How Your Tongue Posture Affects Jaw Tension and Breathing

If you’ve ever caught yourself clenching your jaw or feeling like you can’t quite take a full breath, your tongue might be part of the problem. It sounds surprising, but the way your tongue rests in your mouth — known as tongue posture — plays a bigger role in overall oral health than most people realize.

At McKinney Dental Wellness, Dr. Julia LeDay takes a whole-body approach to dental care, helping patients understand how small habits can influence comfort, function, and even the way they breathe.

What Is “Proper” Tongue Posture?

When your mouth is at rest, your tongue should rest gently against the roof of your mouth — the upper palate — with the tip just behind your front teeth (not pressing on them). Your lips should be closed, and your teeth lightly touching or slightly apart.

This position keeps your jaw muscles relaxed and supports balanced breathing through the nose rather than the mouth.

How Poor Tongue Posture Affects the Jaw

When the tongue sits low in the mouth or presses forward against the teeth, the surrounding muscles — particularly those in the jaw and neck — must work harder to stabilize the jaw. Over time, that extra effort can lead to:

• Jaw tension or soreness
• Clenching and teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Headaches and neck stiffness
• TMJ-related discomfort

Dr. LeDay often sees patients who believe they have a “bite problem,” but sometimes, the culprit is muscle imbalance from poor tongue posture or mouth breathing habits.

The Breathing Connection

Proper tongue posture naturally supports nasal breathing, which filters, warms, and humidifies the air before it reaches your lungs. Chronic mouth breathing, on the other hand, can dry out your mouth, raise your risk of cavities, and even affect sleep quality.

In children, mouth breathing and low tongue posture can influence how the jaw and palate develop, sometimes leading to crowding or bite issues later in life.

How to Encourage Better Tongue Posture

The good news? Tongue posture can be retrained with awareness and a few simple exercises:

• Check your rest position during the day — lips closed, teeth lightly apart, tongue on the roof of your mouth.
• Breathe through your nose whenever possible. If nasal breathing feels difficult, it may be worth a medical or dental evaluation.
• Relax your jaw by gently parting your teeth and resting your tongue up and back.
• Stay mindful when working at a desk or scrolling on your phone — posture affects your jaw position, too.

For some patients, myofunctional therapy (a guided exercise program for the mouth and face muscles) or a custom nightguard can help ease tension and retrain jaw alignment.

Find Relief at McKinney Dental Wellness

Jaw tension and breathing issues aren’t always about stress — sometimes they start with something as simple as tongue posture. At McKinney Dental Wellness, Dr. Julia LeDay can evaluate your bite, muscle balance, and breathing patterns to create a plan that restores comfort and function.

If you’ve been struggling with tightness in your jaw, frequent headaches, or clenching, schedule a consultation today. We’ll help you relax your jaw, support better breathing, and get your oral wellness back in balance.

Categorised in: Dental Tips, Oral Health