Tongue Thrust

What is tongue thrust?

Tongue thrust describes a pattern where a child’s tongue moves forward against or between the teeth during swallowing, speech, or when resting. It’s common for infants to have forward tongue movement as they learn to feed, but for toddlers, school-age children, or teens, a persistent forward tongue posture can affect eating, speaking, and dental comfort.

Why it matters

Tongue posture plays a role in how a child chews, swallows, and forms certain speech sounds. When the tongue habitually pushes forward it may make some sounds harder to produce clearly, change how liquids or food move, or make an open-mouth resting posture more likely. That said, every child is different — the presence of tongue thrust doesn’t automatically mean something serious, but it is often worth watching and, if needed, supporting.

What to expect in therapy or coaching

First visit: We begin with a friendly conversation with you and your child to understand feeding history, speech concerns, and daily routines. We also observe how your child breathes, eats, rests, and speaks in a natural, low-pressure way.

Assessment and plan: Based on what we see, we explain any patterns using simple language and suggest goals together with you. Goals might focus on improved tongue posture at rest, safer and more efficient swallowing, clearer speech production, or easier mealtime routines.

Therapy sessions: Sessions are playful and practical. For infants and toddlers we center on caregiver coaching—positioning, bottle or breastfeeding supports, paced feeding, and gentle oral guidance. For older children we use age-appropriate games, tongue and lip exercises, and practice tasks that link new tongue habits to real-life skills like drinking from a cup, chewing, or saying certain sounds.

Home practice and coaching: Small, consistent steps matter most. We give short, doable activities for home and show caregivers how to cue and praise progress. We coach families on timing, frequency, and how to make practice part of everyday routines rather than an extra chore.

Collaboration: When helpful, we partner with your child’s dentist, orthodontist, pediatrician, or speech-language pathologist so everyone is on the same page. We will never diagnose medical conditions, but we will share observations and recommend further evaluation by other providers when appropriate.

A few things to keep in mind

  • Progress is individual: some children respond quickly to simple changes; others need longer guided practice. We don’t promise outcomes, but we do promise clear communication and family-centered planning.
  • Comfort, safety, and fun guide our work. Therapy is always adjusted to your child’s age, tolerance, and interests.

When to consider support

  • Tongue frequently pushes between or against the teeth during swallowing or at rest
  • Persistent open-mouth posture or mouth breathing
  • Difficulty with certain speech sounds (for example, /s/ or /z/) or unclear speech you’re concerned about
  • Food or liquids frequently leak from the mouth while eating or drinking
  • Your dentist or pediatric provider points out concerns about tooth position or oral posture

How we help

  • Friendly evaluation focused on feeding, speech, and oral posture
  • Individualized, play-based exercises and oral-motor activities
  • Caregiver coaching for daily routines and home practice
  • Coordination with dentists, SLPs, and pediatricians when appropriate

If you’re noticing patterns with swallowing, resting tongue posture, or speech, a short conversation with a pediatric therapist can help you decide whether supportive therapy or monitoring makes sense. We’re here to answer your questions and design a plan that fits your child and family life.