Proper Swallowing

Chew one-half piece of EXTRA sugar free gum. Then, using your tongue roll the gum along the palate, press and flatten the gum against the palate with your tongue. Prepare to swallow by closing your teeth together as hard as you can, keeping your lips apart and smiling. You should keep the gum pressed onto the roof of your mouth, just behind the upper front teeth. Keeping the lips apart prevents the tongue from sealing against the lips. Maintain this position while swallowing. Then repeat the sequence.

You will get the most benefit from this exercise if it is done on a daily schedule. Try to incorporate this swallowing exercise into a routine behavior such as homework, or right after dinner. Once this becomes part of your day to day activities, chewing, rolling and swallowing should be performed for a 1 hour period, two times a day.

Tongue Push-Ups

Place your tongue in the center of the roof of your mouth, close your teeth and lips tight together Then relax your tongue, now begin pushing tongue up onto the roof of your mouth as hard as you can. This should be done 15-20 minutes daily holding each one 10 seconds. The average person swallows somewhere between 1500 & 2000 times per day.

Normal muscle function in & around the mouth is important for the growth and development of the teeth and jaws. Therefore, it is important to encourage normal, balanced tongue and lip function. Once the teeth are in their correct position they will stay there if the muscle function and balance are normal. Please feel free to ask Dr. DeFelice & staff any questions you might have regarding these instructions.

6 Sets of 60 Clenches

Close teeth tightly. Place fingers on the right & left sides of your head, at the temples. You should then clench your teeth together 60 times, feeling the clench at the temples with your fingers. As with all exercises, it is best to set up a regular schedule to practice these clenches.