9 May 2012Tongue thrust or immature swallow is basically a condition that involves a problem with the behavioral pattern of human, with the tongue protruding through the anterior incisors while the sufferer eats, swallows or speaks. It happens even when the tongue isn’t being used for anything. Almost every child exhibits a swallowing pattern characterized by tongue protrusion, but this pattern eventually normalizes as the child turn around six years old. People with the problem of immature swallow do it naturally without being aware of their own behavior.
So, how does it affect your oral health?
The condition typically has some effects on the health of the teeth and mouth of the sufferer. On average, an individual tends to swallow from 1,200 to 2,000 times throughout a day, having around four pounds of pressure every time. In case of an individual suffering from tongue thrusting, the continuous pressure can result in the misalignment of teeth. This is perhaps the reason why most people suffering from immature swallow face the issue of open bites. In fact, tongue thrust can even reverse a patient’s orthodontic work.
As far as speech is concerned, it is typically not affected by this abnormal swallowing pattern. However, the sufferer may develop a lisp, which is something that cannot be directly related to a tongue thrust.