SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
CALL US: 954 461 1114
  • LOGIN

Orofacial Myology

  • No products in cart.
  • HOME
  • Myo Training
  • Myo Products
  • Qualification (QOM)
  • Myo Resources
    • Q&A
    • Orofacial Myology News
    • The Orofacial Myology Conundrum Podcast
    • Myo Articles & Papers
    • Myo Videos
    • Professional Information
  • Myo Therapists
  • About Us
    • Sandra R. Holtzman
    • Becky Ellsworth
    • Karen Wuertz
    • Zohara Nguyen
    • Carma Stump
    • Greta Vigil
  • Myo Grads

Does Retainer Interfere with Correct Tongue Resting Posture?

Wednesday, 05 May 2010 / Published in Dental Hygienist, Dentists, Orofacial Myologist, Orthodontist, Parents, Therapists

Does Retainer Interfere with Correct Tongue Resting Posture?

My friend  is trying to figure out if an ortho retainer might interfere with the tongue rest position by “inviting” the tongue to explore the lower retainer, therefore defeating the attempts to keep the tongue in a more neutral rest position. The scientific literature is scant on the subject (an article from 2008 by Booth, Edelman and Profitt re: 20 year follow up of retainers but unrelated to tongue position). What is your experience and do you know of an article that we might have overlooked, dealing with this issue?   Thank you in advance for your expertise.

Response provided by Dr. Robert Mason, D.M.D., Ph.D. Our friend and colleague raises an interesting question. Inherent in the question is the appropriate concern that explorations of the tongue forward or down in retention can open the freeway space and lead to dental changes. Increasing the freeway space dimension while wearing retainers is not desirable. Although this is not a typical problem involved in the retention phase, the scenario described could present a problem. In an article by Lou Norton and Milt Gellin in the Dental Clinics of North America, V. 12: 363-382, 1968, entitled “Management of digital sucking and tongue thrusting in children”, they advocated cutting a half-moon shaped groove in an upper retainer at the area of the incisive papilla as a reminder for where the tongue tip should rest. There is a photo in this article that shows the grooved appliance.  I have reported on this a few times at meetings and have found this to be a useful reminder for any patient who has had a tongue thrust tendency or pattern – either at rest or in function. These authors, along with John Mink, later advocated for what is known as the “Bluegrass appliance”, consisting of a raised bar at this same level with a few small cylindrical rotating beads on the bar, also to be used as a reminder. I object this to reminder technique because it serves to open the freeway space, which is not what you would want to accomplish with a retainer. (FYI, the appliances from the University of Kentucky by Mink, Spedding, Gellin and Norton are called “Bluegrass appliances” since Kentucky is known as the “Bluegrass State”). I have cut a groove into maxillary appliances many times and have been pleased with the success of using this simple procedure as a reminder. Each of us has probably had the experience of losing a dental filling or crown, and finding your tongue moving into that area to explore. That same principle is involved with grooving an appliance. I cut the groove all of the way through the appliance – extending about 15 mm side to side across the retainer and about 4 mm wide. A side benefit of a groove, or even a hole, cut through an upper retainer is that it keeps the patient from being able to play with the upper retainer by sucking it down into the mouth as many patients are seen to do. In patients without any history of thrusting or a tongue forward rest posture, but who play with their retainer by sucking it down, I cut a small hole anywhere along the midline of the upper retainer. This prevents the sucking opportunity by breaking the suction seal – a simple trick that many orthodontists may not be aware of. I hope that these comments are useful. Thanks for asking.

Tagged under: Bluegrass appliance, Dr. Robert Mason, Edelman and Profitt, freeway space, Lou Norton and Milt Gellin, Management of digital sucking and tongue thrusting in chi, ortho retainer and tongue rest position, play with the upper retainer

What you can read next

Hierarchy post frenectomy
Incorrect swallow evaluation creates false positive
Method to Get Rid of Thumb Sucking in a Child

Search

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • April 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • May 2021
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
TOP