Everyone is raving about jaw exercises — mewing, chin-ups, and other devices — and they claim to define your jaw and give you the ‘lethal face card’ if you will. But, from a dental point of view, are jaw exercises bad for your teeth? In this blog, we will talk about the effects of jaw exercises and whether they are good for you. Continue reading to learn more!
Common Jaw Exercises
There are many jaw exercises that are popular at the moment. These include the following:
- Chin-ups: It involves lifting your chin up and swallowing while placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth and repeating.
- Mewing: This popular exercise involves closing your lips and sucking the tongue to the roof of the mouth while your top and bottom teeth touch.
- Chewing: Chewing is basically just chewing on crunchy vegetables or fruits, such as apples, to improve jaw strength, but make sure not to overdo it.
Always consult a professional before trying out jaw exercises or jaw exercise devices!
Jaw Exercises and TMJ Disorder
Temporomandibular joint disorder refers to the conditions that occur due to the pain and dysfunction of the jaw joint and muscles that are responsible for controlling the jaw movement. If you have issues with your TMJ, it is better to consult your oral healthcare provider about the exercises — it is not always helpful to follow the crowd!
Mewing, especially if you do not do it correctly or overdo it, can place undue stress on your TMJ. As a result, you might experience pain, problems with jaw movement, and clicking sounds when you open or close your mouth. Therefore, never try anything new without consulting a professional!
Are Jaw Exercises Harmful for Your Teeth?
You might notice a difference when you are performing jaw exercises, but it is always important to do it in moderation. These techniques can actually have an effect on your oral health and jaw functions, especially if you do them incorrectly or too much.
According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), mewing is actually not recommended. This is because they caution against any exercise or attempt that moves your teeth or aligns your jaw without the supervision of an orthodontist. Prolonged pressure on your teeth by using techniques that improperly force your tongue into unnatural positions might lead to undesirable effects. Furthermore, it can result in disrupted tooth alignment, make bite problems worse, and require a complicated treatment.
Improving Your Jawline with Professional Help
While jaw exercises will not change your jaw structure, orthodontic treatment and a healthy lifestyle, among other options, might just do the job. The orthodontist or dental specialist can start treatment for severe abnormalities at a young age to intercept the problem. Moreover, braces and other orthodontic appliances could come in handy if needed. Professional dental treatment will help give you straighter teeth and create a healthy relationship between your upper and lower arches.
Other than this, eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis will help you maintain a healthy body weight, reducing fat from your face, which might define your jaw more.
What’s Next?
Jaw exercises might improve the appearance of your jawline slightly, but they can be detrimental to your teeth and TMJ disorder. Therefore, it is important to consult a dental expert before you jump on the trend and try out a new device or exercise!
Whole Health Dental Center is here to provide holistic dental solutions and improve your dental health. Talk to us today at (703) 385-6425.