Myofunctional Disorder/Tongue Thrust

Symptoms: 
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• ​Abnormal dentition, such as an overbite or open-bite.
• Mouth-breathing.
• Placement of tongue against or between teeth while swallowing.
• Placement of tongue against the teeth while at rest.
• Difficulty chewing and managing some foods and liquids.
• Imprecise speech sounds.
  
• Difficulty swallowing pills.

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​Treatment: 
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​ A speech language pathologist would teach a child exercises to strengthen the muscles of the tongue and to retrain the movements for a correct swallowing pattern. The structured program allows for easy practice of all exercises in the home environment to facilitate improvement and carryover into the natural environment.