What are Tongue Tamers and How Do They Work?
Tongue posture can have a negative influence on tooth position.
Has your Orthodontist recommended Tongue Tamers as part of your treatment plan?
Learn about how Tongue Tamers work as reminders for your tongue.
Tongue tamers are metal prongs that remind the tongue to stay away from teeth in patients who have tongue thrusts.
What is a Tongue Thrust?
When infants drink bottles or nurse, the tongue comes forward in a sucking motion. Around age 2, when infants begin eating solid foods, the tongue transitions and rests in the roof of the mouth. Sometimes this transition does not occur.
Tongue thrust occurs when your tongue remains in a forward position at rest and when the tongue presses against or in between teeth when moving during swallowing or talking.
What causes tongue thrust? There are various reasons for tongue thrusting but one of the most common are patients who have a thumb sucking habit or have had one in the past.
Why is tongue thrust a problem for teeth? A tongue thrust can cause teeth to flare out or separate when biting together, creating an improper biting relationship for the top and bottom teeth known as an open bite.
Front view of open bite. Front teeth cannot touch each other when biting together.
Side view of open bite. Only back teeth touch when teeth are biting together.
When are Tongue Tamers used in Orthodontics?
Tongue tamers are placed behind the top front teeth, for patients whose tongue rests behind their top front teeth.
For patients whose tongue presses against their bottom teeth, tongue tamers can be placed behind the bottom front teeth.
For mild tongue thrusts, tongue tamers are an effective way of training the tongue to stay back. However, patients with more significant tongue thrusting are referred to a speech specialist for myofunctional therapy. The therapist assigns patients exercises for their tongue so it will stay back away from teeth.
Tongue Tamers are removed once the tongue demonstrates desired behavior.
Wearing Tongue Tamers during your Smile Journey
Tongue tamers can be an effective way to train the tongue to stay away from teeth but take some time to adjust to.
Initially the tongue will press against the tongue tamers, causing it to become irritated. Eventually the tongue will stay back, no longer touching the tongue tamers, and the irritation will disappear.
Once the tongue behavior has improved, the tongue tamers are removed. If the tongue does not show signs of improvement, myofunctional therapy may be required.
If orthodontic braces are placed to close the open bite and the tongue behavior has not been corrected, the open bite will reappear in time. That is why it is really important to explore all options in correcting tongue thrusts.