Can you eat without your tongue?

I think it would be a big challenge to eat without using your tongue. It's really really hard to consciously not use it it! Your tongue pushes food around. Your tongue helps create a vacuum to assist swallowing. read more

Of course you can. Cutting out a person’s tongue used to be a punishment for certain crimes in centuries past (and still is in some criminal organisations) and the people lived reasonably normal lives without their tongues, which of course means that they had to eat. read more

If it's mostly gone, you can swallow liquids by pouring them into your mouth and tipping your head back to move them backwards. Food is more difficult because it doesn't flow. If you only have one side of your tongue removed you can tip your head to one side to use gravity to keep the food and drink on that side. read more

Eating has always been a challenge since her 15-hour glossectomy (removal of the tongue) back in June. It’s far harder for her to swallow food and liquid than a person with a working tongue. But she doesn’t let the extra effort get in her way. read more