Tongue Thrust

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#16 Post by **gary** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:19 am

So I had my first adjustment today and told the doctor that I am pretty sure I have been tongue thrusting all of my life. I showed him how I used to swallow (before recently trying to correct it myself) and he said yeah that is not the proper way to swallow. However he told me that I exhibit none of the effects of tongue thrust (open bite, flared out top teeth). My bite problem has to do with my bottoms being too far forward (I bite tip to tip currently). He said there is no need to see a speech therapist at this point as long as I continue to swallow correctly. I also asked him about how my tongue is supposed to rest when I am at rest. He said consciously pushing my tongue against the roof of my mouth is kind of ridiculous, being that that is not "at rest". I asked him if my tongue resting on the bottom of my mouth is fine and he said yes because there is no force going on, it is just sitting there. So that's where I am at, I just needed to vocalize it. Or type it, whatever......

#17 Post by **nuttynat** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:34 pm

thanks for the update gary.
I happen to have an open bite and flared out top teeth

So my prognosis is not looking good. I have my first adjustment tomorrow and will hopefully pluck up enough courage to ask about it.
(p.s thank god for the adjustment because I stained my ligatures)

#18 Post by **dezlorelle** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:56 pm

gary wrote:So I had my first adjustment today and told the doctor that I am pretty sure I have been tongue thrusting all of my life. I showed him how I used to swallow (before recently trying to correct it myself) and he said yeah that is not the proper way to swallow. However he told me that I exhibit none of the effects of tongue thrust (open bite, flared out top teeth). My bite problem has to do with my bottoms being too far forward (I bite tip to tip currently). He said there is no need to see a speech therapist at this point as long as I continue to swallow correctly. I also asked him about how my tongue is supposed to rest when I am at rest. He said consciously pushing my tongue against the roof of my mouth is kind of ridiculous, being that that is not "at rest". I asked him if my tongue resting on the bottom of my mouth is fine and he said yes because there is no force going on, it is just sitting there. So that's where I am at, I just needed to vocalize it. Or type it, whatever......

Hi Gary- You're at the beginning of treatment right? I had an overbite all my life and it wasn't until about 5 months into treatment that my ortho discovered I had a tongue thrust issue. Once my overbite was corrected with my braces, my bite started to open up. It was at this point the diagnosis was made. So I guess this is just my 2 cents that I didn't show any signs of adverse affects at first as well. I wish I knew at the beginning of treatment and I would have started consciously to try to fix it.

#19 Post by **gary** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:54 pm

dezlorelle wrote:
gary wrote:So I had my first adjustment today and told the doctor that I am pretty sure I have been tongue thrusting all of my life. I showed him how I used to swallow (before recently trying to correct it myself) and he said yeah that is not the proper way to swallow. However he told me that I exhibit none of the effects of tongue thrust (open bite, flared out top teeth). My bite problem has to do with my bottoms being too far forward (I bite tip to tip currently). He said there is no need to see a speech therapist at this point as long as I continue to swallow correctly. I also asked him about how my tongue is supposed to rest when I am at rest. He said consciously pushing my tongue against the roof of my mouth is kind of ridiculous, being that that is not "at rest". I asked him if my tongue resting on the bottom of my mouth is fine and he said yes because there is no force going on, it is just sitting there. So that's where I am at, I just needed to vocalize it. Or type it, whatever......
Hi Gary- You're at the beginning of treatment right? I had an overbite all my life and it wasn't until about 5 months into treatment that my ortho discovered I had a tongue thrust issue. Once my overbite was corrected with my braces, my bite started to open up. It was at this point the diagnosis was made. So I guess this is just my 2 cents that I didn't show any signs of adverse affects at first as well. I wish I knew at the beginning of treatment and I would have started consciously to try to fix it.

That's interesting that you didn't develop an open bite until 5 months into treatment. What's up with that? Well I hope it works out for you and nuttynat. I'm gonna take it day by day over here and make sure I'm swallowing correctly all the time. I may still see a speech therapist just to get an assessment. We'll see....

#20 Post by **ker123** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:13 pm

Hello all, I am 25 yr old female and still pretty new to this site. I am really happy that I found this site because I am learning so much about my bite/teeth. I still don't quite understand alot of the braces/ teeth lingo but i guess that will take some time to figure out. I am also a tongue thruster and i guess its the reason why i've been cursed with not only a ugly underbite, but open bite and cross bite. I also have a wide gap in my upper top teeth and smaller gap in my lower teeth. The only one good thing that i can say about my teeth is they are pretty straight for the most part with no over crowding.

I just wanted to say thank you for starting this thread but I am feeling extremely discouraged right now. I had another ortho consult today and basically she said the same thing to me as others have mentioned. So, basically if i cannot control my tongue thrust everything that will be done with braces will be undone by my tongue.

The ortho said this including me having lower jaw surgery to correct my underbite? Is that possible? I don't see how. Can my jaw relapse after jaw surgery with a tongue thrust? I mean i know your tongue is powerful but seriously can i develop another underbite after my bones have been moved?

I guess im not sure how i will control my tongue since i do it when im talking, swallowing and pretty sure while sleeping as i think i am mouth breather..Uggg So she did not recommend me get brace until i can control this problem alittle better. I am going to start the tongue exercise that she told me.

Ok so for the swallowing i figured i would be able to practice resting my tongue at the roof of my mouth. I'm just not sure what do about my tongue when i speak. I feel like my tongue is too long not to touch my top teeth which is inside my lower teeth due to my underbite.

I try to force my tongue into the bottom lower portion of my jaw but this does not feel comfortable at all..Any help on where my tongue needs to be? Only thing left is mid air and when doing that i have to consciously fold my tongue in alittle bit. Is this normal?

#21 Post by yo » Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:21 pm

I am also a thruster! However, my ortho said that my thrusting did not cause my teeth to flare out. He said that the tongue does not put enough pressure on the teeth constantly to make them move. I'm trying to remember everything, but I think he said that I only push against my teeth when I'm swallowing and its not enough time during the day to make my teeth flare back out to where they are now after I finish treatment.

He did say that he is going to put permanent retainers on my upper and lower to keep them from moving. At a different consult the ortho wanted to put a rake on my upper arch. Its a mid evil torture device that has spikes which will poke my tongue when it comes near the back of my teeth. When I talked to my current ortho about it, he said that once the rake comes off my tongue would go back to thrusting.

I'm so confused!!!

I do think I will talk to him about speech therapy. I would hate to spend all this money and have my bite go back to what it is now.

#22 Post by **DrBlur** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:35 pm

I also have a tongue thrust...because my palate is too narrow for my tongue, thus I have an open bite. I've done a good job retraining my tongue and hopefully when I get my expander this will be solved once and for all.

#23 Post by **Kitagirl** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:45 pm

Wow....I don't know if I have it or not, the ortho never really mentioned it although they had trouble keeping my tongue back when they were putting on my brackets. haha. I feel like I have a big tongue but then I think my jaws are a little too small for my mouth.

Mine isn't as bad as others here but my tongue definitely touches the backs of my teeth at rest! I didn't know it wasn't supposed to haha.

#24 Post by **gary** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:34 pm

Kitagirl wrote:Mine isn't as bad as others here but my tongue definitely touches the backs of my teeth at rest! I didn't know it wasn't supposed to haha.

Like I said earlier, my ortho told me that my tongue resting on the bottom of my mouth, simply touching the back of my teeth is not enough force to effect my teeth/bite. He said that I would have to constantly be pushing on them to have an effect like that. I hope he's right.....

#25 Post by **Kitagirl** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:12 pm

Hmm...I do clench my jaw, esp at night...but I don't think my tongue actually pushes my teeth...

#26 Post by **SpicyOrleanian** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 8:38 pm

Well I have this problem also, I as used to suck my thumb and which brought about the protruding front teeth, so my tongue used that spot as a resting place.

My Ortho told me that my tongue will train itself back as the teeth start pushing back and straightening out (I also try and swallow and rest my tongue on the roof of my mouth), but I am worried that this problem will not totally go away without an appliance to assist with it!!

#27 Post by **SpicyOrleanian** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 8:44 pm

Also my tongue rest right behind my front teeth, but I too try and place my tongue in the roof of my mouth and it feels like I'm forcing it there so isn't comfortable at all

#28 Post by **DrBlur** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:13 am

SpicyOrleanian wrote:Also my tongue rest right behind my front teeth, but I too try and place my tongue in the roof of my mouth and it feels like I'm forcing it there so isn't comfortable at all

Keep doing it...it does feel funny but eventually it becomes normal...I've been able to retrain my tongue and almost eliminate my tongue thrust (something my ortho said I had to do before he'd begin treatment)