Have you ever stopped and thought about where your tongue is in your mouth when you’re not eating or talking? In our speech pathology world, we like to refer to this as your tongue’s “resting position.”
And it matters more than you might think.
If your tongue feels most comfortable resting on the bottom of your mouth, or if it is pushing against your teeth at rest, then likely there are issues with how you are swallowing. Sometimes a person will also have issues with their speech as a result, but just the swallowing problems can be a big deal.
Did you know that you swallow up to 2,000 times a day?!? That’s right. We are constantly swallowing saliva, even in our sleep. If your tongue is pushing forward against your teeth instead of up against the roof of your mouth, you can develop all sorts of problems. Messy or noisy eater? Jaw pain? Increased chance of choking? Interrupted breathing during speech? There’s also a good chance that all that pressure on your teeth from your tongue will undo your very expensive, even painful, time with orthodontia. And who wants to have to get braces again?!
You might be shocked to learn just how many speech issues have underlying swallowing or oromyofacial problems. So do yourself a favor and get that tongue tip UP! to the “bumpy spot” behind your top front teeth (a.k.a. the alveolar ridge), and make sure your lips are gently closed (bonus points if your back teeth can also close comfortably to stabilize your jaw).
Improve your resting position, improve your life! Seriously!