Atypical Swallowing: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment
As a specialized speech therapist, I treat atypical swallowing in children on a daily basis, both in Malaga and online.
Atypical swallowing (or persistent infantile swallowing) is a swallowing pattern in which the tongue pushes against or between the teeth instead of resting properly against the roof of the mouth. It is normal in infants, but it should disappear as their teeth come in. When it persists beyond that stage, it becomes a functional problem.
What is atypical swallowing in children?
Atypical swallowing is part of what are known as orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs): abnormal patterns of oral and orofacial muscle function that interfere with the growth, development, or normal function of orofacial structures, including speech production. Among the most common OMDs are abnormal resting lip-tongue posture, bruxism, mouth breathing, atypical swallowing, and speech articulation disorders.
Common Causes
- Prolonged use of a pacifier or thumb-sucking
- Chronic mouth breathing
- Short lingual frenulum (ankyloglossia)
- Inappropriate oral habits maintained over time
- Hypotonia of the orofacial muscles
Consequences
- Dental malocclusions, especially open bite
- Abnormalities in facial bone development
- Difficulty articulating certain sounds (especially sibilants)
- Persistent mouth breathing
Speech Therapy for Atypical Swallowing: What Does the Evidence Say?
Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is the standard of care. It consists of isometric and isotonic exercises to strengthen the orofacial muscles, specific training in tongue position and swallowing, and correction of an open bite.
A scoping review found that myofunctional therapy improves swallowing function and tongue strength in people with atypical swallowing. However, a study of children who also had associated speech disorders showed no improvement in sibilant production following the intervention.
This distinction is important: OMT consistently improves swallowing function and muscle strength, but its effect on speech articulation in cases of associated speech disorders is less conclusive and depends on the child’s individual profile.
A systematic review of orthodontic treatment in patients with atypical swallowing and malocclusion concluded that orofacial myofunctional therapy, in conjunction with certain orthodontic appliances, is a potentially effective approach when combined with dental follow-up.
A study involving French and Portuguese speech therapists showed that these professionals consistently perceive a link between atypical swallowing and speech production difficulties in children, although they note that this relationship is still not sufficiently incorporated into clinical training.
Atypical Swallowing: Speech therapist in Malaga and Online
If your child shows signs of atypical swallowing, a speech evaluation can help identify the exact pattern and develop a myofunctional intervention plan tailored to your child’s age.
I offer speech therapy sessions in Spanish, French and English, both in person at my office in Mijas (Malaga) and online for patients from all over Spain and abroad.
Would you like to learn more about related conditions? Be sure to check out my article on mouth breathing in children as well.
- Tseng, R. J., & Smart, S. (2025). Effectiveness of orofacial myofunctional therapy for speech sound disorders in children: A systematic review. International Journal of Orofacial Myology and Myofunctional Therapy, 51(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijom51010004
- Salinas, P. C., Inostroza-Allende, F., Caviedes-Ulloa, C., Soto-Fernández, P., & Berretin-Félix, G. (2025). Myofunctional therapy in atypical swallowing: A scoping review. International Journal of Orofacial Myology and Myofunctional Therapy, 51(2), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijom51020010
- Inchingolo, A. D., Inchingolo, A. M., Campanelli, M., Carpentiere, V., de Ruvo, E., Ferrante, L., Palermo, A., Inchingolo, F., & Dipalma, G. (2024). Orthodontic treatment in patients with atypical swallowing and malocclusion: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 48(5), 14–26. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2024.100
- Vieira, D., & Portier, F. (2026). Impact of swallowing patterns on orofacial motor speech production in children. Athena Health & Research Journal, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.62741/ahrj.v3i2.164
