Conditions / Swallowing difficulties
Swallowing difficulties
Dysphagia or atypical swallow patterns that affect comfort, nutrition, and dental health. Often co-managed with a speech-language pathologist or other specialist.
Reviewed by Gina Sabbak, RDH · Myofunctional Therapist, Louisville KY. Last reviewed . Educational content — not a substitute for in-person evaluation.
What it is
Swallowing is a complex coordination of muscles. When the pattern is atypical — for example, a tongue thrust — it can affect comfort, dental alignment, and how efficiently food moves.
In infants, latch and feeding difficulties often have a tongue-tie or muscle-tone component.
Common signs
- Tongue thrust during swallow
- Difficulty managing food or liquids
- Gagging or choking during meals
- Infant latch difficulties or breastfeeding pain
- Picky eating in children
How myofunctional therapy may help
Educational, not diagnostic. Outcomes vary; results are not guaranteed.
Retrain the swallow pattern through targeted exercises.
Coordinate with your speech-language pathologist or other specialist.
What to expect
Programs vary widely depending on the underlying cause and the patient's age.
Infant feeding work is typically 2–4 weeks.
Adult swallow retraining may run 3–6 months.
Keep learning
Related reading
- What is myofunctional therapy, really?
Educational article (~5 min read).
- Customized Exercise Programs
How this service supports this condition.
- All conditions we work with
The full set of myofunctional patterns we support.
- How we may help
Overview of the assessment and program structure.
Common questions about swallowing difficulties
- What counts as a swallowing problem?
- A swallowing problem — what clinicians call dysphagia — is any persistent difficulty moving food or liquid safely and comfortably from the mouth to the stomach. Signs include coughing or choking during meals, food or liquid going up into the nose, a gurgly voice after swallowing, taking a long time to finish a meal, or unexplained weight loss. Atypical swallow patterns, like a tongue thrust, are a related but distinct concern.
- Can myofunctional therapy help with dysphagia?
- Myofunctional therapy can help with the oral-phase part of swallowing — tongue movement, lip seal, and the coordination needed to move food and liquid. For medical dysphagia with structural or neurological causes, the speech-language pathologist is the primary clinician, and therapy is part of a coordinated plan. For atypical swallow patterns without an underlying medical cause, myofunctional therapy is often the primary approach.
- What's the difference between myofunctional therapy and speech therapy for swallowing?
- Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) diagnose and treat swallowing disorders, particularly dysphagia. Myofunctional therapy focuses on the muscle and pattern side — tongue posture, swallow pattern, lip seal, and breathing. The two overlap: SLPs and myofunctional therapists often work together, especially when atypical swallow, tongue thrust, or tongue-tie is part of the picture. Our Orofacial Myology for Speech Support (/services#speech-support) service is built around that collaboration.
Open references
Where the illustrations come from
The anatomical illustrations on this page are drawn from openly licensed educational sources. We attribute them in the caption; the canonical sources are linked here for anyone who wants to verify or use them.