Help! Reduced tongue space.

[lyric]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum, I've been looking for answers regarding a discomfort have been feeling lately. I've been fully braced for 1 and a half year now. I had to extract 5 teeth (3 wisdom) before getting the braces. My problem was just crowdedness, no problem with the bite of jaw. I wore the elastics for a little over that 2 months, to help close the spaces on my upper teeth. Right before xmas I realized that the space in my mouth had suddenly become smaller and my tongue felt pretty cramped inside. To be specific, my tongue is now extending past my lower front teeth and when my mouth is closed, the tip of my tongue happens to be pressed between my lower front teeth and my palate. I stopped wearing the elastic and had my adjustment few days ago. My ortho couldn't explain why I was feeling that and just said it was "unusual" and that he would have stopped using the elastics. I think my front lower teeth (especially those) have been pushed inward and consequently the space inside my mouth is reduced. He didn't think that was the case because the wire would have stopped that from happening. He may be right, but doesn't change that fact that, unless my tongue got bigger, now the space has decreased.

Anybody have an explanation for what has happened? Anybosy had the same happening while braced?

I really need to know everything will be okay. I liked my ortho a lot, now I'm starting to be much less impressed
Thanks a lot!

[Zoso]

I don't know. Is it possible that you've developed some sort of tongue-thrusting habit? Can you work on resting the tip of the tongue always on the roof of the mouth? (It should not be pressed against the teeth at all, much less beyond them).

Since your ortho seems to have no notion what to suggest, maybe you could discuss with your general dentist and see what he feels may be going on.

[lyric]

Thanks Zoso for your reply. I think that is what my ortho seemed to be thinking since he said "I don't know why you are doing that", probably meaning that I was pushing my tongue forward. Well, the only way for me to avoid pressing my tongue against my teeth is lifting the tip upward on my palate. If I lay it flat as I've always done, then it's right behind my upper front teeth and on top of my lower front teeth. My fear is that it'll get worse by the end of my treatment since I still have some spaces to close and my mouth can potentially get even smaller.

[Zoso]

Ah, I think I see. But the roof of the mouth is where the tip of the tongue is supposed to rest. It would appear that you have a lifelong habit, but it has only now started to become more apparent because of the changes to your dental arches.

Here's a brief article about tongue thrust and the correct resting position of the tongue: SpeechPathology.com: remediating tongue thrust

[Sunny]

Lyric I have had a very similar experience. I had a class III bite and my lower teeth have been moved back in the arch and my tongue was already not going to the roof of my mouth as it should be, but was pressing against my teeth and causing an open bite. As my lower teeth moved back, my tongue appeared not to have enough room and I was really uncomfortable with this. My ortho realised I was developing a tongue thrust and used an appliance, with had a bead on a wire across the top of my mouth. The wire was attached to buttons on my first molars. I then worked at training my tongue to 'play' with the bead ... it worked well.

My ortho also felt the 'less space' was so minimal, that it must be a subconscious thing, but ghee my tongue didn't like the cramped feeling at the time.

Please talk to your ortho about the possibility of tongue thrust, as the tongue is a very strong muscle and it will undo all orthodontic work, if it's continues to push against your teeth every time you swallow. You tongue must come to rest against the roof of your mouth.

Good luck!

[Zoso]

Sounds like a Blue Grass Roller. (See, for example, http://www.haskellbraces.com/web/pdf.../bluegrass.pdf) Such an appliance can be used to help with tongue thrust (and also with thumb sucking) or some sort of a habit crib could be employed.

(Odd, Sunny, that you don't mention it in your Blogspot blog at all, nor is it in any of the upper arch images posted there)

[Sunny]

He styled it on the blue grass appliance ... and it worked very well for me, once I got used to having something across the roof of my mouth. He showed me what they used to use (and sometimes still have to use) ... the crib ... and that scared me!

[Zoso]

So perhaps you could share some images of this, Sunny? How many months did you have it?

[lyric]

Thanks so much Zoso and Sunny. I'll talk to my ortho on my next appointment and I hope he'll help me. I feel much better now, though.

[EighthPlanet]

Wow.. I never realised it but I think I have a tongue thrusting problem too... When my mouth is comfortably close but not teeth-touching, my tongue is all the way up against the back of my top front teeth and pouring over the top of my bottom teeth. I rub against the back of my lower teeth a LOT and also reach over the top and push downwards as well. This has cause the recession of my gums in the front (as well as a tight frenulum).

[Sunny]

Talk to your ortho about this EighthPlanet, as it needs to be corrected before treatment has ceased.

My thrust was mild and I never knew I had it. My ortho was suspicious and at one of my appointments, got me to swallow a few times, while he watched. We then talked about where my tongue goes when I swallow and that confirmed a mild thrust. Because we swallow so many times a day (mostly subconsciously), there's no way orthodontic treatment can survive that type of pressure.

Good luck finding out!

[EighthPlanet]

Thanks! I'm going to ask this Thursday. I don't have the "little sip" problem that I read about; I do properly cup the tongue at the top of my mouth, but I'm really exploratory of the front of my mouth.