The Effects of Upper Airway Restriction
Abnormal open mouth breathing and abnormal tongue posturing can be devastating to the otherwise normal development of the craniomandibular cervical neck complex, leading to numerous musculoskeletal-occlusal signs and symptoms of TMD/TMJ. Some of these signs can be clinically exhibited as crowding of the anterior teeth, bicuspid drop off, deep curve of Spee, deep bites, cross bites, lingually inclined teeth, high vaulted palates, and narrow arches. These are often accompanied by clicking/popping joints, ear congestion feelings, temporal headaches, neck aches, and shoulder pain.
This is a great article. I agree with the above statement that a tongue thrust can lead to a lot of problems. If it weren't for my stupid tongue thrust, I probably wouldn't have any of the issues that I have!
