What Does Proper Tongue Resting Posture Look Like?
Your tongue is doing something even when you are not talking, chewing, or swallowing. Its resting position is one part of your overall oral posture, along with how your lips, jaw, and breathing function at rest.
There is some normal variation from person to person, so the goal is not to force everyone into one rigid position. In general, a healthy oral resting pattern involves comfortable nasal breathing, relaxed lips, teeth that are slightly apart, and a tongue that rests comfortably within the mouth rather than pushing forward between the teeth.
What Does a Typical Oral Resting Posture Look Like?
At rest, you may notice:
Lips resting comfortably together when nasal breathing is clear
Breathing primarily through the nose
Upper and lower teeth slightly apart rather than clenched together
The tongue resting comfortably inside the mouth
The tongue tip resting near the front portion of the palate or nearby tissues, rather than pressing between the front teeth
ASHA describes typical oral resting posture as including closed lips, nasal breathing, slightly separated teeth, and an appropriate resting position of the tongue. There can be variation in exactly where the tongue tip rests.
That is important because “proper tongue posture” is not about holding your tongue forcefully against the roof of your mouth all day.
Why Does Tongue Resting Posture Matter?
The tongue, lips, cheeks, teeth, and jaws are constantly interacting.
Unlike the brief forces created when we swallow, the tongue and surrounding muscles maintain resting pressure for long periods of the day. Pediatric dental guidance notes that these sustained resting forces can influence tooth position and developing oral structures.
A forward or interdental tongue-rest position may also occur alongside concerns such as:
Tongue thrust during swallowing
Open-mouth posture
Difficulty maintaining comfortable lip closure
Certain bite or tooth-position differences
Some speech or swallowing concerns
These findings can occur together, but one does not automatically prove that another caused it. Orofacial myofunctional patterns are often influenced by multiple structural, functional, behavioral, and environmental factors.
What If My Tongue Rests Forward?
A tongue that regularly rests forward, between the teeth, or in another atypical position may be worth evaluating, particularly when it occurs alongside swallowing, speech, breathing, dental, or orthodontic concerns.
ASHA notes that a forward tongue-rest position can interfere with the typical relationship between the tongue, teeth, and jaws and may affect tooth eruption in some situations.
That does not mean someone should simply start forcing their tongue backward or upward.
The more useful question is:
Why is the tongue resting there?
For example, someone who cannot comfortably breathe through their nose may naturally maintain an open-mouth posture. ASHA recommends evaluating structural or physiological barriers to nasal breathing before trying to establish a consistent closed-mouth resting posture.
When Might Tongue Posture Be Worth Evaluating?
Consider an evaluation when tongue-rest posture occurs alongside concerns such as persistent mouth breathing, tongue thrust, difficulty with lip closure, swallowing differences, speech concerns, or orthodontic issues.
Dental or orthodontic evaluation may also be appropriate when there are bite or tooth-position concerns. ASHA specifically recommends interdisciplinary care when structural, airway, dental, orthodontic, speech, or swallowing issues overlap.
How Can Myofunctional Therapy Help?
Myofunctional therapy can help build awareness and coordination of tongue, lip, jaw, swallowing, and breathing patterns.
Rather than simply telling someone where to put their tongue, therapy looks at the broader functional picture and considers whether breathing, structure, oral habits, swallowing, or other factors may be influencing resting posture.
When other evaluation is appropriate, care may also involve dentists, orthodontists, ENTs, speech-language pathologists, or other providers.
If tongue posture is occurring alongside a forward swallowing pattern, learn more about our tongue thrust therapy.
Wondering About Your or Your Child’s Tongue Posture?
If you are noticing tongue-rest posture, swallowing, breathing, or other oral-function concerns, a free 10-minute consultation can help determine whether myofunctional therapy may be an appropriate next step.
Sources & Further Reading
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: Management of the Developing Dentition and Occlusion