Much like breathing, swallowing is a natural function that we do without having to think about it. Since it happens reflexively, you might think the body has it covered. Technically, it does — but that doesn’t mean that you can’t run into swallowing problems.
Some children have a specific issue called tongue thrust. This causes them to thrust their tongue forward when they swallow, which can affect their teeth, the way they speak, and even their breathing.
Our team at 2K Dental can step in here. At our family-friendly offices in Cleveland, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Aurora, and Parma, Ohio, Anthony Klobas, DMD, or George Kontoveros, DMD, can check whether your child shows signs of tongue thrust. If they do, we work with your family to develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Up to a certain age, a baby thrusting their tongue forward when they swallow is actually a good thing. Doctors call this infantile swallow pattern, and it prevents choking as babies breast- and bottle-feed.
Typically, this tongue thrust reflex fades around six months, once the baby starts to transition to solid foods. In some kids, though, the transformation to a mature swallow pattern doesn’t happen naturally. They’re stuck with tongue thrust.
Some signs that your child might be living with thrust include:
Left unchecked, the added tongue pressure caused by thrust can lead to problems like misaligned teeth and jaw pain.
If any of this sounds familiar, see our team. Dr. Kontoveros or Dr. Klobas can evaluate your child and create a personalized treatment recommendation for your family.
Some kids outgrow thrust. If your child is younger than 8, we often recommend keeping an eye on the situation. If the thrust begins to affect the alignment or their bite, we might intervene. Otherwise, we can wait to see if your child drops the thrusting habit naturally.
Around age 8, it’s time to step in if the thrust hasn’t resolved. We tailor a care program to your child. If the thrust impacts the way they talk, for example, we might recommend speech therapy.
We don’t just treat the symptoms. To retrain your child’s swallow, we typically recommend one or both of the following:
Don’t let thrust affect your child’s speech, breathing, or orthodontic alignment. To see if this issue could be affecting your family, call the 2K Dental office nearest you.
