The way your tongue moves may seem unimportant, but the way it functions can have a big impact on how you speak. One common issue, known as lateral tongue thrust, occurs when the tongue pushes against the sides of the mouth instead of staying in its proper position. Over time, this habit can affect jaw alignment, dental health, and even the way you form words. In many cases, it’s a hidden cause of speech impediments that are often misunderstood or misdiagnosed.
What Is Lateral Tongue Thrust?
Infants are born with an “extrusion reflex,” which causes them to push their tongues forward during feeding to help prevent choking. By about 6 months old (when babies are ready for solid foods), this reflex usually fades. At that stage, they start learning to rest their tongue against the roof of the mouth while breathing and swallowing. As their upper front teeth come in, they also develop the habit of keeping the tongue positioned just behind them.
However, people with a tongue thrust might push their tongue out between their front (anterior) teeth or bring it against their front teeth when swallowing. Those with a lateral tongue thrust press their tongue against their side teeth during swallowing, eating, or even while at rest. They might press it against one side (unilateral tongue thrust) or both sides (bilateral tongue thrust).
Poor tongue positioning becomes a problem because even gentle, repeated pressure against the teeth and jaw can slowly change their shape. Think of how water, over millions of years, can carve away rock to form deep canyons. A lateral tongue thrust works the same way: small movements repeated day after day can eventually alter your bite and overall oral structure.
The Causes of a Lateral Tongue Thrust
A variety of things cause lateral tongue thrust, such as:
- Bad childhood habits: Prolonged thumb sucking or pacifier use can train the tongue to rest in the wrong position.
- Tongue tie: A shortened lingual frenulum (the tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth) restricts tongue movement.
- Myofunctional disorders: Weak or improperly formed facial and jaw muscles, possibly due to trauma or genetic conditions, can affect tongue function.
- Nasal obstruction: Enlarged, obstructive tonsils or adenoids can result in mouth breathing and tongue repositioning.
- Oral motor dysfunction: Certain neurological conditions, such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or autism, can affect muscle control and lead to tongue thrusting.
It’s important to identify the cause of lateral tongue thrust so you or your child can receive the right treatment.
What Are the Symptoms of Lateral Tongue Thrust?
One of the first signs of lateral tongue thrust that parents report is difficulty with certain speech sounds, such as:
- “s” and “z”: The “s” in “snake” and the “z” in “zebra” come out sounding like the “th” in “math“
- “sh” and “j”: The “sh” in “shoe” and the “j” in “joke” come out sounding muffled, squashed, or overly airy
A speech-language pathologist may be able to diagnose lateral tongue thrust just by listening to a child speak.
But lateral tongue thrusting influences more than just speech. Over time, the pressure of the tongue against the teeth can lead to:
- Jaw pain
- Malocclusion (misaligned bite)
- Receding gums
- Upper front teeth gaps
Any of these can negatively affect your overall well-being.
How We Treat Tongue Thrusts
We provide treatment for tongue thrust to help address speech issues, but if the problem is rooted in the structural relationship between the upper and lower jaw, correcting that foundation comes first. And that’s much easier to do with early intervention. Once the jaws are properly aligned, it’s easier to retrain the tongue’s resting posture and movement for clearer speech.
It’s difficult to expect the tongue to function well in a space that’s too small or improperly shaped. We often begin with orthodontic treatment to create proper space and then use appliances or therapy to help retrain tongue movement.
Depending on what’s going on with the tongue, teeth, and jaw, there are several corrective options, such as:
- Clear aligners like Invisalign®
- Braces
- Habit-breaking appliances such as tongue cribs
- Palatal expanders
- Frenectomy for tongue ties
The goal of orthodontic treatment for lateral tongue thrust is to correct malocclusion, break the tongue thrust habit, and establish a stable, functional bite with proper tongue posture.
If additional support is needed, we may refer patients to a myofunctional therapist or speech pathologist for targeted speech training.
Need Expert Orthodontics? Get in Touch Today!
It’s surprising how something as small as tongue placement can have such a big impact. Over time, tongue thrust can contribute to chronic pain, speech difficulties, and other issues that affect your oral, mental, and overall health. The good news is, it can be treated.
Contact us at any of our 7 locations to schedule a free consultation. We’ve helped many patients overcome tongue thrust problems, and we’re ready to do the same for you, your child, or someone you care about.
