Mewing (orthotropics)

Mewing is an unproven form of oral posture training purported to improve jaw and facial structure.^[1] It was named after Mike and John Mew, British orthodontists who created the technique as a part of a practice called "orthotropics".^[2][3] It involves placing one's tongue at the roof of the mouth and applying pressure, with the intended result of changing the structure of the jaws.^[4][5]

A diagram illustrating the positioning of the tongue in normal oral posture (left) and mewing (right)

No credible scientific research has ever proven the efficacy of orthotropics,^[2] and most orthodontists do not view mewing as a viable alternative treatment to orthognathic surgery.^[1][6] Mike Mew was expelled from the British Orthodontic Society^[2] and faced a misconduct hearing for posing harm to child patients who underwent his treatments.^[7][8] In 2024, Mew was struck from the dental register in the United Kingdom.^[3]

Since 2019, mewing has received widespread media coverage due to its virality on social media,^[9] especially in incel and looksmaxxing subcultures.^[2][10] Data from Google Trends indicates that interest in "mewing" began to rise in January 2019.^[1] Its popularity has reportedly also affected school students, with some apparently mewing in class to avoid answering questions when prompted by teachers.^[11][12]

See also

• Facial toning