Tongue Thrusting

tongue-thrusting.jpg
Caught in the Act!
Constant pressure from the tongue on the teeth can cause an "open-bite" and other problems.

Tongue thrusting can negatively affect facial and dental development and hamper orthodontic treatment in many ways. A significant percentage of orthodontic patients have some form of tongue thrust habit that caused the displacement of their teeth and/or affected jaw development causing them to need braces. Persistence of a tongue thrust may prolong orthodontic treatment, prevent correction or cause relapse of the orthodontic result.