Oral form discrimination and tongue-thrust swallowing.

Abstract

Purpose: The role of the musculature in the growth and development of the face and dental structures has received the attention of the dental profession for many years. One type of muscle deviation (which has been assigned a role in the production of malocclusion) is the so-called “tongue-thrust swallow.” The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the possibility that tongue-thrust swallowing might be the result of defects in oral sensory perception.