If you’re like most people, the notion of proper tongue placement sounds like a foreign concept. After all, you’ve never paid much attention to where this muscle rests inside your mouth, right? While it might not seem to matter, the truth is that its position can have a positive or negative impact on your oral and overall health. Keep reading to discover why the placement of your tongue matters and why seeking professional help for a tongue-tie can help to improve your oral mobility and prevent worsening problems.
Why the Tongue Matters
If you think about the way your muscles work, you realize that they all need to function healthily in order to avoid serious aches and pains.
The tongue is considered to be a fairly small muscle; however, it holds much power and is pivotal to your oral and overall health. When it is not positioned correctly, it can have a negative impact on your ability to consume certain foods, breathe freely, and even maintain good posture.
To know whether your tongue is in the right place or not, experts reveal that it should rest against the roof of the mouth. Your teeth should feel no pressure from your tongue, and they should be slightly apart with your lips closed.
What Kinds of Problems Can Occur with Improper Tongue Placement?
If you discover that your tongue is not positioned correctly (i.e., the mouth stays open, the tongue presses against the back of your teeth, your teeth are clenched tight together, etc.) it could result in serious problems throughout your body, such as:
- Increased pain throughout the jaw and facial structure
- Sore or painful muscles in the neck, shoulder, and face
- Difficulty sleeping without frequent interruptions (often due to obstructive sleep apnea)
- Mouth breathing
- Facial shape that appears longer than it should
- A gap between the upper front two teeth
How Can Improper Tongue Positioning Be Treated?
It might seem as if there is no way to treat this kind of problem, but the good news is that there is. Apart from orthodontics and myofunctional therapy, there is the option of undergoing a frenectomy.
By meeting with a tongue-tie specialist, you can determine if there is a restricted band of tissue existing underneath your tongue. If so, a minor procedure can occur that releases the tissue with the help of a soft tissue laser.
These innovative devices use a concentrated beam of light to gently lacerate the tissue and cauterize it at the same time. This prevents excessive bleeding and swelling during and after the procedure. There is even a reduced chance of post-surgical infection because of its ability to sterilize the area during treatment.
Where your tongue rests inside your mouth matters. If you discover that you are struggling with any familiar signs or symptoms, don’t hesitate to reach out to a specialist for help. In the end, you’ll experience greater oral movement and overall health.
About the Author
Dr. Andrea Csok is a dentist and tongue-tie expert who is also a mother of two. After completing Dr. Baxter’s Tongue-Tie Academy course, she attended the International Affiliation of Tongue-Tie Professionals conference to better understand the process as well as meet various experts in the field. If you have a restricted tongue-tie, visit our website or call (216) 292-3600 to learn how we can help.