Metal Mouth Message Board

Hello and Happy 4th,

I have been wondering about this potential problem. I'll ask my ortho about it, but being today's a holiday, why not post it?

It has to do with my tongue. As my ortho's assistant said, I have a habit of pushing my tongue outward instead of back whenever I swallow. Which is true, because I can feel it pushing on my teeth each time.

So, I forgot to ask them if this will present a problem with my braces that are on to close my open bite. Will it keep it from moving back?

Anyone else have this type of situation?

Ceeceebraces

If your open bite was caused by your tongue thrusting habit, then there is a strong possibility that your bite will open up again after the braces are off. It would be wise to check this out with your ortho, he might be able to give you advice as to how to stop doing it.

what Lisa said is true. For you to fix something you have to correct the source of the problem. For me, i have a underbite due to my bottom jaw being over developed. I will have to have surgery to correct it. Same thing applies to your tongue. Not that you need surgery, but you will have to find a way to stop utilizing your tongue whenever you swallow. I read somewhere that one way to prevent this is to place your tongue at the roof of your mouth when you swallow. This will help stop your tongue from pushing your teeth. This action is usually a conditioned response and can be prevented or fixed. But do contact your ortho.

Thanks everyone,

Actually, I used to suck my thumb as a child, which is why I have the open bite. But now I wonder if my tongue also had something to do with it.

I will talk to my ortho for sure. But in the meantime, I was asking if the tongue will prevent my braces from doing the work while they're on, not just after they're removed and it goes back to how it was because of the tongue. I know that can happen for sure. My ortho will probably say that's why I have to wear a retainer (at bedtime) for the rest of my life. He prescribes this for all patients after the braces are off, which makes sense because whatever the problem was, can return.

But like KK said, the tongue is a strong muscle and I wonder which is stronger, the braces or the tongue? That's what I want to know for now.

Ceeceebraces

My teeth are actually nice but because of my open bite on both sides due to tongue thrusting, I have to wear Tongue Spurs to correct it. Meaning when my tongue pushes forward it will touch these sharp pins and force my t to go up. I keep putting it off..I'm dreaded this.

The braces are helping with the bite and now the backs are starting to touch.

oh.and I am already practising pushing my tongue up because I have these metal clets on the sides of my back teeth. if i push forward with my tongue it's scraps it..So I'm trying to eleve this by pushing my tongue up when i swallow or eat.

Check out myofunctional therapy to correct breathing and swallowing patterns, which, along with the thumb sucking may have helped cause the open bite.

I have a similar problem but its because i don't have enough room for my tongue due to my narrow arches and inward tilting teeth. My ortho actually noticed this, I had no idea it wasn't normal. He says we'll see if the habit clears up as my tongue has more room and then look at training if it doesn't, so it may be your ortho has noticed but is waiting to see if the ortho treatment actually corrects this. I've actually noticed my tonge nolonger rests on the tooth but on the tooth/gum margin so I'm confident as treatment goes on it will correct.

I have always been a mouth breather and tongue thruster, and had myofunctional therapy to no avail. After I got my ALF expander, a few days later I noticed I could breathe much more easily through my nose, and a few days later I noticed that I was habitually nose breathing. Once my upper arch widened to where my tongue fit up there, I stopped tongue thrusting. It seems obvious in my case that then my habits were adaptive to my narrow arch and cramped sinuses. I think probably in some people is it adaptive and some people it is causative.