Tongue Thrust – standard myofunctional therapy program

This myofunctional therapy program is offered to children and adults who are presenting with a tongue thrust. Tongue thrust is part of oral myofunctional symptoms related to a dysfunctional swallowing pattern (usually with tongue pushing in between the teeth during swallowing and/or lips and cheeks pushing back on the dental arches) and an incorrect tongue posture (usually with tongue resting in between the teeth instead of in the roof of the mount).

A tongue thrust can cause facial and dental development abnormalities such as flaring of the teeth, large dental overjet, teeth crowding or excessive teeth spacing. It can also influence digestion and result in aerophagia (swallowing of air during the intake of solids and liquids) which can negatively impact digestion.

The program consists of fortnightly appointments and is based on a minimum required number of therapy sessions* (8 for children and 10 for adults). The appointments are usually scheduled fortnightly and consist of checking and issuing myofunctional therapy exercises and associated practices specific to the individual.

* In some cases clients may need a few extra sessions to finalize chewing and swallowing function.