (with widening of the palate) and lower jaw surgery. Once my jaws were in the correct position my tongue found a comfortable home and no more tongue thrust. I'm probably an extreme case but any correction without surgery would not have solved my problem. As soon as my braces would come off (if i didn't have surgery), I would open up my teeth again. Plus, my open bite could only be surgically corrected. I will say this is an issue that needs to be attended too. As you say, you don't want to ruin your smile.

Hi

I've an open bite tendency and apparently also a tongue thrust habit. This has been a useful thread for me, as frankly when the ortho stated "try not to let your tongue go forward" I wondered where it should go instead?!! I used to have a tiny upper arch/palate before surgery and serious use of an expander, and I guess it just went forward because there was no room elsewhere. But from what I read above I suppose I should be trying to keep it flattened up against the roof of my mouth? Is that right?? !!

So weird to have to change such a bsic aspect of your functioning!

M

overseasmel - Yes, the tongue should touch the roof of the mouth when you swallow and when at rest.

my ortho told me to practice my tongue thrust correction exercises but they arent really working I dunno what to do and i certainly dont want that tongue spur thing (omg, it sounds like torture) even tho he's never suggested it.

"I dunno what to do and i certainly dont want that tongue spur thing (omg, it sounds like torture) even tho he's never suggested it."

My Ortho told me to make my appointment on a Friday because I'm going to be in alot of discomfort and miserable for a few days as my tongue hits the spurs. In about a week he said I should be used to it...ugh luvly!

That's why I keep delaying it...Medevil torture is right!