It wasn’t until a dentist named Dr. Mike Mew came along that I even thought about exercising the facial muscles to help the alignment of the head and neck. I thought it was up to the orthodontists only to align the teeth and open up the mouth. It is important to have strong facial muscles to keep the mouth and airways open for easier breathing and keep the teeth in alignment and his exercises can help do that. His technique, called Mewing, can change the structure of your face for the better by expanding the palate and moving the lower jaw forward. Photos online show the changes and a picture is worth a thousand words. This photo is after 12 months of daily Mewing.
By doing the Mewing exercises it strengthens certain facial muscles and expands the mouth. A wider mouth is important for better nose breathing because the base of the sinuses is the roof of the mouth. Trust me, it’s all connected. Unfortunately I don’t think Mewing will help everyone but I do think it’s for some people. If you want better facial features, help with snoring, help with sleep apnea, or if you suffer from COPD or asthma then let’s analyze your jaw at your next visit to see if Mewing can help you. Mewing is 4 daily exercises:
1. Tongue posture
It’s important your tongue puts pressure on a specific part of the roof of your mouth when the mouth is at rest. At rest the tip of my tongue is in the right place but my tongue should be touching as much of the palate as possible with a slight suction. The tip of the tongue should be right where the roof of the mouth begins on the arch behind the front upper teeth. The suction and pressure should not be too much for the mouth is at rest. Try to hold this tongue posture 100% of the time. To confirm exactly where your tongue should be do a big smile for 5 seconds and then swallow. This action will put your tongue in place. This position should be where the tongue is at rest with mouth closed as you breathe in and out of your nose with your molars gently resting on each other. If your tongue is fat and wide, you might have difficulty initially, but over time, with practice, you’ll be able to do it effortlessly.
It is when we are tired we let our jaw drop and our mouth opens. The goal is not to do this but to really train the mouth and jaw to stay closed. This, however slight pressure, is constant and is enough to make a change. That’s how braces and retainers work, constant slight pressure.
2. Proper swallowing
Take the time to chew your food into mush. I don’t care if it’s 6 chews or 36 chews. It all depends on what you are eating. As long as it’s chewed well that’s what matters. Digestion starts in the mouth with your saliva breaking down carbohydrates. If this is done well in the mouth then there is less stress on the stomach to digest. Once the food is chewed well then swallow correctly. A good swallow uses the tongue more than we are used to. Collect what you want to swallow and then by pulling it towards the back of the mouth it create a wave motion that continues down the throat as you keep a suction with the front of the tongue to the roof of the mouth.
3. Lots of chewing
Dr. Mew actually suggests large masses of gum chewing to help create strong masseter muscles on the side of the face where the jaw joints are. A lot of people tend to hold tension in the jaw and grind at night so they overwork these muscles already. A lot of times as a chiropractor I help open up the mouth more by releasing the tight masseter muscles. This step might not be for everyone. If you have jaw pain you will want to skip this step. If this step will help you I do suggest chewing Pur gum that you can find at Whole Foods or online for the healthiest gum.
4. McKenzie Chin tuck
I use this exercise as a chiropractor to help create a better shape of the neck. I use it when people hold their head too far forward. This helps pull the head back in alignment. Find the back of the skull where it meets the neck and you want to pull that part up as you tuck in your chin as far back as it will go. Yes, give yourself as many double chins as possible and hold 30 seconds doing 5 rounds twice a day. You know you are in the right place when the middle of the ear is right over the middle of the shoulder.
If you do decide to try it and work consistently at it you should see a slight improvement after a month. Remember to take before and after photos because the change is slow. If there is no change after a month the technique may not be for you. Great results can take up to a year. Using this Mew technique we apply pressure to certain parts of the jaw and mouth stimulating new bone to grow and the face structure to change for the better, less wrinkles and an increase in bone density. It's easier to gain bone density the younger you are but I have seen changes of people in their 70s, but just like watching your hair grow, it takes time. You need to commit to the daily pressure to make the changes and luckily Mewing can be done anywhere easily.
For a video of Dr. Armitstead explaining Mewing: https://youtu.be/XBngYI2Tt8c
