“Mewing” has garnered internet fame over the past few years. What started as a small idea on websites like Reddit and YouTube, people from both sides of the argument have debated whether it works or not. Does mewing work, though? It’s hard to believe that something as simple as chewing or positioning the tongue differently can change your face’s shape.
What is Mewing?
Dr. Mike Mew in London was the first to think of the practice. His father was the doctor responsible for creating orthotropics, a holistic form of orthodontics. To understand what mewing is, you have to understand how orthotropics works. A different set of beliefs than general orthodontics rules it. The difference between the two practices is understood by asking what causes crooked teeth. And how do straight teeth create a better-looking face?
- Conventional orthodontics: Poor facial growth and crowded teeth are purely hereditary defects.
- Orthotropics: Bad face posture, inappropriate breathing, and inadequate nutrition all contribute to crowded teeth and unattractive facial features.
- Orthodontics: A face with straight teeth looks beautiful.
- Orthotropics: Straight teeth come from a handsome face.
Understanding this fundamental gap is crucial since it underlies the two drastically divergent treatment philosophies. In traditional orthodontics, aligning the teeth involves using fixed devices like braces. Orthotropics uses moveable appliances to promote correct tongue position. The logic behind this is that if the tongue is positioned on the roof of the mouth, it will compel the maxilla to broaden, freeing up space for the tooth, encouraging the jaws to develop stronger and forward, and eventually improving the appearance of the face.
Orthotropics and orthodontics appear to be similar on the surface. They aim to address the same issue but do it differently. What, then, is mewing? Dr. Mike Mew advocated mewing as a non-orthodontic, non-orthotropic method for people to straighten their faces. Mewing simply keeps the tongue in the right place and builds jaw muscles. Dr. Mike Mew has developed several methods supported by orthotropics to enhance facial posture and produce a better-looking face. Even while each mewing technique focuses on something different, they all aim to achieve the same goal: enhancing the facial form by correcting the posture of the face. The video below shows several mewing methods while Dr. Mike Mew explains how posture, swallowing habits, and tongue position all affect the appearance of the face.
Does mewing work is a complicated question with no simple solution? The key factors are the practitioner’s age, goals, and expectations. Most mewing practitioners are teenagers or adults who learned about the technique online. Their goal is to improve the appearance of their faces, particularly the jawline. Regarding the effectiveness of mewing, age plays a significant role. The less effective mewing will be, the older one is. This is because it is just more brutal to bring about change the more developed the body is.
McCartney Dental Encourages Orthodontics to Straighten Teeth.
Mewing hasn’t been proven to be effective. However, general orthodontics has been proven to work countless times. At McCartney Dental, our team of orthodontists can ensure your procedures are done correctly. Call us at (941) 423-4334 to schedule an appointment today.
