What is ‘Mewing’ and Can it Really Give You a Chiselled Jawline?
The Social Media Trend of Mewing
Social media is always buzzing with new trends, and the latest one to take the internet by storm is ‘mewing’. Influencers are promoting this exercise as a way to achieve a chiselled jawline and defined chin. But does it really work? Let’s find out.
What is Mewing?
Mewing was invented by British orthodontist John Mew in the 1970s as a way of naturally shaping tooth alignment. Here are the steps recommended for mewing:
- Close your mouth and seal your lips, with your teeth just slightly touching and not clinching.
- Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth.
- Suction and flatten your tongue against the roof of your mouth and breathe through your nose.
- Repeat this exercise various times a day.
Will Mewing Really Give You a Shaped Jawline and Chiselled Jaw?
According to health experts, a good oral posture is a natural and unconscious position in which the tip of the tongue rests on the roof of the mouth, behind the front teeth. If a person does not have a posture exact or similar to this, then they have to visit an orthodontist as ‘correcting misaligned teeth and restructuring jawline is a complex process that involves moving jaw bones, other facial bones and soft tissue,’ said John Callahan, president of the American Association of Orthodontists to the Washington Post.
Joel Kopelman, a facial plastic surgeon in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida added that in adults, ‘bone structure is set. I don’t care how much you press your tongue to the roof of your mouth-its not going to dramatically change your jawline,’ he added.
What are the Risks of Mewing?
While mewing may not have any science-backed positive effects, experts say it can have many negative ones. The American Association of Orthodontists warned in 2024 that the ‘unregulated practice’ can lead to serious dental concerns such as loose teeth, misaligned bites and speech difficulties due to the altered tongue placement. Excessive pressure on the teeth and jaw can force the natural alignment of the teeth to move, and this can lead to bite problems such as underbites, overbites and open bites. The displacement of teeth also affects the flow of air through the mouth when speaking, thus causing speech discomforts.
