Proper oral posture means that at rest the tongue is to the roof of the mouth, the teeth are touching or slightly apart, and the lips are together without strain. When a child grows up with proper oral posture the face develops in good balance - the way it was meant to develop. There is proper balance between the forces of the tongue and the cheeks and the teeth tend to come in to relatively good positions. Proper oral posture also contributes to a more stable orthodontic result.

Improper oral posture manifests in numerous ways including mouthbreathing with the tongue low and teeth and lips apart or posturing the tongue between the back teeth.

When the tongue is low and the teeth and lips are apart at rest crowded teeth, gummy smiles, recessive chins, and long faces result. If the tongue is positioned between the back teeth the upper front teeth over erupt or come down too far, resulting in a deep bite situation (upper teeth covering all or most of the lower teeth) and often a gummy smile.

Changes in the balance of the face and the teeth vary in severity depending on the severity of the departure from proper oral posture. There appears to be a strong relationship between the distance the lips are apart at rest and instability of an orthodontic result as well as continuing facial changes throughout life.

These changes have been well documented by such scholars as Dr.Weston Price author of "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" and Dr. Robert Corruccini author of "How Anthropology Informs the Orthodontic Diagnosis". As early as the 1920's and 30's, Dr. Price was documenting the changes in facial balance and dentition that occurred in one generation in various primitive peoples all over the world. He found that the common link in going from a generation with good facial balance and broad jaws with little or no crowded teeth to the next generation with poor facial balance and narrow jaws with crowded teeth was a change to a Western diet which included refined sugar and flour. A genetic adaptation does not occur in one generation nor can the change be classified as an adaptation when there is no advantage to the change of crowded dentition, long face, and mouthbreathing.