How often do you think about swallowing? For most people, the answer is “never”—unless something goes wrong. But swallowing is one of the most complex, frequent, and essential movements our bodies perform. At BreatheWorks, we know that even subtle dysfunction in this process can ripple through the entire body.
How Many Times Do We Swallow Each Day?
Research shows that the average healthy adult swallows between 600 and 2,000 times per day—that’s about once every one to three minutes while awake (Logemann, 1998).
- During meals: 50–100 times per meal
- During sleep: swallowing decreases, but still occurs to clear saliva and protect the airway
That’s thousands of opportunities each day for the muscles of your tongue, jaw, throat, and neck to work together—or, if tmj dysfunction is present, for stress and strain to build up.
What Happens When Swallowing Goes Wrong?
A healthy swallow involves more than 30 muscles and multiple nerves, working in perfect harmony to move food and saliva from your mouth to your stomach while protecting your airway.
When this system is off—even slightly—problems can arise in ways you might not expect:
- Jaw pain or TMJ dysfunction: Abnormal swallow patterns put extra stress on the jaw joint
- Dental problems: Improper tongue pressure can move teeth and change your bite
- Speech issues: Swallow dysfunction often goes hand-in-hand with articulation problems
- Digestive discomfort: Poor chewing and swallowing mechanics can lead to reflux, bloating, or choking
- Neck and facial pain: Muscle imbalances from dysfunctional swallowing can cause headaches, tightness, or even affect posture
The Weightlifting Analogy: Imbalance Matters
Imagine you lifted weights all day—but only with your right arm. Over time, your right arm would become overdeveloped, while your left arm and the rest of your body could become weak, imbalanced, and prone to injury.
Swallowing dysfunction acts in a similar way:
- If you constantly use the wrong muscles, push your tongue forward (tongue thrust), or chew only on one side, you create uneven forces on your jaw, teeth, face, and even your neck and shoulders.
- Over thousands of swallows each day, these imbalances add up, leading to pain, dysfunction, and sometimes long-term skeletal changes.
What Causes Swallowing Dysfunction?
Common causes include:
- Chronic mouth breathing or nasal congestion
- Tongue-tie or restricted tongue movement
- Jaw misalignment or dental issues
- Neurological conditions or trauma
- Habitual poor posture
A 2018 review in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation found that individuals with swallowing disorders (dysphagia or tongue thrust) were significantly more likely to experience TMJ pain, dental malocclusion, and even headaches and neck tension.
Whole-Body Impact: It’s Not Just About the Mouth
- Posture: Swallowing problems often co-exist with forward head posture and neck muscle strain, affecting balance and spinal alignment.
- Airway: Dysfunctional swallowing can make you more prone to sleep apnea and snoring by altering the way your tongue and throat support the airway at night.
- Growth and Development: In children, poor swallow mechanics can change facial growth, leading to long-term issues with breathing, sleeping, and even confidence.
How BreatheWorks Can Help
Our clinicians specialize in evaluating the mechanics of your swallow, tongue posture, and chewing habits—looking for the subtle imbalances that others often miss. We use myofunctional therapy, targeted exercises, and whole-patient care to retrain your muscles and restore healthy function.
Don’t let a “hidden” dysfunction undermine your health. If you experience jaw pain, dental changes, speech issues, or unexplained facial tension, schedule a comprehensive assessment with BreatheWorks. Small changes to your swallow can make a big difference for your whole body.
