What is Tongue Thrust?
Tongue thrust is a type of swallow in which the tongue pushes against the front teeth or between the upper and lower teeth.

What causes tongue thrust?
          •   Delayed development of the swallowing function. Most babies swallow with a tongue thrust pattern and outgrow it on their
               own by 6 years old.
          •   Thumb sucking
          •   Englarged tonsils or adenoids
          •   Allergies
          •   Poor muscle control
          •   High, narrow palate/upper jaw.

When do children out grow tongue thrust?
Most children will stop the tongue thrust swallow by 6 years of age.

How does tongue thrust impact my child?
          •   Speech Intelligibility- Tongue thrust may impact a child’s speech intelligibility or how they say sounds. For example, a child
               that has a tongue thrust may mispronounce "S" sounds.
          •   Swallowing – A tongue thrust swallow can cause muscle weakness which may lead to oral swallowing challenges.
          •   Dentition – When a child has a tongue thrust the tongue pushes on the teeth. This added pressure on the teeth can cause
               an overbite. If a child gets braces without also treating the tongue thrust, the overbite may return once braces are removed.

Achieve Hearing & Rehabilitation helps patients overcome their tongue thrust disorders. If you or someone you know demonstrates any signs and symptoms of a tongue thrust disorder please call us at 972-608-0416 to discuss how Achieve can help.

Achieve Hearing & Rehabilitation is a speech and hearing clinic in Plano, Texas. We offer speech language pathology and audiological services for children and adults of all ages. Achieve is in-network with Aetna, Cigna, BlueCrossBlueShield, Medicare, and United Healthcare. We can help obtain information about your policy to determine if services are covered under. Please call us at 972-608-0416.