Have you heard about Mewing? This trendy exercise has gained increasing popularity through social media posts, online forums, and YouTube videos. They are exercises that work the tongue and facial muscles to change the position of the tongue and even alter your facial appearance. Guess what? Mewing actually is not anything new. It’s rooted in science. The North American Association of Facial Orthotropics wants to educate you on Orthotropics®, which is the basis for Mewing.

Mewing’s popularity and how it works.

It’s probably no coincidence that Mewing is accredited to a physician named Dr. Mike Mew, a British orthodontist. Practitioners and supporters of Mewing believe the exercises alter the position of the tongue and thus can change the appearance of the facial features as well as the jawline, making it appear more defined, physically attractive, as well as looking thinner. The idea behind Mewing is that this change in tongue position can provide relief for jaw pain and even snoring.

Mewing entails relaxing the tongue and then placing it flat against the roof of the mouth. This exercise should be performed and repeated on a regular basis. Mewing also helps to realign teeth and make the jaw more defined. For many, Mewing goes against the poor habit of relaxing the tongue away from the roof of the mouth when at rest. But your tongue muscles correct themselves with the repetition of the exercise. In time, placing the tongue against the roof of the mouth will become an unconscious habit.

Mewing is based on Orthotropics®.

Dr. John Mew is considered the founding father of Orthotropics®, a method of treatment that seeks to encourage ideal facial growth. Developed in the 1970s, Orthotropics® uses oral appliance therapy to encourage upper jaw expansion and horizontal growth of both upper and lower jaws. A course of Orthotropics® treatment can begin in children as young as the age of 5 years old and tends to reap the greatest benefits for kids between the ages of 5 and 10.

One of the goals of Orthotropics® is to achieve the ideal rest oral posture. This means that, if you are not eating or speaking, your orofacial system should be at rest with the mouth closed, teeth closed, and the tongue resting gently against the roof of the mouth. Does that seem familiar? Because the goals of Orthotropics® are the same as Mewing.

By establishing this optimum rest oral posture, you enjoy several health and lifestyle benefits. You breathe through your nose, as recommended, rather than through the mouth. This encourages higher oxygen levels in the blood and cuts down on snoring. In children, Orthotropics® using oral appliances encourage wider dental arches and optimum development of the facial structure. The child is less likely to develop alignment issues with their bite and jaw. They also can maintain a wide and open airway, lowering their risk of developing a sleep breathing disorder such as sleep apnea.

Achieving optimum rest oral posture also can undo any damage or negative changes to the facial structure that occurred when this posture was incorrect. A successful course of Orthotropics® treatment overseen by a practitioner with experience and training in this method can produce results similar to undergoing jaw surgery to correct alignment problems.

Orthotropics also can correct a wide array of negative oral habits including:

  • Thumb and/or finger sucking
  • Tongue thrust
  • Anterior open bite (the clinical term for the front teeth’s failure to touch when the mouth is closed)
  • Orofacial myofunctional disorder, stemming from a malfunction of the muscles of the face and mouth
  • Difficulties chewing or swallowing
  • Narrow dental arches

If you’re interested in Mewing, you should consider Orthotropics®.

With Mewing becoming an online craze, more and more Orthotropics® practitioners are receiving calls from interested patients just like you. They’ve read about Mewing in online forums. They’ve seen the videos on YouTube of people performing the exercises. They’ve seen the dramatic before-and-after photographic evidence. Are you ready to learn more about Orthotropics® and how it can help you or your child? The first step is to find a medical professional with the knowledge and experience to oversee treatment methods of this type. Just visit the website of the North American Association of Facial Orthotropics at orthotropics-na.org to find a practitioner near you. You also can send an email to [email protected].