When children show early signs of crowded teeth, poor facial
development may also occur.
How a child chews and swallows is very important to the development of
his teeth and facial structure as well as his speech pronunciation.
f you notice the following, your child may have a
TONGUE THRUST,
that is, he or she may be swallowing incorrectly by pushing his/her tongue forward with each swallow rather than up to the roof of the mouth. Since we swallow 600-2000 times/day, it is essential that your child learns to swallow correctly as the forces of the lips, tongue, and jaw can affect your child’s speech and overall facial development.
Signs your child may have a tongue thrust:
– messy eating
– noisy, open-mouth chewing
– coughing/choking while eating
– mouth breathing (open mouth posture)
– tongue coming out of the mouth during speaking and swallowing
– pain in the chewing joint (TMJ) – This may develop over time caused by tongue thrust.
A tongue thrust is considered normal until the age of 4, after which time
the quality of the swallow should mature and the child should no longer
be pushing the tongue forward to swallow.
Optimal time for treatment is between the ages of 5 to 15 years old.
Consult with a Speech-Language Pathologist trained in tongue thrust
therapy as well as a Paediatric Orthodontist who can develop a treatment
plan for your child.
Contact torontospeechtherapy@hotmail.com if you have any questions or concerns about your child.
