If you’ve noticed your child’s face seems long, narrow, or their teeth seem stacked tightly—even before orthodontics—it might not just be genetics. One of the most overlooked factors? Where the tongue rests. When the tongue sits high on the roof of the mouth, it gently supports proper jaw growth. But when it rests low or forward, the entire face may stretch out, the upper jaw may shift back, and teeth might end up with less room than they should have.
The Problem: A Low or Forward Tongue = Hidden Growth Issues
We often think about chewing, biting, breathing—but fewer parents consider tongue posture. If the tongue isn’t resting where it’s meant to (up and back against the palate), the upper jaw lacks a key growth stimulus. Without that support, the jaw can remain narrow, the face can grow longer, and teeth can crowd. It’s subtle because you may not see the tongue visibly resting “low.” You’ll see the consequences instead: narrow smiles, crowded teeth, a face that seems longer than the family norm.
What the Research Shows
In the BMC Oral Health study of 550 patients, researchers found strong links between tongue position and skeletal facial patterns. Patients whose tongues rested lower or more forward were more likely to show skeletal Class III (lower jaw forward/backward relationships) or low-angle vertical patterns (faces growing down more than forward).
Full text available here: https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12903-025-06320-8
In short: high tongue posture correlated with more favorable jaw relationships; low or forward tongue posture correlated with less ideal growth patterns.
Why This Matters for Your Child’s Face
Jaw width, dental arch space, breathing posture—all of these are influenced by the tongue’s resting posture. A narrow upper jaw means less room for teeth, possible airway compromise, and facial growth that may appear stretched vertically instead of broad and forward. Getting ahead of this early means better outcomes, less intervention later.
What You Can Do: Teach the Tongue Where to Rest
1. Encourage High-Back Tongue Posture
Use simple cues: “Tongue up” or “Roof of mouth” so your child’s tongue rests gently on the palate, lips closed, nasal breathing. Make it a habit: during reading, TV time, meals, even homework.
2. Use Structured Chewing With Purpose
Here’s where Blossom Myofunctional Gum comes in. When paired with our guided tongue-posture training, each chewing session gives the tongue something to press against and engage properly. One of our foundational exercises, “Pancake,” specifically targets tongue posture by teaching your child to press the gum firmly against the palate, flattening it like a pancake to strengthen the upward hold of the tongue. We combine “Pancake” with other structured routines that build awareness and strength—turning every chewing session into a mini workout for the jaw, lips, and tongue. Over time, this strengthens the habit of tongue “up and in” — supporting jaw width, facial balance, and healthy space for teeth.
The Takeaway
Tongue posture isn’t just about speech or swallowing—it’s a silent driver of how a face grows. When the tongue rests appropriately, the face is more likely to grow wide, forward, and balanced. When it doesn’t, the face may grow long, narrow, and crowded. But the good news? It’s something we can train. With the right guidance and consistency, you can help your child develop the posture their face needs to grow the way nature intended.
Jordon Smith, DDS
“The more you know, the better they grow.”
