Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to MewDoes It Work?Proposed EffectsRisksAlternatives
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How to Mew
Does It Work?
Proposed Effects
Risks
Alternatives
Mewing, a technique in which the tongue is placed on the roof of the mouth, is purported to make the jaw more square, enhance facial structure, improve sleep, and reduce mouth breathing. Some even claim that mewing can treat speech disorders, jaw pain, and sinusitis.
The mewing technique has received a lot of attention on social media. However, oral and maxillofacial surgery experts say there’s little evidence to support claims that it can actually change yourjaw structureand appearance or improve your health.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Rather than resting the tongue on the bottom of the mouth, as people naturally do, those who practice mewing rest the tongue on the roof of the mouth.
Over time, people who practice mewing train their bodies to naturally return to this position. They refer to this as proper tongue posture.
Origins of Mewing
Does Mewing Work?
John Mew claims his own children provide anecdotal evidence. His daughter, fed with soft foods until she was a 4-year-old and not taught mewing, had crooked teeth and poor facial alignment. Mike Mew, on the other hand, was taught mewing and to eat rough foods, and has a square, muscular jaw.
Although there isn’t research to support mewing in particular, some research shows that human jaws are in fact getting smaller.This has been linked with health issues including crooked teeth, mouth breathing, and sleep apnea.
Researchers have also linked “oral posture”—the position of the teeth and tongue—to jaw development.The solutions that researchers propose are not unlike those the Mews advocate.
Researchers say eating tougher foods—particularly in childhood—can help to develop the jaw, as can chewing gum. They also advise breathing and swallowing exercises to promote improved jaw development in children.
What Is Hard Mewing?Hard mewing is the practice of mewing with force against the palate. Like tongue chewing (the practice of using your tongue rather than teeth to chew food), it remains an unproven technique.
What Is Hard Mewing?
Hard mewing is the practice of mewing with force against the palate. Like tongue chewing (the practice of using your tongue rather than teeth to chew food), it remains an unproven technique.
Some clinicians, lay people, and social media influencers also claim that mewing can:
Theory of Mewing and Orthotropics
According to John Mew and his son Dr. Mike Mew, people today have smaller jaws than our ancestors. The Mews credit this to environmental and lifestyle factors, like allergies that lead to mouth breathing and ready access to food that’s soft and easy to chew.
The American Association of Orthodontists notes that proper tongue alignment could alter your facial structure, but mewing itself is not the answer.It’s best to talk to a healthcare provider rather than attempting to solve the issue yourself.
Mewing done properly is as unlikely to harm your face as it is to transform it. But like any exercise, mewing may come with risks when practiced improperly.
Ironically, improper mewing could actually lead to the same problems that it is purported to treat, such as:
The American Association of Orthodontists does not recommend unsupervised attempts to alter teeth or bite alignment, mewing included.
Does Mouth Breathing Change Your Face?Persistent mouth breathing can potentially change certain areas of a person’s face, or more specifically, their jawline. A small study that examined 50 children found that the children with a mouth-breathing habit developed minor changes in their facial profile.
Does Mouth Breathing Change Your Face?
Persistent mouth breathing can potentially change certain areas of a person’s face, or more specifically, their jawline. A small study that examined 50 children found that the children with a mouth-breathing habit developed minor changes in their facial profile.
Instead of mewing, more traditional treatments with proven efficacy are available.
The Mews are both associated with the London School of Facial Orthotropics, which John Mew founded. John Mew was stripped of his license, in part because of controversy surrounding mewing.The British Orthodontic Society also expelled Mike Mew.
Summary
Mewing is the practice of pressing the tongue to the roof of the mouth, which is purported to strengthen jaw muscles and expand the jaw. There are anecdotal claims on social media saying mewing enhances facial structure, improves sleep, and relieves jaw pain but there is no evidence supporting these claims.
Attempts to alter your jaw or teeth structure with mewing are not recommended. If you are concerned about a symptom or condition you are experiencing, look to a healthcare provider for an evaluation.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lee UK, Graves LL, Friedlander AH.Mewing: Social media’s alternative to orthognathic surgery?.J Oral Maxillofacial Surg. 2019;77(9):1743-1744. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2019.03.024London School of Facial Orthotropics.Myofunctional approaches.Kahn S, Ehrlich P, Feldman M, et. al.The jaw epidemic: Recognition, origins, cures, and prevention.BioScience. 2020;70(9):759–771. doi:10.1093/biosci/biaa073American Association of Orthodontists.Does mewing actually reshape your jaw?Basheer B, Hegde KS, Bhat SS, Umar D, Baroudi K.Influence of mouth breathing on the dentofacial growth of children: A cephalometric study.J Int Oral Health. 2014;6(6):50-55.Ke Y, Zhu Y, Zhu M.A comparison of treatment effectiveness between clear aligner and fixed appliance therapies.BMC Oral Health. 2019 Jan;19(1):24. doi:10.1186/s12903-018-0695-zStupak H.Strategies for addressing mouth-breathing treatment with an “adequate” nose.Rethink Rhinoplast Facial Surg. 2020;2020(1):193-207. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44674-1_9Xia F, Sawan M.Clinical and research solutions to manage obstructive sleep apnea: a review.Sensors (Basel). 2021;21(5):1784. doi:10.3390/s21051784Shun Li D, Yan Leung Y.Temporomandibular disorders: current concepts and controversies in diagnosis and management.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11(3):459. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11030459Law J, Dennis J, Charlton J.Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and/or language disorders.Coch Data Syst Rev. 2017;2017(1):CD012490. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012490Penn Medicine.TMJ pain relief: 8 best practices to help manage temporomandibular joint disorders.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection (sinusitis).
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lee UK, Graves LL, Friedlander AH.Mewing: Social media’s alternative to orthognathic surgery?.J Oral Maxillofacial Surg. 2019;77(9):1743-1744. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2019.03.024London School of Facial Orthotropics.Myofunctional approaches.Kahn S, Ehrlich P, Feldman M, et. al.The jaw epidemic: Recognition, origins, cures, and prevention.BioScience. 2020;70(9):759–771. doi:10.1093/biosci/biaa073American Association of Orthodontists.Does mewing actually reshape your jaw?Basheer B, Hegde KS, Bhat SS, Umar D, Baroudi K.Influence of mouth breathing on the dentofacial growth of children: A cephalometric study.J Int Oral Health. 2014;6(6):50-55.Ke Y, Zhu Y, Zhu M.A comparison of treatment effectiveness between clear aligner and fixed appliance therapies.BMC Oral Health. 2019 Jan;19(1):24. doi:10.1186/s12903-018-0695-zStupak H.Strategies for addressing mouth-breathing treatment with an “adequate” nose.Rethink Rhinoplast Facial Surg. 2020;2020(1):193-207. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44674-1_9Xia F, Sawan M.Clinical and research solutions to manage obstructive sleep apnea: a review.Sensors (Basel). 2021;21(5):1784. doi:10.3390/s21051784Shun Li D, Yan Leung Y.Temporomandibular disorders: current concepts and controversies in diagnosis and management.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11(3):459. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11030459Law J, Dennis J, Charlton J.Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and/or language disorders.Coch Data Syst Rev. 2017;2017(1):CD012490. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012490Penn Medicine.TMJ pain relief: 8 best practices to help manage temporomandibular joint disorders.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection (sinusitis).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Lee UK, Graves LL, Friedlander AH.Mewing: Social media’s alternative to orthognathic surgery?.J Oral Maxillofacial Surg. 2019;77(9):1743-1744. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2019.03.024London School of Facial Orthotropics.Myofunctional approaches.Kahn S, Ehrlich P, Feldman M, et. al.The jaw epidemic: Recognition, origins, cures, and prevention.BioScience. 2020;70(9):759–771. doi:10.1093/biosci/biaa073American Association of Orthodontists.Does mewing actually reshape your jaw?Basheer B, Hegde KS, Bhat SS, Umar D, Baroudi K.Influence of mouth breathing on the dentofacial growth of children: A cephalometric study.J Int Oral Health. 2014;6(6):50-55.Ke Y, Zhu Y, Zhu M.A comparison of treatment effectiveness between clear aligner and fixed appliance therapies.BMC Oral Health. 2019 Jan;19(1):24. doi:10.1186/s12903-018-0695-zStupak H.Strategies for addressing mouth-breathing treatment with an “adequate” nose.Rethink Rhinoplast Facial Surg. 2020;2020(1):193-207. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44674-1_9Xia F, Sawan M.Clinical and research solutions to manage obstructive sleep apnea: a review.Sensors (Basel). 2021;21(5):1784. doi:10.3390/s21051784Shun Li D, Yan Leung Y.Temporomandibular disorders: current concepts and controversies in diagnosis and management.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11(3):459. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11030459Law J, Dennis J, Charlton J.Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and/or language disorders.Coch Data Syst Rev. 2017;2017(1):CD012490. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012490Penn Medicine.TMJ pain relief: 8 best practices to help manage temporomandibular joint disorders.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection (sinusitis).
Lee UK, Graves LL, Friedlander AH.Mewing: Social media’s alternative to orthognathic surgery?.J Oral Maxillofacial Surg. 2019;77(9):1743-1744. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2019.03.024
London School of Facial Orthotropics.Myofunctional approaches.
Kahn S, Ehrlich P, Feldman M, et. al.The jaw epidemic: Recognition, origins, cures, and prevention.BioScience. 2020;70(9):759–771. doi:10.1093/biosci/biaa073
American Association of Orthodontists.Does mewing actually reshape your jaw?
Basheer B, Hegde KS, Bhat SS, Umar D, Baroudi K.Influence of mouth breathing on the dentofacial growth of children: A cephalometric study.J Int Oral Health. 2014;6(6):50-55.
Ke Y, Zhu Y, Zhu M.A comparison of treatment effectiveness between clear aligner and fixed appliance therapies.BMC Oral Health. 2019 Jan;19(1):24. doi:10.1186/s12903-018-0695-z
Stupak H.Strategies for addressing mouth-breathing treatment with an “adequate” nose.Rethink Rhinoplast Facial Surg. 2020;2020(1):193-207. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44674-1_9
Xia F, Sawan M.Clinical and research solutions to manage obstructive sleep apnea: a review.Sensors (Basel). 2021;21(5):1784. doi:10.3390/s21051784
Shun Li D, Yan Leung Y.Temporomandibular disorders: current concepts and controversies in diagnosis and management.Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11(3):459. doi:10.3390/diagnostics11030459
Law J, Dennis J, Charlton J.Speech and language therapy interventions for children with primary speech and/or language disorders.Coch Data Syst Rev. 2017;2017(1):CD012490. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012490
Penn Medicine.TMJ pain relief: 8 best practices to help manage temporomandibular joint disorders.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sinus infection (sinusitis).
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