Besides helping you to taste, speak, swallow, and chew, your tongue also has a huge impact on the shape of your face. Oral resting posture refers to what your tongue is doing when you are not speaking, eating, or drinking.
When at rest, oral position should be as follows:
- Lips together
- Teeth slightly parted
- Tongue at the roof of the mouth, but not pressing against the teeth
The tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth plays a huge role in development. The gentle pressure of the tongue helps to shape the upper palate and surrounding oral and facial structures. Proper tongue resting posture also promotes nasal breathing.
When a tongue rests in the lower jaw, the midface does not grow properly and the lower face narrows and elongates. Other facial defects associated with Improper tongue resting posture are:
- High and narrow palate
- Flattened face
- Recessed chin/jaw
- Sunken cheeks
- Small jaws
The tongue is the strongest muscle in the head and can exert up to 500g of force. For reference, it only takes 1.7g of force to move a single tooth. This force is the major shaper of the palate, jaws, and facial structure. Improper tongue resting posture often results in narrow arches without room for all teeth. The lower jaw is forced back down, affecting the way the face grows.
Take a moment today to evaluate your tongue resting position!