Have you ever thought about what your tongue does while you are at rest? If not, a dentist warns that you may be holding it in the wrong position.
Positioning your tongue incorrectly in your mouth can cause tooth and jaw problems — and even crowd the cartilage in your nose — says Dr. Priya Mistry, a dentist in Vancouver, Washington.
Good tongue posture involves pressing the tip, middle and back of your tongue against the roof of your mouth with light suction.
This is the only position that supports the rest of your oral structures and in turn keeps your palate, gums and teeth healthy, she said.
But if you sink your tongue to the bottom of your mouth, Dr. Mistry explains, you may experience breathing problems.
Dr. Mistry said improper tongue posture can lead to mouth breathing and may be related to an underdeveloped palate. This can harm oral health in general, leading to tooth decay and gum disease
Dr. Mistry said there is a link between TMJ and poor tongue posture. TMJ disorders cause jaw, neck and headaches and can be debilitating chronic conditions
She said: ‘When the tongue is in the correct position, it applies gentle pressure to the roof of the mouth, the roof of the mouth.’
If you have poor tongue posture you are more likely to breathe through your mouth rather than your nose, but keeping your tongue close to the roof of your mouth can help this keep the nasal passages open and clear.
‘You can’t breathe through your mouth and still have the tongue in the right position – that’s impossible’ Dr. Mistry told Goop.
Mouth breathing has been linked to problems with saliva production, which can lead to cavities, tooth decay and gum disease.
That’s because saliva forms a protective layer against the bacteria that live in the mouth and produce acid that attacks the teeth.
When you breathe through your mouth instead of your nose, it causes your mouth to dry out, leaving your teeth and gums defenseless against the bacteria. Dr. Bryan Hill, a Washington dentist, wrote.
In addition, Dr. Mistry, whose practice focuses on treating people with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), a condition that affects the jaw joint, said that most of her patients with TMJ have poor tongue posture.
According to figures, between five and twelve percent of American adults have a TMJ disorder Cleveland Clinic.
It causes intense jaw, facial and neck pain and can lead to migraines, toothache, tinnitus and jaw clicking. Sometimes it also causes lockjaw, arthritis and can change the way your teeth fit together in your mouth.
“In my practice I regularly see a connection between low tongue posture and TMJ disorders,” said Dr. Mistry on her YouTube channel.
This, she explained, is because keeping your tongue in the correct position, tight against the roof of your mouth, helps support the shape of the roof of your mouth, also known as the roof of your mouth.
The gentle upward pressure causes the palate to form into a wide, shallow structure large enough to accommodate all of your teeth.
This support is important, especially when you are young, to ensure that your mouth develops into the ideal shape.
‘The tongue is an absolute cornerstone of our entire face and head’ Jessica Luffey said a certified specialist in orofacial myology, which is essentially physical therapy for the mouth and jaw.
For proper tongue position, lightly press the entire tongue against the roof of the mouth with gentle suction. Improper posture includes a slight prolapse of the tongue.
If your tongue support is lacking, it can cause your palate to develop more narrowly than it should, which can put strain on surrounding structures, Ms. Luffey said.
Dr. Mistry told Goop that the anatomy of the mouth and nose can actually change due to incorrect tongue posture. The palate may become narrow and curved and push against the nasal cavity.
This can potentially cause a deviated nasal septum, when the wall of your nose shifts to one side, causing one air passage to become smaller than the other, which can lead to breathing difficulties and disorders.
This could be the link between TMJ and tongue posture, said Dr. Mistry.
Experts list some reasons why someone may not have proper tongue posture.
First, tongue ties. A tongue tie occurs when the fibrous membrane that connects the underside of your tongue to your mouth is shorter or tighter than it should be, limiting the range of motion of your tongue.
Many people are diagnosed with this condition in infancy and it can be corrected with minor surgery.
Another reason why your tongue collapses is because you have allergies or enlarged tonsils. If you are congested with pollen, or have a cold that causes your tonsils to swell, you can’t breathe through your nose, causing you to lower your tongue to create extra space in your mouth for breathing.
Finally, other nasal conditions, such as a deviated septum, can make you prone to poor tongue posture.
If you’re not sure what your tongue is doing in your mouth, Dr. Luffey recommends that you perform a tongue strength test during a YouTube presentation.
This involves gently placing a hand on your chin, opening your mouth as wide as possible, and then sticking your tongue straight out of your mouth, “like a surfboard.”
You should be able to hold it in the air without lip support or jaw clenching, Dr. Luffey said. If you have difficulty with this, it could be a sign that your tongue is not used to being in the correct position.
If you think you have problems with tongue posture, Dr. Mistry cautioned that you should see a dentist and not try to fix the problem yourself.
If you do, you may accidentally strain the muscles in your mouth and neck, hurting yourself, she said.