Tongue thrusting can adversely affect the teeth and mouth. A person swallows from 1,200 to 2,000 times every 24 hours with about four pounds (1.8 kg) of pressure each time. If a person suffers from tongue thrusting, this continuous pressure tends to force the teeth out of alignment. Many people who tongue thrust have open bites; the force of the tongue against the teeth is a major contributor to “bad bite” (malocclusion). Many orthodontists complete treatment with what appear to be good results, only to find the case relapsed because of the patient’s tongue thrust. If the tongue continues to push against the teeth, it will keep pushing them forward and reverse the orthodontic work.
Speech is often affected by the tongue-thrust swallowing pattern. The “S” sound (lisping) is the one most affected. The lateral lisp (air forced to the side of the tongue rather than forward) improves dramatically when the tongue thrust is corrected. However, lisping and tongue thrust are not always associated.
Arch development to create more space for the tongue:
Appliance to widen the arch
Arch widened to create more space for the tongue
Correction of tongue trust through arch development