Mewing: Face Slimming Without Surgery?
Mewing is a trend sweeping over Tiktok, YouTube, and Instagram. The practice consists of pressing the tongue’s top surface against the roof of the mouth. It is said to improve breathing, alleviate pain experienced in the mouth muscles, help define the contour of the jaw, and bring proper alignment to the upper and lower rows of teeth.
Although it is trending, mewing isn’t new but has been prevalent for a considerable time, particularly on the more hyper-masculine edges of the internet. Nevertheless, its popularity has skyrocketed. Mewing has become social media’s alternative to usual orthodontic treatments for the last few months.
What is Mewing?
Mewing is the act of resting your lips in a certain posture to produce a sound. When at rest, the tongue of many individuals naturally falls to the floor of their mouths. Their lips will also remain slightly open.
However, proponents who practice mewing claim that altering the position of one’s tongue may assist in correcting a wide variety of problems, including crooked teeth and sleep apnea. Mewers don’t rest their tongues in their mouths as most people do; instead, they put them on the roof. Both sets of teeth are touching or very near together, with their lips pressed together.
Those who mew regularly use the term “proper tongue posture” to describe this. In the same way that maintaining a healthy posture is critical to one’s well-being, some experts believe that how one holds one’s tongue also has significant implications for one’s well-being. People who regularly engage in mewing eventually condition their bodies to get into this posture independently.
DIY mewing people claim that the process may give you a stronger chin and jawline without seeing a professional.
Mewing, which got its name from the British orthodontist John Mew, is a trend that is both controversial and popular on social media. Although believers have bought into the “tongue posturing” fad, many people have raised cosmetic or medical concerns about the practice.
However, most orthodontists and facial structure reconstruction surgeons support the claim that mewing is a successful substitute for orthognathic surgery (jaw alignment) or conventional therapy for teeth straightening.
What does Mewing do exactly?
Mewing is the subject of a rising internet movement supported by enthusiasts from all over the globe. The purpose of mewing is to achieve a therapeutic or aesthetic advantage.
They claim that if you are patient and maintain a constant practice with your tongue position, it can alter your face’s structure significantly.
The following are some of the sought-after cosmetic benefits of mewing for both adults and children:
- An alluring profile of a well-defined jawline
- Amplification of the midfacial area due to prominent malar eminences
The following is a list of stated conditions that can reportedly be treated by mewing:
- Sleep apnea
- Having difficulties swallowing
- Speech issues
- Problems with the jaw joint include discomfort
- Sinusitis
Does it work?
Most YouTube celebrities who are popularizing the practice of mewing are not dentists, orthodontists, or jaw surgeons with board certification. Any individual who recommends the operation to fix facial bone abnormalities is making a mistake if they do not have the appropriate credentials or a dental license.
Remodeling your face shape, especially for aesthetic reasons, often necessitates oral and maxillofacial surgery. The same applies to chin or jaw surgery to realign an improperly positioned jaw or straighten crooked teeth.
To finish the therapy for misaligned teeth, the patient will need to wear orthodontic tools such as braces or aligners after having teeth straightening surgery. By any stretch of the imagination, there isn’t enough evidence to claim that tongue posture exercises can serve as a replacement for these more traditional forms of therapy. If you have a medical condition or any abnormalities or pain in your teeth or jaw, you should still make an appointment with an orthodontist or a doctor to resolve the issue.
These doubts do not indicate that tongue postures do not have any usefulness from a therapeutic standpoint. Oral devices that hold the tongue in a certain position while the patient sleeps may help some people with sleep disorders breathe better.
Additionally, some present skeptics of orthotropic feel that the notion is not completely outlandish. Many have said it even has the potential to advance jaw surgery in the years to come.
How to do the technique
According to orthotropic, the location of your jaw and tongue that is essential for ideal face contouring is not specified by your genetic make-up. You may overcome this issue with mewing by cultivating an atmosphere that allows your jawline to grow and become more defined.
These are steps on mewing:
- Unwind and press your lips together.
- Tongue placement: With lips and teeth together, push your tongue against the roof of the mouth.
- Repeat these steps as often as possible, as many times as possible.
Your tongue should gradually become accustomed to resting on the roof of the mouth instead of the floor. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can look into exercises that fix how the jaw, face, and chest are positioned.
You can also look at eating tougher foods to help your jawline if you have a smaller jaw. The extra facial and oral posture exercises teach you to position your face and body properly.
Conclusion
Mewing has gained popularity among those who want to improve their respiratory health conditions, correct orthodontic tooth movement, or improve a misaligned jaw. Even though there are some peer-reviewed studies on the problems it aims to solve, it is still an unproven method.
Mewing advocates online may publicly denigrate more traditional practices while showcasing mewing as the media’s alternative to orthognathic surgery. You cannot change the shape of your face without some form of surgical treatment. The scientific evidence around mewing is not sound. It is best to discuss it with your qualified healthcare provider, as they promote understanding.
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