No clinical evidence that mewing reshapes an adult's jawline

Does mewing work? The short answer

No good evidence shows that mewing reshapes an adult's jawline. A 2025 systematic review of conservative facial-rejuvenation techniques notes in its introduction that research evaluating mewing is sparse and often anecdotal or low-level, and the American Association of Orthodontists says there is no current research suggesting the technique benefits your jawline. ^[2][1] The key caveat: "no proven benefit" is not "harmless" — the AAO also warns that improper tongue pressure can contribute to tooth misalignment, bite problems and jaw-joint (TMJ) pain. ^[1]

Read the full fact-check: Does mewing actually change your jawline?

The number

A 2025 systematic review identified 10,370 papers on conservative facial-rejuvenation techniques in general — not on mewing alone. ^[2] Mewing appears only in the review's introduction, as background: the authors describe it as a tongue-posture practice with purported claims of improved "facial structure, jawline definition, and airway function", and then note the state of the research. ^[2] The review did not itself evaluate whether mewing delivers those changes. The introduction's sentence:

there is a paucity across the literature evaluating the efficacy of mewing in achieving significant aesthetic or functional changes, often relying on anecdotal or low-level evidence

^[2]

What orthodontists say

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), the U.S. professional body for orthodontists, is direct about the jawline claim. ^[1] In its words:

there's no current research that suggests the technique provides any benefit to your jawline or oral health.

^[1]

Its explanation is that facial structure comes from "a complex interplay of genetics, bone growth, and muscle development", so "simply changing tongue placement isn't enough to ... reshape your jawline". ^[1] The AAO statement is summarised on its own page: AAO study page — Is mewing bad for you?.

Mewing can backfire

The AAO also warns that the practice can do harm. ^[1]

Improper tongue pressure can alter how the teeth and jaw align, potentially causing a malocclusion (underbites, overbites, or open bites), temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, and speech difficulties.

^[1]

The origin of the idea

Mewing comes out of "orthotropics", an approach founded by the British orthodontist John Mew — a form of oral posture training that "claims to guide facial growth and is not supported by professional orthodontists" — and the practice is named after him and his son, Mike Mew. ^[5] Mike Mew, then an orthodontist, shared mewing methods on TikTok, and his techniques sparked a trend of people sharing their results on social media. ^[3] He faced a misconduct hearing before the UK's General Dental Council (GDC), held in central London. ^[3]

As DrBicuspid reported in November 2022, the GDC's counsel alleged that two children he treated had normal craniofacial development before treatment and that the treatments were not clinically indicated, and that Mew had failed to properly monitor his patients' treatment; at that stage his representative denied the allegations. ^[3] On 6 November 2024 the GDC's Professional Conduct Committee ordered his erasure from the register, with his registration suspended immediately; the High Court dismissed his appeal on 15 May 2026. ^[4] A professional-conduct case is not a study of whether mewing changes an adult's jaw — that question is answered by the evidence above.

What it does and doesn't establish

What this establishes is an absence of evidence, not much more: the review's introduction notes that research evaluating mewing is sparse and often anecdotal or low-level, and the AAO says there is no current research suggesting a jawline benefit. ^[2][1] It does not license the reverse manosphere claim — that an adult can resculpt finished facial bone for free. And "no proven benefit" is not the same as "harmless": the American Association of Orthodontists warns that improper tongue pressure can cause tooth misalignment, bite problems and TMJ pain. ^[1]

Keep reading

• Full fact-check: Does mewing actually change your jawline?
• The orthodontic position: AAO — Is mewing bad for you?
• Definitions: mewing, looksmaxxing, hunter eyes and hardmaxxing
• The wider scene: the looksmaxxing community