I talk about oral rest position a lot, I know – yes, it is that important! 🙂
As a quick recap, oral rest position (or posture) is talking about how the mouth is positioned when we’re not involved in any oral movement (like speaking or eating). A solid oral rest position looks like this:
-Lips resting gently together (not apart or squeezed together!)
-Teeth apart
-Tongue-tip resting gently against the alveolar ridge, or the spot right above the back of your top teeth
-Breathing through the nose
Lip incompetence is when the lips rest apart rather than together while not speaking, which can lead to a recessed chin, misaligned teeth, mouth breathing and snoring, or even changes in facial growth. Whoa!
If you notice your child’s lips are always apart when at rest, try this exercise:
Hold a bread tie or coffee straw between the teeth for 2-3 minutes a few times per day during non-speaking activities – start with 30 seconds to 1 minute if needed.
Additional Resources:
For more on a proper oral rest position and why it matters, check out these blog posts:
–Oral Rest Position: A Key to Strong Speech
–Oral Rest Position and Excessive Habits (like Thumb Sucking!)
–Oral Rest Position and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
–Let’s Talk THE SPOT and Why It’s SO Important
–Oral Rest Position, Breathing, and the Connection to ADHD (Video!)
For an exercise to help build tongue strength to improve oral rest position, speech clarity, and so much more, check out this exercise:
–EXERCISE: Tongue to Spot
–EXERCISE: Hide Lips
If you’re wondering if your child’s oral rest position is where it needs to be, hop on my calendar for a free screen/brainstorming session and we’ll take a look. Click here to schedule a time.
I work very hard to get children and adults to breath through the nose, its not an easy thing to do for many people. I do agree, most people are too busy to give their full attention to anything. Tell me you suggestions on what would have been interesting to hear?