What can i do to stop sucking my tongue do you have any suggestion?
Q. I’ve been sucking my tongue for years now and I’m 32 years of age. I have tried stopping but it’s done subcontiously (ms) because I do it in my sleep. Sometimes, I do it when I’m really tired. I was wondering what can I do to prevent sucking my tongue. I’m going to get braces, but there is no point if I can’t stop sucking my tongue. I’ve heard about different plates/guards that can prevent me from tongue sucking. I would like to get one but unsure which one is best for me. I don’t want to get the one that I will have to wear 24hrs for a year. Do you have any suggestions???
A.
- I would definitely discuss this with your orthodontist before your braces as tongue habits can make your finished orthodontic result more likely to relapse.
Definitely ask to have a fixed wire retainer at the end of your treatment, as regards to wearing an appliance to stop you sucking your tongue/thumb at same time as wearing braces this would be difficult
Dr Justin Glaister
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Dr Glaister
This may sound crazy or far fetched to you. Here is my testimony. I was a tongue sucker for over 45 years. I was teased in childhood about this, lost potential boyfriends because of it. I tried but could not control this behavior. Then I became a born again Christian. Sometime later, I don’t know when, I realized I was not sucking my tongue anymore. Praise God! I know if he did it for me he will do it for you too!
My 9 year old boy has lost the control of his tongue ,he cant just stop sucking it either in his sleep or while playing. Have tried him on habit breaker but once the appliance is taken off he starts sucking automatically.My biggest problem is that it affects him acedemically.Any suggestion has to how to stop him from sucking his tongue?
Hi,
I am 43 year old woman and have had the same problem, with sucking my tongue during my sleep now for nearly a year.
It strips the top layers off of my tongue and for several days my taste is somewhat dulled and i don’t get food/drink flavours fully. Until the top layers i’ve stripped off my tongue grow back. But then i’ll do it again – it’s a horrid repeating cycle.
I have been to my Dr who doesn’t seem to know what to do, mentioning that there are no creams for it, but not actually helping.
I visit my dentist regularly and they haven’t mentioned it or my mouth, though i thought it would be more a GP thing than dentist, so who should i go to for help – Any ideas!!
Sue ::-)
I am a 32 years old Nigerian lawyer and i have continued to suck my tongue, or rather the tongue sucks lol , it is a subconscious act. In reply to what Val Smith wrote about their fears on their 9 year-old being affected academically by his tongue sucking, I am tempted to think that the problem may derive from other factors. On the contrary, my tongue sucking has helped me academically. It takes my reasoning and concentration deeper, helps me to tackle most academic challenges effortlessly, and placed me top of my graduating university and law school classes. But it has not helped me much when it comes to taking up things generally perceived to be difficult. I’m always eager to take them up. I immigrated to United States from Nigeria in 2004, abandoned my legal practice, and have decided to delve into the medical field. I’ll be graduating next semester with a major in biology, a minor in chemistry, and an excellent GPA. I plan to apply to medical school in 2011. My tongue sucking has never been an impediment.
how do u stop sucking ur tongue because it is bothering my teeth and i cant stop plz help
Well Zaza ,you seem to be blessed, because had tried removing my boy’s guard for a whole school term and his academic result was awful,but the next term with the guard fixed he performed excellently.Am still searching for the solution t tongue sucking despiratelly.
I have to same problem with sucking my tounge I stared with my lip first I’m 14 years of age and I do it more whem im sleep , bored and tired I haven’t saw anybody about it yet I want to know are there any ideas of stoping . Helppp .
I have to same problem with sucking my tounge I stared with my lip first I’m 14 years of age and I do it more when im sleep,bored and tired I haven’t saw anybody about it yet I want to know are there any ideas of stoping . Helppp .
Yeah, sucking the tongue is a really bad mannerism… Especially when it takes over unconciously in public… Trust me, im a victim! Ive really waited long 4 sam solution to come along… None yet! I guess i need help too!
how do i stop sucking my tongue
You could consider a brace?
I’m in need of some serious and professional help on how to stop sucking my tongue…….. ITS URGENT!!!!!!!!
I have problem with my jaw and my bite and i use a devise to sleep. I have read and heard about the oclussal adjustment . Is thereany information you can give me on that and prices as well. thanks
what effects does brushing twice daily has on tongue?
Little to no effect. If you are trying to clean your tongue use a tongue scraper. It is much more effective.
I have been sucking my tongue for all of my 32 years and it has made my teeth protuded and unsightly. I’m considering braces but I’m unsure as to whether the problem would recur. I would love advice on a device I can wear to stop my habit
I’m a sixteen year old West Indian girl who sucks my tongue constantly whenever I’m bored,tired or when I’m just in my comfort zone and it has eventually jacked up my teeth, so i got braces but I’ve had them for over two years and obviously because of my tongue sucking,my teeth are taking a really long time, not to mention they’ll go back to being jacked even when i get the braces off….need a cure,if any.
I am a 22 years old male with tongue thrust habit. i tend to put my tongue between my teeth all the time and i have been doing it all my life. i sometimes try to break the habit for couple of minutes but i soon find myself tongue thrusting again.i have been doing some research on the internet about it and that’s how i came accross your website. i was just wondering if there is any therapy for overcoming this unpleasant habit. kind Regards
Hi , If you have been doing it all your life, then it is something that is perfectly normal for you and is not detrimental for your health. If you want to get a professional opinion, you can see an orthodontist who can check if your tongue thrust is affecting your anterior teeth position
I have the same problem. 21 and sucking tongue? Not cute. I have been trying to stop for years! I’ve prayed numerous times. Even if I catch myself doing it, it’s hard to stop because for some reason it feels good. Now I have a overbite because of it & your teeth skiing on your lip is not cute at all for a young lady. I hear about the plates, braces, invisalign etc. My question is do these things just straighten, & keep things out the way? or does it actually STOP me from doing this unattractive habit? Perhaps I’ll contact a dentist for more info. That’s all we can do folks.
The way to kick the habit is to associate your tongue sucking with a negative consequence. For example, have a simple hair tie around your wrist (the one with the little metal bar) (or even an elastic band). Every time you feel you want to suck your tongue or even begin doing it subconsciously, pull the band out and let it hit you around the wrist. After a month or so, you will begin associating pain with sucking your tongue and eventually it will stop. I had been sucking my tongue for 25 years before I tried this and it works. Good Luck
I am 21 yrs and I have been sucking my tongue since childhood. I have been teased by friends and especially family members on this habit. it has affected me in many ways. since i have always trying to stop and found it difficult to, i usuallly feel there is something always wrong with me. i have prayered and talked to alot of people about it. i feel it has widened my lips as well. it is very embarasing espescially when you doing before someone and you don’t even realise it. i really really really want to stop this habit.
i turned 11 on the 8th of jan. my parents died in a helicopter crash in 2003 when i was 2!when we left the funeral, i started sucking my tongue and cant stop!:(i also CAN’T go anywere without my “loulou”i got her the day that i was born!it is becoming a problem!WISH it would go away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
me again! i am very lucky, i atleast don’t do it in public!! but i can’t not suck it when im watching
tv, a movie or reading stuff like that!i HATE it!!!
Wow I had no idea that there were so many others with the same problem. I’ve sucked my tongue for as long as I can remember and because of it my teeth are crooked and so is my lip. I absolutely hate that I do it and I am 29 yrs old and cant stop. Its very subconscious and I do it at all times of the day, whether im tired, sleepy or whatever. Unless my mind is concentrated on it or my mouth is engaged in activity like talkin or eating, I will eventually start sucking my tongue. I also play with my ears and have done both since birth. I always thought the tongue habit was a result of not using a pacifier as a baby because I rarely cried because I played with my ears so I comforted myself. Therefor my parents rarely pacified me, as for the ear thing I have no idea why I do that.
Hi. Im a 22year old female and ive been producing a lot of saliva in my mouth. I also have a strange looking tongue. It has painless slits that look like cuts and I also have small bumps along the sides of my tongue. It really doesn’t look like the regular tongue and although its not painful and doesn’t give me bad breath, its unsightly so I would like to know if there’s anything I can do to reverse this. Thank u in advance for your time
I’m not sure what to do, except pop down to your GP and ask him to take a look, i’m sure its nothing to worry about though.
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