A tongue thrust can cause problems eating, drinking, and speaking. It is an orofacial myofunctional disorder, or OMD. It means your child might stick their tongue out too much to make certain sounds or while eating some foods. Your child’s tongue is moving forward too much and may rest on his or her lips or stick out too far when they talk or eat. Most people with a tongue thrust also have speech sound errors. Tongue thrusts may also have an adverse affect on your child’s teeth.

Trouble With Sounds

• “s” as in “sun”
• “z” as in “zoo”
• “sh” as in “ship”
• “ch” as in “chew”
• “j” as in “jump”

Causes

• Allergies
• Large tonsils and adenoids
• Thumb or finger sucking
• Lip and fingernail biting, and teeth clenching
• Family history

Testing

• Speech-Language pathologist
• Dentist
• Orthodontist
• Doctor

For more information on tongue thrust, call our office at (208) 535-1286.