Case Study: Elizabeth

This young lady came to my practice with the complaint that her teeth were “uneven” whenever she smiled. Upon further examination, it was revealed that her tongue was protruding sideways each time she swallowed. This is referred to as a lateral tongue-thrust swallow in orthodontics. It requires a ‘fixed’ tongue crib to re-train the tongue when swallowing or the result would be highly prone to relapse.

Shortly after insertion of the crib appliance to re-train the tongue when swallowing, braces were placed on the top and bottom teeth which positioned the teeth together almost magically. We were able to finish her treatment in less than a year and a half much to her delight.