Mewing (orthotropics)

Mewing is a form of oral posture training purported to improve jaw and facial structure.[1] It was named after Mike and John Mew, the controversial British orthodontists who created the technique as a part of a practice called "orthotropics".[2] It involves placing one's tongue at the roof of the mouth and applying pressure, with the aim of changing the structure of the jaws.[3][4] No credible scientific research has ever proven the efficacy of orthotropics.[2]

Many orthodontists believe that mewing lacks evidence as a viable alternative treatment to orthognathic surgery.[1][5] Mike Mew was expelled from the British Orthodontic Society,[2] and faces a misconduct hearing for posing harm to child patients who underwent his treatments.[6][7] While Mike Mew has disparaged traditional orthodontics,[6] his orthotropic treatments for young children cost £12,500 for 36 months, and involve the wearing of headgear, neckgear, and expansion appliances in the mouth.[7]

Since 2019, mewing has received widespread media coverage due to its virality on social media,[8] especially in incel and looksmaxxing subcultures.[2][9] Data from Google Trends indicates that interest in "Mewing" began to rise in January 2019.[1] According to a 2024 article in The Independent, some school teachers say that students gesture to their jawline to indicate that they are mewing and do not wish to answer questions.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lee, Urie K.; Graves, Lindsay L.; Friedlander, Arthur H. (1 September 2019). "Mewing: Social Media's Alternative to Orthognathic Surgery?". Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 77 (9): 1743–1744. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2019.03.024. ISSN 0278-2391. PMID 31005620.
  2. ^ a b c d Brennan, William (28 December 2020). "How Two British Orthodontists Became Celebrities to Incels". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 June 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  3. ^ Yasharoff, Hannah. "People on TikTok are 'mewing.' Experts weigh in on this controversial beauty hack". USA Today. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  4. ^ Millhone, Carley (7 February 2023). "Should You Try Mewing? Here's What the Research Says". Health.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  5. ^ Rekawek, Peter; Wu, Brendan; Hanna, Todd (2021). "Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Procedures, Social Media, and Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery: Use of Trends for the Modern Practice". Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 79 (4): 739–740. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2020.10.038. ISSN 0278-2391. PMID 33259784.
  6. ^ a b Media, P. A. (14 November 2022). "Orthodontist advised treatment with risk of harm to children, tribunal told". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  7. ^ a b Rufo, Yasmin (5 April 2023). "Mike Mew: Dental treatment boy had 'seizure-like episodes'". Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  8. ^ McClinton, Dream (21 March 2019). "Mewing: what is the YouTube craze that claims to reshape your face?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  9. ^ Rosdahl, Dr Jamilla (31 January 2024). "'Looksmaxxing' is the disturbing TikTok trend turning young men into incels". The Conversation. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  10. ^ "What is the 'mewing' trend? Why teachers are hitting back at classroom craze". The Independent. 19 March 2024. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.