Do you or your kiddo need braces? Maybe you've already had braces but need them again? Braces are great, they help straighten our teeth and give us beautiful smiles. But once the orthodontist has moved the teeth, did the muscles get retrained so the teeth stay in place? The tongue plays a HUGE role in how straight our teeth appear. If we have a tongue tie or mouth breathe we also have a tongue thrust and we can be sure the tongue is not in it's proper resting position. The whole tongue should rest on the palate, or roof of your mouth. If not, then the teeth won't have internal stability, and the teeth will start to shift.

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Basically, if we have a tongue tie or mouth breathe, a tongue thrust swallowing pattern is present, there is no if's and's or buts about it. All day our tongue is resting low in the mouth not giving internal support to the upper teeth as it would if it were resting on the palate. Our teeth start to shift and can even over-erupt because there is a lack of guidance from the tongue and bottom teeth. We can develop spacing between our upper and lower teeth called an open bite; this space is where the tongue goes during the swallow. Since open bites and crowded teeth don't give off that Hollywood smile look, most individuals end up with braces. However, the root problem was never addressed and you may end up with braces again later in life. 

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