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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Why does my tongue seem to be too large?

    Related Topics
    Dentistry Oral Health
    My tongue seems to be too large and sits on my teeth which leaves marks around my tongue.

    What causes this and what can I do about it?

    Sometimes I feel like I am pushing my tongue onto my teeth.
    • 2 answers
    • Sharon Moore
    • Kerry Read
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    Sharon Moore

    Speech Pathologist

    I am a Speech Pathologist with 30 years clinical experience, working over the years with a wide range of clients with communication and swallowing disorders. … View Profile

    What you are describing sounds like your tongue has adopted an habitual fronted tongue posture.  It is most likely that tongue fronting  occurs while the tongue is at rest and also during functon:  swallowing chewing and possibly speech. Tongue fronting can give the feel or look of a large tongue because the tongue is more visible. The impression of a large tongue can also occur if your upper jaw is narrow.  True large tongue is called macroglossia and is rare.Tongue fronting is an orofacial habit that can be changed through muscle retraining programs designed by an experienced speech pathologist/orofacial myologist.

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    Kerry Read

    Physiotherapist

    Headline Physiotherapy for the Head Neck and Jaw deals specifically with TMJ Facial Pain Headache Migraine and other musculoskeletal issues involving the cranial area. All … View Profile

    If you want to start changing the appearance of your tongue you can do a few simple things straight away.Move your tongue off your teeth and say the letter L, quickly and repeatedly, then let the tip of the tongue remain on this L spot. Whenever you think of it move your tongue to this spot.
    Paint your tongue with peanut butter, nutella or whatever… suck the tongue up hard against your palate. Imagining this works just as well.
    These exercises improve the tone of the middle tongue muscle fibres and make it appear much smaller. 
    Easy to do, nothing to lose!

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