- The tongue is a critical organ in swallowing, providing the driving force that transport food and liquid through the mouth and pharynx.
- Fatigue in the tongue muscles may contribute to incomplete food clearance, prolonged time to complete a meal and reduced intake (Angle Orthod. 2015; 86(2); 227).
- This is a frequent problem in elderly, where decreased muscles tone is associated with swallowing difficulty. Furthermore, mouth breathing decreases chewing activity and can contribute to dysphagia (J. Oral Rehabil. 2012; 39(8); 559)
- Tongue exercise increases tongue muscles tone to facilitate the process of swallowing, in addition, the correction of mouth breathing increases the chewing efficiency to facilitate swallowing.