The position your tongue takes when you are not actively speaking, eating, or swallowing is known as your oral resting posture. The tongue is a powerful muscular organ that exerts a significant, constant force on the surrounding structures of the mouth and face. This resting position influences everything from breathing patterns to the long-term development of your facial bones. Understanding the correct placement promotes better respiratory health and optimal craniofacial balance.
Defining the Correct Resting Position
The ideal resting position requires the entire body of the tongue to be elevated and gently pressed against the roof of the mouth, known as the hard palate. The tip of the tongue should lightly touch the alveolar ridge, the small, bumpy tissue located just behind the upper front teeth. It should not rest against the back of the front teeth, which can cause misalignment over time.
The middle and back sections must be suctioned fully against the hard palate, filling the entire space of the roof of the mouth. This suction provides a gentle, constant upward pressure. When the tongue is correctly positioned, the lips should be sealed without strain, and breathing should occur quietly through the nose.
The teeth should be lightly touching or slightly separated by about two to three millimeters, maintaining a relaxed jaw position. This posture should be a resting state, not a forceful muscular effort. This ensures the tongue is not resting low in the mouth or pressing forward against the teeth.
Structural and Functional Impacts of Low Tongue Posture
When the tongue rests low on the floor of the mouth, it fails to provide the necessary internal support for the upper jaw (maxilla). The tongue acts as a natural, internal “orthodontic appliance” that encourages the maxilla to grow wide and forward during development. Without this consistent upward pressure, the maxilla often develops too narrow, leading to a high, arched palate.
A narrow upper jaw restricts the space for teeth, contributing directly to dental crowding and malocclusion (a “bad bite”). This low resting posture also forces the lower jaw (mandible) to rotate downward and backward. This rotation can result in a longer lower face appearance and a less defined jawline, often described as a “long face” facial pattern.
Functionally, a low tongue posture compromises the airway, as the roof of the mouth is the floor of the nasal cavity. A narrow palate means a narrow nasal passage, which often leads to chronic mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing. Mouth breathing is linked to an increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), due to reduced airway volume.
A low tongue requires the mouth to open to breathe, creating a constant state of mild stress on the respiratory system. Ultimately, the absence of the tongue’s stabilizing force alters the growth trajectory of the entire craniofacial complex, impacting both appearance and respiratory function.
Training Techniques for Habit Correction
Correcting a low tongue posture requires retraining a deeply ingrained muscular habit, beginning with increased awareness. A practical exercise is the “suction hold,” performed by gently suctioning the entire tongue to the roof of the mouth. Initiate this by making a soft “cluck” sound, then holding the vacuum created by the tongue against the palate.
The goal is to maintain this suction hold, ensuring the back of the tongue remains elevated, even when opening the mouth slightly. Practicing this hold builds the endurance and tone necessary for the correct resting position. Another technique focuses on establishing a mature swallowing pattern.
To check your swallow, try to swallow water or saliva while keeping your teeth lightly together and your lips sealed. The tongue should press firmly up and back against the palate, with no involvement from the facial muscles. This helps eliminate a “tongue thrust,” where the tongue pushes forward against the teeth during swallowing.
For persistent issues, professional guidance from a certified orofacial myofunctional therapist is recommended. These specialists provide a tailored program of exercises to strengthen the tongue and surrounding muscles. Until professional help is sought, simple mindfulness prompts, such as placing a sticker on a computer or mirror, can serve as a reminder to check and correct your tongue’s resting position throughout the day.