Watching myofunctional therapy videos have caused me hyperawareness OCD which has been going on for about a year. The main issue here is that these things should be learned when you are a baby / young kid and not in your adulthood. Swallowing and tongue posture should be automatic processes and not something you have to think about constantly.
At 2:05 you note that the saliva should be gathered at the center of the tongue, how should this gathering occur? My tongue scoops up the saliva before raising the tongue to the roof of the mouth to swallow. Is this proper form, or should the gathering occur via some other mechanism (cheek suction, etc)? P.S. You’re videos are concise and very well planned; thank you :)
I've been smiling all the time my whole life, I've always been a happy person, unfortunately that means my face grew into a permanent smile to where smiling is my neutral expression (I _can_ close my mouth briefly but it's very uncomfortable and it just pops back into a smile). I'm not always smiling when I'm "smiling" so when I'm sad I'm crying with a smile on my face and when I get mad I have angry eyebrows plus a smile (which I've been told looks scary, but I don't mean it to). The only way I can swallow my saliva because of my perpetual smile is to slurp it like soup, and there's always some left over. If I'm not careful, I end up sounding like I have a hot potato in my mouth when I'm talking. I'm 22 years old but I still drool sometimes. When I eat, I have to have a hand over my mouth so that food doesn't go everywhere (or at the very least so I don't show everyone a bunch of chewed up food in my mouth).
I definitely have tongue thrust, I just learned today when I was googling why my teeth are growing more and more splayed. Apparently it explains my scalloped teeth too. 😮 But following your tutorial, I am struggling to swallow without parting my lips. This is really hard. 😅
ok so I’ve been having difficulty with this because how are u supposed to get the saliva on top of ur tongue without touching ur teeth because I cant figure it out and no one shows how u actually collect the saliva😭
@@abbyvii not op, but imagine sucking the saliva in? it should feel tight around your teeth almost when you do it... the salive converges on the top middle of your tongue. idk if its correct but my tongue does not move forward when i do it like this.
I sometimes scoop the saliva to swallow, but sometimes use sides of my tongue to let the saliva come in the middle of the tongue when it is suctioned to the roof of my mouth when I swallow. Is that normal too? Using both scooping and non scooping?
I’m finding that I almost slurp the saliva through my front teeth? I’m not sure if that makes sense. Do I fix this in the same way by practicing with the tongue on the roof of the mouth?
Hello, I need help understanding my situation. I can swallow with my lips closed perfectly, but with my lips apart I am unable to collect saliva. When I try to collect the saliva I suck a little bit of air and most of the saliva goes through my teeth. If i take a big sip of water I can swallow with my lips apart, but a portion of the water goes through my teeth and/or remains in my mouth. Why can I collect saliva with my lips apart?. I don't have a tongue tie, but I know for a fact that my palate is narrow.
I have the exact same problem. The video doesn't explain how exactly should we scoop the saliva with our tongue. What I do is: with mouth closed and the tongue suctioned up to the palette, I move the tongue backwards, this creates a suction to my lips and front teeth (which is probably wrong) and then I can easily scoop the saliva on the tongue and then swallow.
My centre of the tongue doesnt goes up while swallowing because from a long time i was using only my back 3rd of the tongue while swallowing,what should i do please help me
Thank you so much! Also this is probably a stupid question, but can others hear me swallowing? Recently I started swallowing saliva more than recently, especially when I'm nervous in school, and the worst part is that I always feel the need to swallow during these quiet moments in class when nobody is talking or during a test 😭 I try to swallow as quiet as possible but can others still hear it?
@@morachantomboy3926 No, i didn't find any cure sadly :( but i found out that it's caused by excessive anxiety so I've been trying out various ways to relax (for me what has worked best for now is breathing slowly and trying my best to focus on something else rather than swallowing). Also drinking more water and eating more healthy food helped me really much too, but if I'm really nervous I try to swallow in class while writing something or keeping my head down so it's not noticable
So, I have noticed that my throat feels kind of dry these days, especially over night. When I try to swallow the saliva in my mouth, it feels kind of sticky and there is always some left in my mouth. I am also suffering from anxiety and all kinds of pains around my body, so I don't know what this means. Checked my brain for MS lesions and there apparently none. Any thoughts? Is this normal with age - should I get it assessed by a specialist? Anyhow, I will talk to my doctor about it this week. I am able to eat and drink completely fine - just seems that this has been a change over the past few months - possibly - especially when I am mouth breaking over night.
Hey ashley great job as always! What i don't understand is that based on dr mew you are supposed to retract the tip to the back of the roof and 'sweep' up while maintaining the back third up I mean how do you do that while not compromising the root of the tongue and proper execution at the same time.( im not well versed in this subject, please do not hesitate to correct me)
Again, I can't speak to what Dr. Mew is teaching as I have not been following his content. I do teach this a little differently than when I made this video. I recommend suctioning the tongue to the palate (edges up, the center hollow and filled with saliva). Maintain the suction and press the center of your tongue upward. This will naturally force the saliva backward if you maintain the suction seal of the tongue edges to the palate. I don't recommend thinking about creating a "wave" with your tongue. This will naturally happen if you do what I just recommended. Sorry I can't speak more to the specifics of what Dr. Mew is teaching!
@@allsleepashley it's alright ashley everyone has their own takes on this subject and one more question, the saliva production is quite a lot, is that normal?
I've been teaching this slightly different than when I made this video: The tongue does stay on the "spot". It then keeps a suction (edges up onto palate), with the saliva in the "cave", and simply presses up at the center to direct the saliva backward. Don't worry about making a "wave", the tongue will naturally do this if you maintain a suction and press the center upward. Please try this and let me know if you have any issues.
@@allsleepashley How would the saliva underneath gather up into the middle of the tongue if the tongue is always suctioned on the palate? Thank you for your help!
@@tapsubscribe The tongue should not always be suctioned to the palate. At the conclusion of chewing or as you prepare to swallow liquid the tongue should gather the contents at the center of the tongue. The tongue should not "always" be anywhere. The resting posture at the roof of the mouth is just that... more a resting posture. But the tongue should be moving into various positions for speech, chewing, swallowing, breathing heavily during intense exercise (if the mouth needs to open), etc.
@@allsleepashley by cave do you mean the tongue will be like a U shape where the centre of the tongue is a bit lower to hold the saliva befofe it’s swallowed?
The solution will depend on what factors contribute to this issue. This could range from tongue range of motion and coordination to palate shape/height. It's difficult for me to give you advice without knowing what factors are contributing to the problem. Generally, training tongue range of motion and coordination is often a good place to start.
Scalloping is often the result of a combination of the tongue being uncoordinated, with a wide, low resting posture AND a narrow palate. To address this, I would start with doing exercises so your tongue has the ability to both narrow and to narrow enough to rest inside your teeth on your upper palate. This first step takes consistency and effort but usually yields great results. If there is still scalloping and your main goal is to minimize it, it would be useful to see an airway dentist or myofunctional therapist in person for further guidance.
@@allsleepashley Hey Ashley do you have an opinion on mewing? You said in an earlier comment that you couldn't speak to what Dr.Mew was teaching but have you had a chance to look at some of his claims since then? Thanks
@@allsleepashley I have another question. While we are in a resting position with our tongue on the roof of our mouth and we need to swallow, do we swallow with our tongue already up on the roof of our mouth? I’ve read people saying that we aren’t supposed to do this as the tongue could be blocking the airway. It’s just very confusing and this is something I have been struggling with for months
I noticed that there are very few facial muscles movement (or in fact none at all) in your swallow, I also watch other sources and ppl tends to say that your facial muscles should not move at all but I struggle to push the saliva into my throat if I don't use my cheeks a bit. Is it okay?
The tongue is what should move the saliva. I would practice swallowing regularly with your lips open in a smile. This will train you to use your tongue more and your cheeks less. Once this becomes easy bring your lips back into the movement.
@@allsleepashley now i have been able to swallow without using my cheeks, however, I usually need to pull my tounge (with the tip still touching the roof of my mouth) back to near the middle of the roof. Is it the correct way to do it or am I doing it wrong?
@@hoangvu6326 It's difficult for me to say without knowing what your palate shape is and how much tongue range of motion you have. If both of these are clear, then I would suggest keeping your tongue tip just behind your front teeth (but not touching them) for the entire swallow. If your palate is very high and your tongue range of motion is limited, then how you doing may be the best you can do given your constraints.
Hi Ashley, Just wondering about the swallowing process. So lips together, scoop the saliva with the tongue then bite teeth together and swallow? Are those steps in the right order? Thanks so much for your time.
Yes, that's correct. I am not as concerned about the biting together for swallowing saliva. I am more focused on the first two steps. Biting the teeth together becomes more relevant when swallowing solids.
@@Nitrinix "Always" is a strong word when it comes to the body. There should be variation in movement... just like any other movement of the body. For most swallows, it is ideal to have the tongue on the roof of the mouth, especially when swallowing chewed solids. When swallowing liquids quickly, the tongue may remain lower and elevate the posterior aspect to complete a swallow. The speed of quickly swallowing liquids doesn't allow you to keep your tongue on the roof of the mouth -- liquid is coming into the mouth too quickly. When swallowing saliva, the tongue should tyically be on the roof of the mouth because it should, ideally, already be resting there.
@@apnabharat4857 You are supposed to swallow saliva throughout the day. Do notice any pattern that when you are not distracted by other things you are more opt focus on over-swallowing saliva?
@@allsleepashley i get urge to swallow even there is not much saliva. If i try to not swallow my neck muscles get stretched and relex. Any idea why is this happening?
@@apnabharat4857 Where does your tongue rest within your mouth during the day? Is it at the roof of your mouth? The front, middle, and back of the tongue?
Watching myofunctional therapy videos have caused me hyperawareness OCD which has been going on for about a year. The main issue here is that these things should be learned when you are a baby / young kid and not in your adulthood. Swallowing and tongue posture should be automatic processes and not something you have to think about constantly.
At 2:05 you note that the saliva should be gathered at the center of the tongue, how should this gathering occur? My tongue scoops up the saliva before raising the tongue to the roof of the mouth to swallow. Is this proper form, or should the gathering occur via some other mechanism (cheek suction, etc)?
P.S. You’re videos are concise and very well planned; thank you :)
please help with this
I've been smiling all the time my whole life, I've always been a happy person, unfortunately that means my face grew into a permanent smile to where smiling is my neutral expression (I _can_ close my mouth briefly but it's very uncomfortable and it just pops back into a smile). I'm not always smiling when I'm "smiling" so when I'm sad I'm crying with a smile on my face and when I get mad I have angry eyebrows plus a smile (which I've been told looks scary, but I don't mean it to). The only way I can swallow my saliva because of my perpetual smile is to slurp it like soup, and there's always some left over. If I'm not careful, I end up sounding like I have a hot potato in my mouth when I'm talking. I'm 22 years old but I still drool sometimes. When I eat, I have to have a hand over my mouth so that food doesn't go everywhere (or at the very least so I don't show everyone a bunch of chewed up food in my mouth).
But how do i swallow the saliva that is gathering on the bottom of my mouth (under tongue that is pressed against the palate) ?
I definitely have tongue thrust, I just learned today when I was googling why my teeth are growing more and more splayed. Apparently it explains my scalloped teeth too. 😮 But following your tutorial, I am struggling to swallow without parting my lips. This is really hard. 😅
ok so I’ve been having difficulty with this because how are u supposed to get the saliva on top of ur tongue without touching ur teeth because I cant figure it out and no one shows how u actually collect the saliva😭
Exactly
literallyyy
did you ever figure out how to do it?? :(
@@abbyvii not op, but imagine sucking the saliva in? it should feel tight around your teeth almost when you do it... the salive converges on the top middle of your tongue. idk if its correct but my tongue does not move forward when i do it like this.
“Ok so now put your tongue to the roof of your mouth gather the saliva and swallow” BROO I CANT
I sometimes scoop the saliva to swallow, but sometimes use sides of my tongue to let the saliva come in the middle of the tongue when it is suctioned to the roof of my mouth when I swallow. Is that normal too? Using both scooping and non scooping?
I’m finding that I almost slurp the saliva through my front teeth? I’m not sure if that makes sense. Do I fix this in the same way by practicing with the tongue on the roof of the mouth?
Hello, I need help understanding my situation.
I can swallow with my lips closed perfectly, but with my lips apart I am unable to collect saliva. When I try to collect the saliva I suck a little bit of air and most of the saliva goes through my teeth. If i take a big sip of water I can swallow with my lips apart, but a portion of the water goes through my teeth and/or remains in my mouth.
Why can I collect saliva with my lips apart?. I don't have a tongue tie, but I know for a fact that my palate is narrow.
I have the exact same problem. The video doesn't explain how exactly should we scoop the saliva with our tongue.
What I do is: with mouth closed and the tongue suctioned up to the palette, I move the tongue backwards, this creates a suction to my lips and front teeth (which is probably wrong) and then I can easily scoop the saliva on the tongue and then swallow.
I also have that exact same problem. looking for that till now!
My centre of the tongue doesnt goes up while swallowing because from a long time i was using only my back 3rd of the tongue while swallowing,what should i do please help me
Press up at nearly front teeth but not touch or middle?
TQ very much. How to stop saliva production or control
Do you breathe through your nose or mouth regularly?
my saliva dosen't stay withing teeth but flows to between teeth and lips witch make it impossible to swallow it only using the tongue
Is it common that having missing front teeth and an uneven bite affects swallowing?
Thank you so much! Also this is probably a stupid question, but can others hear me swallowing? Recently I started swallowing saliva more than recently, especially when I'm nervous in school, and the worst part is that I always feel the need to swallow during these quiet moments in class when nobody is talking or during a test 😭 I try to swallow as quiet as possible but can others still hear it?
:) I cannot answer that for you. This would be a great question to ask your close friends/family.
Same situation with me its been 7 months did you find any cure please telk me😭😭
@@morachantomboy3926 No, i didn't find any cure sadly :( but i found out that it's caused by excessive anxiety so I've been trying out various ways to relax (for me what has worked best for now is breathing slowly and trying my best to focus on something else rather than swallowing). Also drinking more water and eating more healthy food helped me really much too, but if I'm really nervous I try to swallow in class while writing something or keeping my head down so it's not noticable
@@evanescen.t my condition is too much relatable
@@2025isnotthatfar Glad I'm not alone in suffering this 😭❤️
So, I have noticed that my throat feels kind of dry these days, especially over night. When I try to swallow the saliva in my mouth, it feels kind of sticky and there is always some left in my mouth. I am also suffering from anxiety and all kinds of pains around my body, so I don't know what this means. Checked my brain for MS lesions and there apparently none. Any thoughts? Is this normal with age - should I get it assessed by a specialist? Anyhow, I will talk to my doctor about it this week. I am able to eat and drink completely fine - just seems that this has been a change over the past few months - possibly - especially when I am mouth breaking over night.
I also have the urge to frequently swallow without saliva in my mouth what is my problem
Oral myofunctional therapy ?
Can you explain this therapy
Therapy to restore nasal breathing, palatal resting position of the tongue, and the use of this suction in the first two phases of swallowing.
Hey ashley great job as always! What i don't understand is that based on dr mew you are supposed to retract the tip to the back of the roof and 'sweep' up while maintaining the back third up
I mean how do you do that while not compromising the root of the tongue and proper execution at the same time.( im not well versed in this subject, please do not hesitate to correct me)
Again, I can't speak to what Dr. Mew is teaching as I have not been following his content.
I do teach this a little differently than when I made this video. I recommend suctioning the tongue to the palate (edges up, the center hollow and filled with saliva). Maintain the suction and press the center of your tongue upward. This will naturally force the saliva backward if you maintain the suction seal of the tongue edges to the palate. I don't recommend thinking about creating a "wave" with your tongue. This will naturally happen if you do what I just recommended. Sorry I can't speak more to the specifics of what Dr. Mew is teaching!
@@allsleepashley it's alright ashley everyone has their own takes on this subject and one more question, the saliva production is quite a lot, is that normal?
@@hashim5926 This is too vague and subjective for me to answer :). I do not measure saliva quantity in my clinic.
@@allsleepashley Ah sorry it's ok then I'll try to figure it out with the info i get. Thank you for your time, keep up the great work!
@@hashim5926 Hey how are you now?
Do we keep the tip of the tongue on the "spot" (just behind the incisors) while swallowing and having the rest of the tongue wave?
I've been teaching this slightly different than when I made this video:
The tongue does stay on the "spot". It then keeps a suction (edges up onto palate), with the saliva in the "cave", and simply presses up at the center to direct the saliva backward. Don't worry about making a "wave", the tongue will naturally do this if you maintain a suction and press the center upward. Please try this and let me know if you have any issues.
@@allsleepashley How would the saliva underneath gather up into the middle of the tongue if the tongue is always suctioned on the palate? Thank you for your help!
@@tapsubscribe The tongue should not always be suctioned to the palate. At the conclusion of chewing or as you prepare to swallow liquid the tongue should gather the contents at the center of the tongue. The tongue should not "always" be anywhere. The resting posture at the roof of the mouth is just that... more a resting posture. But the tongue should be moving into various positions for speech, chewing, swallowing, breathing heavily during intense exercise (if the mouth needs to open), etc.
@@allsleepashley Thank you for this!
@@allsleepashley by cave do you mean the tongue will be like a U shape where the centre of the tongue is a bit lower to hold the saliva befofe it’s swallowed?
I use my lips and chin and my tongue move forward to collect the saliva. Could you plz how to collect saliva without doing so?
The solution will depend on what factors contribute to this issue. This could range from tongue range of motion and coordination to palate shape/height. It's difficult for me to give you advice without knowing what factors are contributing to the problem. Generally, training tongue range of motion and coordination is often a good place to start.
Hi Ive been having anxiety attacks and swallow reflex and I cant stop it. I havent slept in 2 days pls help me 😞😞😞😢😢
Can you please email me at ashleysommerspt@gmail.com so I can connect with you directly?
How to stop tongue scalloping ?
Scalloping is often the result of a combination of the tongue being uncoordinated, with a wide, low resting posture AND a narrow palate. To address this, I would start with doing exercises so your tongue has the ability to both narrow and to narrow enough to rest inside your teeth on your upper palate. This first step takes consistency and effort but usually yields great results. If there is still scalloping and your main goal is to minimize it, it would be useful to see an airway dentist or myofunctional therapist in person for further guidance.
So the tongue moves back when we swallow?
Tongue tip should remain just behind the front teeth throughout the swallow.
@@allsleepashley Hey Ashley do you have an opinion on mewing? You said in an earlier comment that you couldn't speak to what Dr.Mew was teaching but have you had a chance to look at some of his claims since then? Thanks
@@allsleepashley I have another question. While we are in a resting position with our tongue on the roof of our mouth and we need to swallow, do we swallow with our tongue already up on the roof of our mouth? I’ve read people saying that we aren’t supposed to do this as the tongue could be blocking the airway. It’s just very confusing and this is something I have been struggling with for months
I noticed that there are very few facial muscles movement (or in fact none at all) in your swallow, I also watch other sources and ppl tends to say that your facial muscles should not move at all but I struggle to push the saliva into my throat if I don't use my cheeks a bit. Is it okay?
The tongue is what should move the saliva. I would practice swallowing regularly with your lips open in a smile. This will train you to use your tongue more and your cheeks less. Once this becomes easy bring your lips back into the movement.
@@allsleepashley now i have been able to swallow without using my cheeks, however, I usually need to pull my tounge (with the tip still touching the roof of my mouth) back to near the middle of the roof. Is it the correct way to do it or am I doing it wrong?
@@hoangvu6326 It's difficult for me to say without knowing what your palate shape is and how much tongue range of motion you have. If both of these are clear, then I would suggest keeping your tongue tip just behind your front teeth (but not touching them) for the entire swallow. If your palate is very high and your tongue range of motion is limited, then how you doing may be the best you can do given your constraints.
Hi Ashley,
Just wondering about the swallowing process. So lips together, scoop the saliva with the tongue then bite teeth together and swallow? Are those steps in the right order? Thanks so much for your time.
Yes, that's correct. I am not as concerned about the biting together for swallowing saliva. I am more focused on the first two steps. Biting the teeth together becomes more relevant when swallowing solids.
@@allsleepashley thankyou
is the tip of the tongue always on the roof when swallowing?
or do you collect the saliva with the tip of the tonguw
@@Nitrinix "Always" is a strong word when it comes to the body. There should be variation in movement... just like any other movement of the body. For most swallows, it is ideal to have the tongue on the roof of the mouth, especially when swallowing chewed solids. When swallowing liquids quickly, the tongue may remain lower and elevate the posterior aspect to complete a swallow. The speed of quickly swallowing liquids doesn't allow you to keep your tongue on the roof of the mouth -- liquid is coming into the mouth too quickly. When swallowing saliva, the tongue should tyically be on the roof of the mouth because it should, ideally, already be resting there.
Do we swallow every minute is it true or 600 to 700 time a day.I totally focus on swallowing.how to rid it
I am confused by your question. Are you asking how do you stop swallowing your saliva throughout the day?
@@allsleepashley yes I have also same doubt.
@@apnabharat4857 You are supposed to swallow saliva throughout the day. Do notice any pattern that when you are not distracted by other things you are more opt focus on over-swallowing saliva?
@@allsleepashley i get urge to swallow even there is not much saliva. If i try to not swallow my neck muscles get stretched and relex. Any idea why is this happening?
@@apnabharat4857 Where does your tongue rest within your mouth during the day? Is it at the roof of your mouth? The front, middle, and back of the tongue?
I get urge to swallow very frequently even though saliva is not much.. what could be issue ?
Are you primarily a nasal breather with lips closed? Both day and night?
@@allsleepashley yes.
how do you "collect" your salvia in your mouth? Everytime i swallow there is still saliva left in my mouth.
Use your tongue to collect the saliva. You have an excessive amount of saliva left after swallowing?
I extend my head.
M
I'm a Amy I have a swallowing problem how is swallow is correct can you help me
P