Is "Tongue Taco" Genetic?

Science has proven that creating a “taco” with your tongue is not genetic through studies looking at twins. Despite this, you can still find information falsely shared that creating a “taco “ or rolling your tongue iis genetic. Stop and think about your tongue. Your tongue is made of muscles. If you can strengthen muscles in the rest of your body, wouldn’t it make sense to also be able to address the muscles of the tongue? You may not be able to make a tongue taco today, but that doesn’t mean you can’t for the rest of your life! Creating a taco with your tongue is something that can be done by contracting or activating the correct muscles to lift the sides of the tongue.

Tongue rolling is a classic example to remember when we think about tongue function. Just because many people cannot roll their tongue, does not make it “okay”. Further, genetics certainly plays a roll in development, but genetics does not define each person. We are a mix of genetics and environment. Learn more about tongue rolling here.

Wishing you could roll your tongue? Contact us - we can help!