Every time we swallow, the tongue should rest gently against the roof of the mouth. In tongue thrusting, the tongue pushes forward against or between the teeth instead. Done hundreds of times a day, this steady pressure can slowly move teeth, change how the bite fits together and affect speech. Many parents first notice it when a child has a lisp, a gap between the front teeth or a tongue that peeks out while swallowing. Seeing a dentist for tongue thrusting in Chennai early gives the family time to understand the habit and plan care before the teeth and jaws finish growing.
This page explains what tongue thrusting is, why it happens, how it is checked and treated, and how our dental team at Kidz N Teenz Dental Clinic approaches tongue thrust treatment in Chennai for children, teenagers and adults. It also introduces the doctors involved, with their education and years of experience, so that you know who will be caring for you or your child.
What is Tongue Thrusting?
Tongue thrusting is a habit, also called a tongue thrust swallowing pattern. The tongue moves forward against the front teeth, or pushes between the upper and lower teeth, when a person speaks, swallows or rests. It is normal in babies, because infants push the tongue forward while feeding. As children grow and start eating solid food, most of them shift to a mature swallow in which the tongue lifts to the roof of the mouth. In some children the old pattern stays.
Tongue thrusting is not a disease. It is a pattern of muscle use. But if it continues for years, it can be linked with problems such as:
- Front teeth that tilt forward or do not meet properly, often called an open bite
- Gaps between teeth
- A lisp or difficulty with sounds such as s and z
- Trouble swallowing in a smooth way
- Mouth breathing and dry lips
- Teeth that move back out of place after braces, because the tongue keeps pushing them
Signs Parents and Adults Can Notice
Watch for these signs:
- The tongue shows between the teeth while swallowing or at rest
- A lisp that does not improve with age
- Front teeth that do not touch when the back teeth are closed
- Noisy eating or drinking, or food pushed out with the tongue
- Mouth open at rest or breathing through the mouth
- Thumb sucking or pacifier use that has continued for a long time
- Tiredness or snoring at night, which can go along with mouth breathing
One sign alone does not prove tongue thrusting. A dentist needs to examine the mouth to find out what is causing it.
Causes of Tongue Thrusting
- Habits in infancy. Thumb sucking and long use of a pacifier or bottle can train the tongue to sit low and forward. The longer these habits continue, the more the tongue and the teeth adapt to them.
- Mouth structure. A high or narrow palate, a misaligned bite or an overbite can leave less room for the tongue and push it forward. In these cases, the shape of the mouth and the tongue habit affect each other.
- Habits in childhood. Nail biting, mouth breathing and ongoing tongue pushing can make bite and speech problems worse. Large tonsils or allergies that block the nose can also lead a child to breathe through the mouth and hold the tongue low.
- Habits in adulthood. A childhood habit that was never corrected can continue into adult life. Stress and long held habits can keep the pattern going. In some adults it is also linked with jaw joint discomfort, so an examination is helpful if you have jaw pain.
Why Early Care Matters
Children’s jaws are still growing, so teeth can be guided into a better position more easily than in adults. When tongue thrusting is found early, simple steps such as habit counseling and exercises may be enough for some children. When it is found late, the teeth may need orthodontic treatment as well. Early checking also helps parents avoid guessing. Some lisps and gaps have other causes, and a dentist can tell the difference.
How to Choose a Dentist for Tongue Thrusting in Chennai
Tongue thrusting involves the teeth, the jaws, the muscles and often speech, so the right care is usually planned with more than one professional. When you look for a dentist for tongue thrusting in Chennai, consider these points:
- Training in children’s dentistry or orthodontics. These dentists are trained to guide how teeth and jaws grow.
- A full check, not just a look at the teeth. The dentist should look at how you swallow, breathe and rest the tongue, along with the bite and the palate.
- Teamwork with a speech therapist. Where speech is affected, a speech therapist and dentist working together usually help the child more than either alone.
- Honest information. No dentist can promise a fixed result or timeline. Progress depends on age, the cause, and how regularly the child or adult follows the plan.
- A calm, child friendly clinic. Children cooperate better when they feel at ease.
- Clear details about the doctors. You should be able to see each doctor’s education and experience before you decide.
Our Doctors at a Glance
- Dr. V.S. Hariharan, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry), FICCDE (USA). Chief Pediatric Dentist and Managing Director. More than 25 years of experience.
- Dr. Roshan Rayen, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry), FICCDE (USA). Pediatric dentist with a focus on sleep dentistry. More than 23 years of experience.
- Dr. Aysha Mansoor, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry). Consultant Pediatric Dentist. More than 10 years of experience.
- Dr. D. Manikandan, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry). Associate Pediatric Dentist. More than 7 years of experience.
- Dr. Chandrakantha Balaraman, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry). Associate Pediatric Dentist. More than 5 years of experience.
- Dr. Madhu Nandhini K, BDS, MDS (Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry). Pediatric Dentist.
- Dr. Anunitha R, BDS, MDS (Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry). Pediatric Dentist. 2 years of experience.
- Dr. D. Nida Fathima, BDS, Fellowship in Medical Cosmetology. General Dentist. More than 7 years of experience.
- Dr. Bhavithra Augusthian, BDS, MDS (Oral Medicine and Radiology). Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist. More than 7 years of experience.
Meet the Doctors
Families looking for a dentist for tongue thrusting in Chennai often want to know who will be involved in their care. Each doctor below is listed with education, experience and areas of work. Your first visit will decide which doctor or combination of doctors is right for your case.
Dr. V.S. Hariharan, BDS, MDS, FICCDE (USA)
Dr. Hariharan is the Chief Pediatric Dentist and Managing Director of the clinic, with more than 25 years of experience. He completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Madras Dental College in 2002 and his Master of Dental Surgery in Pediatric Dentistry at JSS Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore, in 2008. He also holds the FICCDE fellowship from the USA.
His work covers preventive care, restorative dentistry, orthodontic services, dental trauma, emergency care, sedation and special needs dentistry, and habit counseling and intervention. His added training includes orthodontics, facial orthopedics, and management of the jaw joint. These areas matter in tongue thrusting, because the habit often goes together with bite changes, a narrow jaw, and sometimes jaw joint strain. He consults at the Anna Nagar and Pallikaranai clinics.
Dr. Roshan Rayen, BDS, MDS, FICCDE (USA)
Dr. Roshan Rayen is a pediatric dentist with more than 23 years of experience. He holds a Master’s degree in Pediatric Dentistry and the FICCDE fellowship from the USA, and he is an adjunct professor at Sri Ramachandra Institute in Chennai.
His special area is sleep dentistry, which includes sleep disturbed breathing, along with sedation assisted dental care and jaw joint problems. This is useful for families, because mouth breathing, snoring and a low resting tongue often appear together with tongue thrusting. He works together with ENT surgeons, pediatricians and physiotherapists, so that breathing, muscle and dental causes can be looked at as a whole. He consults at the Kidz N Teenz clinics in Anna Nagar and Pallikaranai.
Dr. Aysha Mansoor, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry)
Dr. Aysha Mansoor is a Consultant Pediatric Dentist with more than 10 years of experience. She completed her Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2014 and her Master of Dental Surgery in Pediatric Dentistry in 2018, both at Bharath University.
Her areas of work include interceptive orthodontic correction, which means guiding growing teeth and jaws early so that problems do not become bigger. She also offers conscious sedation with laughing gas for children who find treatment stressful, care for children with special needs, and full mouth rehabilitation under general anesthesia when it is needed. For families dealing with tongue thrusting, her early orthodontic guidance and gentle approach with young children can help the child accept habit correction and appliances more easily.
Dr. D. Manikandan, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry)
Dr. Manikandan is an Associate Pediatric Dentist with more than 7 years of experience. He completed his Master of Dental Surgery in Pediatric Dentistry at HP Government Dental College and Hospital, Shimla, in 2023.
His work includes interceptive orthodontics, space maintainers, aesthetic dentistry, nitrous oxide sedation and full mouth rehabilitation for children. He also works on PNAM therapy for babies born with cleft lip and palate. Space maintainers and interceptive orthodontics are often part of the plan when baby teeth are lost early or when the bite starts to move out of line because of a habit such as tongue thrusting.
Dr. Chandrakantha Balaraman, BDS, MDS (Pediatric Dentistry)
Dr. Chandrakantha is an Associate Pediatric Dentist with more than 5 years of experience and a Master’s degree in Pediatric Dentistry. She works on dental trauma in children, root canal treatment for young permanent teeth and behavior management of anxious children, including with sedation and general anesthesia when needed.
Her careful way of handling worried children is helpful during the long process of correcting a habit, because regular visits and daily practice at home need the child’s cooperation. She also has research papers indexed on PubMed, which reflects her interest in keeping her care based on current evidence.
Dr. Madhu Nandhini K, BDS, MDS (Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry)
Dr. Madhu Nandhini K is a Pediatric Dentist. She completed her Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Tagore Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, and her Master of Dental Surgery in Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry at Government Dental College and Hospital, Patiala.
She provides preventive, restorative and aesthetic care for children, manages dental injuries and supports orthodontic diagnosis through the SmileStream program with the clinic’s Joint Directors. Her personalized and compassionate style helps young patients feel comfortable, and her focus on prevention fits well with early tongue thrust care, where finding the habit before it changes the teeth is the main aim.
Dr. Anunitha R, BDS, MDS (Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry)
Dr. Anunitha R is a Pediatric Dentist with 2 years of clinical experience. She completed her Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Sri Ramachandra Dental College, Chennai, and her Master of Dental Surgery in Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry at Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Puducherry.
Her work includes preventive and restorative care, behavior management and personalized treatment planning, along with support for orthodontic diagnosis through SmileStream. She takes time to build a child’s trust and to guide parents on forming good oral habits early. This is useful for families who need advice on pacifier use, thumb sucking and tongue habits.
Dr. D. Nida Fathima, BDS, Fellowship in Medical Cosmetology
Dr. Nida Fathima is a General Dentist with more than 7 years of experience. She graduated from Saveetha Dental College and completed a fellowship in Medical Cosmetology with the Institute of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine, in collaboration with the University of Greifswald, Germany.
She focuses on clear aligner treatment and digital treatment planning, and she has interests in orthodontics, dental sedation and aesthetic care. For teenagers and adults whose teeth have moved because of tongue thrusting, clear aligner planning is one of the options that can be discussed during the consultation.
Dr. Bhavithra Augusthian, BDS, MDS (Oral Medicine and Radiology)
Dr. Bhavithra Augusthian is an Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist with more than 7 years of experience and a Master’s degree in Oral Medicine and Radiology. She uses dental imaging to study the teeth, jaws and nearby facial structures.
Her role in tongue thrusting care is diagnosis. Clear X rays and scans help the treating dentist see the position of the teeth and the shape of the jaws before a plan is made, so that treatment decisions are based on accurate information.
How Tongue Thrusting Is Diagnosed
The dentist begins by asking about the child’s history, such as thumb sucking, pacifier use, breathing, allergies, snoring and speech. Then the dentist checks how the teeth meet, the shape of the palate, the position of the tongue at rest and how the person swallows a sip of water. Photographs, X rays or bite models may be used when they are needed to plan treatment. If mouth breathing is suspected, the dentist may suggest a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor, because treating the cause of the breathing problem helps the tongue habit improve.
Tongue Thrust Treatment in Chennai: Options We Use
A dentist for tongue thrusting in Chennai will choose from several options based on age, the cause and how far the habit has affected the teeth. Treatment often combines more than one of these:
- Habit awareness and counseling. Many children improve once they and their parents understand the habit and how to stop it. For thumb sucking and pacifier use, gentle reminders and rewards work better than scolding.
- Myofunctional therapy and exercises. These are simple exercises that retrain the tongue, lips and cheek muscles to rest and swallow correctly. They need daily practice at home.
- Habit breaking appliances. A tongue crib is a small device fixed behind the upper front teeth. It reminds the tongue not to push forward. A dentist decides whether a child needs one.
- Interceptive orthodontics and space maintainers. These guide growing teeth and keep space for permanent teeth while the habit is corrected.
- Palate expanders. If the upper jaw is narrow and leaves little space for the tongue, an expander may be used to widen it, which can help the tongue rest in a better place.
- Braces, clear aligners and retainers. Where the teeth have already moved, orthodontic treatment can move them back. Retainers then help keep them in place.
- Speech therapy. A speech therapist works on sounds and tongue placement, usually alongside dental care.
Results differ from person to person. Children who practice regularly and attend follow up visits usually do better. Adults can also be treated, although it can take longer and needs steady effort.
What to Expect During Treatment
Care usually moves in steps. The first visit is for examination and discussion. The second stage focuses on awareness, where the child learns what the tongue is doing and how it should rest. Exercises and, if needed, an appliance follow. Regular review visits then check progress and adjust the plan. Once the habit has changed and the teeth are in a stable position, follow up visits continue for a while to make sure the pattern does not return. Parents play a big role, because the daily practice happens at home.
When Should You See a Dentist?
Book a visit if your child still pushes the tongue forward while swallowing after the age of 6 or 7, has a lisp that is not improving, has front teeth that do not meet, breathes through the mouth or continues thumb sucking. Adults who notice teeth moving after braces, jaw discomfort or speech changes related to tongue position can also get checked. An early visit does not always mean treatment. Sometimes the best step is to watch and guide.
Tips for Parents at Home
- Reduce thumb sucking and pacifier use gently, with praise for small steps
- Offer water in an open cup or with a straw suited to the child’s age, as advised by the dentist
- Encourage breathing through the nose and ask a doctor about blocked noses or allergies
- Practice the exercises your dentist or speech therapist shows, a few minutes each day
- Keep follow up visits so the dentist can see how the habit and teeth are changing
- Stay positive. Children respond better to encouragement than to pressure
Visit a Dentist for Tongue Thrusting in Chennai
Kidz N Teenz Dental Clinic, Anna Nagar
991, H Block 2nd Street, Anna Nagar West, Chennai
Phone: +91 97910 35666 or +91 98840 98240
Kidz N Teenz Dental Clinic, Pallikaranai
Plot #7, Kovalan Nagar, 1st Main Road, Pallikaranai, Chennai
Phone: +91 98413 55088
Email: kidznteenzdental@gmail.com
Conclusion
Tongue thrusting is a habit that can quietly shape the teeth, the bite, and speech. The good news is that it can be noticed early and managed with the right plan. Simple steps such as understanding the cause, practicing tongue exercises, and using appliances when they are needed can make a real difference over time, especially when pediatric dentists, orthodontic care, and speech therapy work together.
If you are looking for a dentist for tongue thrusting in Chennai, call either clinic or send a message on WhatsApp to speak with our team. We will check your or your child’s concern, explain the options clearly and help you plan the next step.
Read also: Myofunctional Therapy
