Correcting the Hidden Habit: The Key to a Proper Swallow & Myofunctional Therapy

Swallowing is a fundamental habit that most of us take for granted. However, improper swallow patterns, often called “tongue thrust” can lead to a variety of dental and health issues. In myofunctional therapy, addressing these issues is key to achieving better overall health. In this week’s blog we will explore the importance of proper swallow techniques and the issues that an improper swallow technique can create. As well as how myofunctional therapy can help correct these hidden habits.

A proper swallow involves the correct positioning and movement of the tongue and other oral structures and is free from compensations. 

During a proper swallow:

• The tongue should rest against the roof of the mouth

• The lips should be closed, and the teeth should come together slightly 

• The muscle of the face should remain relaxed

In an improper swallow, such as a tongue thrust, occurs when the tongue pushes against the teeth or comes forward between the teeth during swallowing. It does not always have to push forwards only. It can spill out of the sides of the teeth as well. This can lead to dental issues, speech concerns, facial developmental issues, digestive problems, impact breathing patterns, pain in the head neck region and affect sleep.

Why is a proper swallow important?

1. Dental Health: Improper swallow patterns can cause the misalignment of teeth, leading to malocclusion and other orthodontic problems. This increases the likelihood of needing braces, expansion, or other orthodontic interventions. 

2. Facial Development: Over time, tongue thrusts can affect the development and alignment of the jaw and facial structures. This can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, which may cause pain and discomfort. 

3. Speech: Proper tongue posture and swallowing can influence speech and clarity. 

4. Digestive Concerns: When we have our mouth open during the eating process we take in more air. This can lead to more acid reflux, bloating, gas, ect. When our tongue is not up in the palate during swallowing and instead pushing forwards, this will likely lead to more digestive issues such as GERD.   

5. Breathing: A proper swallow pattern encourages nasal breathing, which is crucial for optimal oxygen intake and overall respiratory health. 

6. Sleep: We are going to take a bigger dive into this one. Tongue thrusts can significantly impact sleep in several ways: Airway Obstruction: An improper swallow can lead to an improper resting posture of the tongue. When the tongue is in the improper position during sleep this can obstruct the airway. An obstruction in the airway can then lead to things such as: breathing difficulties, obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, and disturbances in quality and quantity of sleep. Mouth Breathing: Tongue thrusts often accompany mouth breathing habits. As discussed in previous blogs, nasal breathing is far better for our health than mouth breathing.

So now that we know how much our swallow can impact our health, let’s discuss how/why improper swallow patterns form. There are many reasons why and how these irregularities can form and we will not go into depth on all of them here. 

Some of the reasons a tongue thrust can form:

• prolonged pacifier, bottle, or sippy cup usage

• structural issues like a high narrow palate

• oral restrictions (tongue ties)

• history of thumb sucking 

• chronic mouth breathing that could be related to enlarged tonsils, allergies

• lack of awareness

• neurological conditions  

How Myofunctional Therapy Helps:

Myofunctional therapy focuses on retraining the muscles of the mouth and face to improve functions like swallowing:

Here’s how it can help:

1. Assessment: A thorough evaluation by a myofunctional therapist can identify improper swallow patterns and other related issues.

2. Exercises: Tailored exercise can strengthen the muscles involved in swallowing and encourage proper tongue posture. 

3. Habit Correction: Myofunctional therapy provides guidance on eliminating habits like thumb sucking or mouth breathing that may contribute to improper swallow. 

In conclusion, correcting an improper swallow pattern may seem like a small detail, but it can have a big impact on your overall health and well-being. Myofunctional therapy offers a comprehensive approach to identifying and correcting these hidden habits, paving the way for better dental health, improved breathing, more effective sleep, less GI symptoms, reduction in mouth breathing and a healthier you!