Proper Tongue Posture and Facial Development
Is your child a mouth breather? This is likely because they do not have the proper tongue posture. Having a proper tongue position is the key to ensuring your child’s health in a multitude of ways. If you’re worried that your child’s mouth breathing needs treatment, we can help. Keep reading to learn more about proper tongue posture and how to get children’s mouth breathing treatment in Milwaukee.
What is the Proper Tongue Posture?
When your tongue is at rest, the tip of your tongue should touch the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth, as a study published in Radiology and Oncology notes. The tip of your tongue shouldn’t rest low on the floor of your mouth.
The Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy notes that the tongue should be held against the roof of the mouth when swallowing. According to Rady Children’s Hospital, some children push their tongues forward through their teeth when they swallow, which is improper tongue positioning, known as a tongue thrust.
Complications from Improper Tongue Posture
If someone does not have proper tongue posture, it can lead to a host of health issues. Some of these include:
- Speech issues. People without proper tongue posture may make distorted sounds while speaking and have issues articulating.
- Dental Malocclusion. Malocclusion occurs when the teeth aren’t aligned properly. Since your jaw has to readjust to compensate for the incorrect tongue posture, this may cause your teeth to shift.
- Dental issues. Improper tongue posture will also lead to issues such as cavities, braces, or gingivitis.
- Sleep apnea. Mouth breathing, which is common among those who do not have proper tongue resting posture, can cause sleep apnea.
- TMJ. TMJ is a painful condition that occurs when the jaw muscles are not in their proper place. It can be a side effect of improper tongue resting posture and mouth breathing.
Why Mouth Breathing Is Dangerous
The body’s normal way of breathing is through the nose. The nose acts like a filter, keeping toxins out and allowing the body to have better-quality oxygen to flow through the lungs and bloodstream.
When someone breaths through their mouth, this is because there is a blockage in their airway. This can be caused by a number of things, including improper tongue posture. As a survival instinct, the body will then breathe through the mouth. This allows in toxins, causing the body not to have high-quality oxygen come through the lungs and bloodstream. This can lead to a host of health issues, such as sleep apnea, cardiovascular problems, and much more.
Children’s Mouth Breathing Treatment with Advanced Sleep and TMJ Solutions
If you’re worried about your child’s breathing habits, we can help you.
Dr. Krissy Connor received her BSN in 2001 at the Marquette University School of Nursing. She was an emergency room nurse at Aurora Sinai Medical Center for three years before attending the Marquette University School of Dentistry to receive her DDS degree in 2008. She completed a postgraduate residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI, and has been collaborating with physicians to treat patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea using oral appliance therapy since 2014.
Learn more at advancedsleepandtmjsolutions.com!
