06. Pencil Swallow

This technique helps to train the front of your tongue to posture in the correct position (on “the spot”) during your swallow. Swallowing with the appropriate tongue movement supports postural alignment and stability through the head and neck while promoting nose breathing.

There are a few key elements to swallowing correctly:

• Your tongue should move up and back in wave-like motion across your palate where the tip is on the spot (just behind and above the inside of your upper front teeth) and the back of the tongue on the soft palate. 
  • Your tongue should not thrust forward into your front teeth. This is referred to as an anterior tongue thrust and can lead to the front teeth being apart (anterior open bite). 
• The muscles around your lips and cheeks should be relaxed and not contract when swallowing. 
  • If these muscles do contract, this creates increased pressure around your dental arch facilitating a more narrow structure. If the dental arch is too narrow it can make it more difficult to breath and correctly posture your tongue on the roof of your mouth. 
• It is normal after you swallow for your teeth to lightly and briefly contact one another.