Short answer. At rest, the tip of your tongue should sit on the ridge just behind your upper front teeth without pushing on them, and the rest of the tongue should lie lightly against the roof of your mouth. Lips together, teeth relaxed, breathing through the nose. A tongue that rests low or forward is usually a sign of something else, most often a blocked nose, a tongue-tie or an old habit. It can be retrained once the cause is treated.
By Rodrigo F. Viecilli, DDS, PhD, board-certified orthodontist at Limestone Hills Orthodontics in Austin, TX, who has treated more than 5,000 patients.
Where should your tongue rest?
| Part | Correct at rest | Not correct |
|---|---|---|
| Tip of the tongue | On the ridge just behind the upper front teeth, the spot it touches when you say the letter N | Pressing on the front teeth, or resting between them |
| Body of the tongue | Lying lightly against the roof of the mouth | Lying on the floor of the mouth |
| Lips | Together and relaxed | Apart, or closed only with effort so that the chin dimples |
| Teeth | Relaxed, lightly together or slightly apart | Clenched |
| Breathing | Through the nose | Through the mouth |
This is a resting position, not an exercise. It should take no effort and no pressing. The tongue is at rest for more than 23 hours a day, which is why the position it rests in matters more than how it moves during a swallow.
How to check your tongue posture in 30 seconds
- Sit quietly with your lips together and notice where your tongue is. Do not move it yet.
- Check two things. Is the tip touching the back of your front teeth or sitting between your teeth? Is the tongue lying on the floor of your mouth?
- Say the letter N and hold it. The tip of your tongue is now on the ridge behind your upper front teeth. That is the spot.
- Lift the rest of the tongue lightly to the palate, close your lips and breathe through your nose for 30 seconds.
- If that felt easy and familiar, your resting posture is probably fine. If your lips would not stay closed, your nose would not let you breathe, or your tongue would not reach the palate, note which one. Each points to a different cause.
A self-check is a screen, not a diagnosis. In the office the resting posture is watched while the patient sits quietly, and the swallow is watched as it happens.
Signs your tongue rests too low or too far forward
| Sign | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Lips apart at rest, or mouth open during screen time and sleep | Mouth breathing, with the tongue low to make room for air |
| The chin dimples or strains when the lips close | The lips cannot close comfortably at rest |
| The tongue shows between the teeth during a swallow or at rest | A tongue thrust |
| A gap between the upper and lower front teeth when biting | An open bite, often kept open by the tongue |
| A narrow upper jaw, a high palate or a crossbite in a child | Possibly a tongue that has rested low during growth |
| A lisp on S and Z sounds | A forward tongue position |
| Snoring or noisy breathing at night | An airway problem that needs a medical check |
| Teeth that shift after braces even with retainer wear | Possibly tongue pressure working against the result |
Why tongue posture matters
Teeth sit where the pressures on them balance. The tongue pushes out from the inside. The lips and cheeks push in from the outside. The light pressures that act for hours at rest matter more than the brief, stronger forces of chewing and swallowing.
- In a growing child. A tongue resting on the palate supports the width of the upper jaw as it grows. A tongue that rests low, usually with the mouth open, goes with a narrow upper jaw, a high palate and a higher risk of crossbite.
- For the bite. A tongue that rests or pushes forward can hold the front teeth apart and tip them outward.
- After orthodontic treatment. If the tongue keeps pushing where it pushed before, the teeth drift back toward where they started.
- For breathing. Closed lips and nose breathing go with a tongue on the palate. When the lips close, the tongue tends to rise.
What causes low tongue posture
| Cause | Why the tongue drops | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| A blocked nose: allergies, enlarged adenoids or tonsils | The mouth opens to breathe and the tongue drops to make room | A pediatrician, allergist or ENT treats the cause first |
| Tongue-tie | The tongue cannot physically reach the palate | A release of the tie, before exercises begin |
| A thumb, finger or pacifier habit | The habit holds the tongue down and forward | Stopping the habit. See thumb sucking and teeth |
| A narrow upper jaw | There is not enough room on the palate for the tongue | An expander |
| A habit that outlasted its cause | The muscle pattern stays after the nose is clear | Exercises, or myofunctional therapy |
The order matters: treat the cause, then retrain the habit, then correct the teeth. Exercises do little for a child who cannot breathe through the nose.
How to fix tongue posture
Tongue posture is retrained with short daily exercises once the cause has been dealt with. At Limestone Hills Orthodontics, mild cases start with a home program that is taught in the office and checked at routine visits. These are its four exercises.
| Exercise | How | How often |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tongue-to-palate hold | Tip on the ridge behind the upper front teeth, whole tongue pressed flat against the palate. Hold 5 to 10 seconds, then relax | 20 times, 3 times a day |
| 2. Suction and click | Suck the whole tongue up against the palate until it sticks, then release it with a click | 20 times, 2 to 3 times a day |
| 3. Swallow practice | Tip on the ridge, tongue sealed to the palate, lips closed, teeth lightly together. Swallow without moving the face. Water first, then saliva alone | 10 swallows, 3 times a day |
| 4. Lip seal and nose breathing | Lips together and breathing only through the nose during homework, reading and screen time | Start with 10 minutes and add time each day |
Most patients show measurable improvement in tongue posture within 4 to 8 weeks of consistent practice. Harder cases, such as a long-standing adult pattern or lips that cannot stay closed, are referred for formal myofunctional therapy with a trained therapist, usually a program of 12 to 24 weeks. Pressing harder or longer than prescribed does not speed anything up.
These exercises are prescribed after an exam. If your self-check failed because you cannot breathe through your nose, or because your tongue cannot reach the palate, exercises are not the first step.
What correcting tongue posture can and cannot change
| What changes | In a growing child | In an adult |
|---|---|---|
| Tooth position and a stable bite | Yes, as part of orthodontic care | Yes, as part of orthodontic care |
| A mouth breathing habit | Yes, after the cause is treated | Yes, after the cause is treated |
| Width of the upper jaw | It can help guide growth. A jaw that is already narrow usually needs an expander too | No. That takes a bone-anchored expander or surgery |
| Shape of the jaw and face | It can help guide the growth pattern while growth lasts | No |
In an adult, tongue exercises exist so that orthodontic correction can work and hold. They do not change bone. In a child who is still growing, they can help modify the growth pattern. The exercises above look like the internet trend called mewing, and the difference is the claim. See does mewing work.
Tongue posture during sleep
The same position applies during sleep: tongue on the palate, lips closed, breathing through the nose. Nobody can hold it by willpower while asleep. It follows from the daytime habit and from a clear nose. A child or adult who sleeps with the mouth open, snores or wakes up tired needs a medical evaluation, because the cause is usually the airway and not the tongue. See mouth breathing.
Tongue posture questions, answered
Is proper tongue posture a real thing?
Yes. The resting position of the tongue is a standard part of an orthodontic exam, because resting tongue pressure is one of the forces that decides where teeth settle. What is not real is the claim that tongue posture reshapes an adult face.
How long does it take to fix tongue posture?
With daily practice, most patients show measurable improvement within 4 to 8 weeks. A formal myofunctional therapy program usually runs 12 to 24 weeks. Making the new position automatic takes longer when the old habit is years old, and it will not hold if a blocked nose or a tongue-tie is left untreated.
Why does correct tongue posture feel uncomfortable?
The muscles that hold the tongue up are not used to the work, so they tire within minutes at first. That eases with practice. If the position is impossible, not just tiring, the usual reasons are a tongue-tie, a palate too narrow for the tongue, or a nose that does not let you breathe. Those need an exam.
Can proper tongue posture change your face?
In a child who is still growing, correct tongue posture can help guide how the jaws develop. In an adult it does not change bone, so it will not widen the jaw or sharpen the jawline. It can still protect tooth position and help a bite correction stay stable.
Should your tongue touch your teeth at rest?
The tip should rest on the ridge behind the upper front teeth, not on the teeth themselves. A tongue that presses on the front teeth or rests between them can move them over time.
Limestone Hills Orthodontics checks the resting tongue posture and the swallow at every consultation that flags a tongue habit. The office is on RM 2222 in Northwest Austin. The first visit is free for new patients who have not been in orthodontic treatment in the last 12 months. Consultations for MARPE, MASPE, airway or TMJ concerns are $300, credited toward treatment. Book a free orthodontic consultation or call (512) 720-6399.
Sources. Proffit WR. Equilibrium theory revisited: factors influencing position of the teeth. Angle Orthod. 1978;48(3):175-186. Van Dyck C, Dekeyser A, Vantricht E, et al. The effect of orofacial myofunctional treatment in children with anterior open bite and tongue dysfunction: a pilot study. Eur J Orthod. 2016;38(3):227-234. doi:10.1093/ejo/cjv044. Koletsi D, Makou M, Pandis N. Effect of orthodontic management and orofacial muscle training protocols on the correction of myofunctional and myoskeletal problems in developing dentition. Orthod Craniofac Res. 2018;21(4):202-215. doi:10.1111/ocr.12240. Kim KA, Kim SJ, Yoon A. Craniofacial anatomical determinants of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing: a comprehensive review. J Prosthodont. 34(S1):26-34. doi:10.1111/jopr.13984. American Association of Orthodontists, Are Your Teeth Supposed To Touch? (aaoinfo.org). Exercise protocol and clinical position of Dr. Viecilli, Limestone Hills Orthodontics, Austin, TX.
