Is Your Tongue in the Right Position?

New Patients!  Would you like to get up to $300 in treatment credits and lifetime whitening? Talk to Suzie, our smart, personal assistant in the bottom right corner to find out how!  Or call us at (703) 476-3969.

Importance of Proper Tongue Position

Many people don’t realize how important tongue position is to facial growth. Tongue position affects both facial development and proper breathing.

Problems Associated With Incorrect Tongue Position

Incorrect tongue position can lead to a number of problems such as cross bites, open bites and spacing between the teeth. These issues can lead to difficulty speaking and eating and can cause premature wear to the back teeth. If tongue position is not corrected, the results of orthodontic treatment will be temporary. Long lasting results can be achieved by training the tongue to stay in the correct position.

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder refers to an abnormal lip, jaw or tongue position. This disorder affects the muscles and activities of the face and mouth. It can be caused by bad habits such as thumb sucking. Thumb and finger sucking forces the tongue low in the mouth where it pushes against the teeth. Over time, this causes the facial structure to begin to change.

Correcting Tongue Position Problems

The correct position of the tongue is flat against the palate with the tip touching the flesh behind the upper teeth. The tongue should remain in this position both day and night, except when eating or speaking.

Most people can correct tongue position problems quickly and easily. Once the correct tongue position is learned, it must be practiced several times a day. It shouldn’t take long for this to become automatic. Occasionally, patients must strengthen the muscles of the tongue or eliminate bad habits before they are able to correct tongue position.

A trained myotherapist can help correct tongue position problems and strengthen the tongue’s muscles. This is very similar to how a physical therapist helps their patients regain muscle strength after a sports injury. A myotherapist helps by identifying and fixing habits that are preventing correct tongue position.

Quality Orthodontics in Northern Virginia

Sunrise Orthodontics specializes in myofunctional orthodontics. Our Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) helps our patients identify and eliminate habits and disorders that affect the muscles of the tongue, cheek, lips as well as the position of the jaw. Please contact us for more information.