Most professionals use tongue exercises as a tongue thrust therapy to retrain the tongue. Normally the tongue pushes onto the palate when swallowing. A person who has an anterior tongue thrust pushes the tongue forward instead of placing it upward on the palate.

          If tongue thrust therapy does not successfully eliminate the tongue thrust before completing orthodontic treatment, the patient's teeth will not remain where they were orthodontically positioned. This causes relapse. At the Atlanta Dental Group PC we place small orthodontic lingual cleats on the back of the top two front teeth to help patients know when they are thrusting. The cleats along with exercises often helps our patients get rid of their tongue thrust habit.

          When a patient is a mouthbreather and must use the mouth to breath, it is difficult for tongue thrust therapy to be successful. In this case, the patient must first visit an allergist to eliminate the cause ( swollen nasal turbinates due to allergies ) and later have the blockage in the nose opened by an Ear,Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor. If the patient can then breath, there is no need to keep the tongue positioned low in the mouth and the tongue thrust can often be eliminated.

          The dentists at the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You are welcome to join our family of patients. If you are considering having tongue thrust therapy and would like to consult with Dr. Padolsky, please call 404-874-7428.