Mewing Overbite

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Some people with an overbite (who also mew) have stated that mewing has made their overbite worse. On the other hand, some say that mewing has reduced their overbite.

You can mew with an overbite, but you should do so with assistance from a dental expert. Mewing opens your maxilla and could drive it forward. But it doesn’t implement an equivalent amount of expansion for the lower jaw, making your overbite worse.

An overbite is a problem that you can fix through professional guidance. There are tools to fix an overbite that work much better than mewing. A dentist or an orthodontist can offer these solutions.

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What is an Overbite?

Overbites are also known as buck teeth or malocclusion. It’s a misalignment of the teeth that have ranging severity.

Nonetheless, there are people who’ve decided to live with buck teeth, like the late rock icon Freddie Mercury.

Others may prefer to fix their overbite for cosmetic purposes. Still, others may require treatment to avoid difficulties, such as damage to other teeth, gums, or the tongue from accidental biting.

The cause, severity, and symptoms play a part in how you should manage buck teeth.

What Causes an Overbite?

Overbites are often hereditary. Jaw shape, like other physical traits, can be passed down through generations. Childhood habits, such as thumb-sucking and pacifier use, are some other potential reasons for overbites.

Here are other reasons someone has an overbite:

Overbite from Thumb-sucking

For sure, your parents warned you that sucking your thumb could cause overbite. And they’re actually telling the truth.

Thumb-sucking is related to non-nutritive sucking behavior (NNSB). This means that the sucking motion isn’t giving any nutrition as it would from nursing.

When this lasts past the age of 3 or 4 or while the permanent teeth are developing, the pressure produced by the sucking and the finger can cause the permanent teeth to develop at an abnormal angle.

Use of Pacifier

Sucking on a pacifier is another method of NNSB. It can also cause an overbite the same process that sucking on a thumb can.

According to a study released in 2016 in the Journal of the American Dental Association, pacifier use was linked with a higher risk of acquiring malocclusions than thumb-sucking.

Tongue-thrusting

Tongue-thrust happens when the tongue pushes too far forward in the mouth. While this normally results in a malocclusion known as “open bite,” it can also sometimes produce an overbite.

This condition is typically found in children, but it can also carry on into adulthood.

It can be caused by different things, such as chronically swollen adenoids or tonsils and poor swallowing practices. In adults, stress usually leads to them pushing their tongue during sleep.

Genetics

Few people are born with a misaligned jaw. An overbite or protruding front teeth are often hereditary, and your parents, siblings, or other relatives may also possess a similar trait.

Missing, Extra, and Impacted Teeth

Spacing or crowding can alter the alignment of your front teeth, including overbite.

Missing teeth leave your remaining teeth to move over time, altering the position of your front teeth. On the other hand, not having adequate space to accommodate your teeth can also cause alignment issues. Crowding can happen when you’re having extra teeth or impacted teeth.

Tumors and Cysts of the Mouth or Jaw

Tumors and cysts in the mouth or jaw can alter its shape and the alignment of your teeth. This occurs when swelling or growth is kept on either soft or bony tissue in the upper section of your mouth or jaw. This can cause your teeth to move forward.

Tumors and cysts in the oral cavity or jaw can also produce pain, lumps, and sores.

Health Risks of Having an Overbite

If left untreated, an overbite could create significant health difficulties. These include irreparable harm to teeth due to the abnormal placement and jaw pain like temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ).

Other overbite complications include:

Tooth decay, gum disease, and worn tooth enamel
Jaw pain
Severe headaches
Discomfort or pain while eating
Difficulty with fully opening or closing the mouth
Sleep apnea
Speech impediments
Breathing problems
Changes in the appearance of the face

An untreated overbite could also dramatically change facial construction, which can impact your self-esteem. If an overbite in early childhood is severe and left untreated, the aesthetic deterioration could take place as early as pre-pubescence.

How to Fix an Overbite?

Usually, a dentist will refer a patient with an overbite to an orthodontist for clinical treatment.

Children with overbite are easier to treat because a child’s jaw is still in the developmental stages. For children and teens, the most common concern is the crowding of teeth in the mouth. For several adults with overbite issues, the lack of preventative treatment early in life has led to the more severe indications connected with overbites.

In either case, the orthodontist or dentist will inspect the area and write up a treatment method that can last for up to two years or longer.

Initial x-rays will be needed to determine the nature of the overbite. It also helps identify the relationship between the teeth and the jaw, which is vital in knowing the best treatment.

Here are some methods your orthodontist or dentist may prescribe in correcting an overbite issue:

Children and Teens

Making room for permanent teeth to grow by removing your baby teeth.
Growth modification tool (used best during growth spurts) helps to better place the jaw
Braces gradually move the teeth to improve the overbite and the jaw
Retainers are a tool used post-braces that assist to keep the teeth in place

Adults

Braces only move the teeth to correct an overbite
Teeth extraction is done in very severe overbite problems to allow the teeth more freedom to move.
Jaw problems for skeletal-type overbites can only be fixed with surgery for adults.

If your overbite is causing problems, it’s necessary to make an appointment with your orthodontist or oral surgeon for treatment. Either way, the best approach to prevent dental problems from occurring is to make sure you visit a dentist early and often.

It is prescribed for children to get a checkup by age 7 for the apprehension of an overbite. Adults must get regular dental checkups every six to twelve months. This is to ensure early intervention and avoid the possibly severe physical consequences of leaving an overbite untreated.

Mewing With an Overbite

There is an ongoing debate regarding mewing with an overbite.

Few people on the internet claim that mewing has made their overbite worse, while others claim the other way around. But what happens is that mewing extends the roof of the mouth and drives it up and forward.

While there are variations also made to the mandible or the lower jaw, it’s not actually for fixing an overbite. That’s because the maxilla should be pushed forward with mewing. So, it is incredibly essential to get another approach to fix your overbite.

Mewing does push the lower jaw upward. But the main assumption of mewing itself focuses on the roof of the mouth. Thus, the transformations happening to the lower part are not enough.

Also, keep in mind that these modifications take years and hard mewing would move the maxilla quicker than the mandible can keep up with it.

Mewing with an overbite also introduces some difficulties. For instance, people who have overbites might have trouble swallowing or closing their mouths. Both of these things are essential in mewing correctly.

If you have an overbite, then it will be harder to mew properly. Additionally, people who have profound overbites could have a smaller palate. Having a palate that is large enough to meet your tongue is necessary for mewing. Without it, mewing precisely would not be achievable.

What is “Mewing”?

Mewing is a do-it-yourself facial restructuring procedure concerning tongue placement, named after Dr. Mike Mew, a British orthodontist.

While the process of mewing seems to have exploded on social media, mewing itself isn’t technically new.

Proper tongue arrangement is approved by some orthodontists and other medical professionals as a method to define the jaw, correct speech impediments, and potentially relieve pain from jaw-related issues.

Despite the hype, mewing still carries a lot of flaws and may not work as you might see on a YouTube video. If you have medical concerns about your mouth and jaw, you’re better off consulting a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Does Mewing Work?

Mewing is all about determining how to reposition your tongue into a new resting place.

Supporters of the procedure consider that, over time, your tongue position will improve your overall facial characteristics, most notably the jawline. People also believe that mewing may help relieve jaw pain and grant relief from snoring.

Mewing is deemed to accomplish by creating your jawline more defined, which can further develop your face and possibly make it look thinner.

While Dr. Mew is recognized for popularizing the procedure on the internet, these exercises weren’t actually designed by the orthodontist. A quick search on YouTube will direct you to videos of others who have tried the procedure and have purportedly gotten results. There are several videos that debunk the craze, too.

Advocates of mewing also believe that it isn’t the exercise that transforms your face, but rather the lack of mewing that can transform your jawline for the worse. It could even possibly implement restorative techniques for children with tongue posture problems that might lead to irregular bites and speech problems, as discussed in one study.

On the other hand, experts worry that individuals who require surgery or orthodontic work might mistakenly try mewing instead to help correct any issues on their own.

How to Mew?

Mewing is the procedure of straightening out your tongue against the roof of the mouth. Over time, the practice is said to help realign your teeth and fix your jawline.

To correctly mew, you must rest your tongue and make sure it’s completely against the roof of your mouth, including the rear of the tongue.

This will likely demand a lot of work since you’re used to relaxing your tongue away from the roof of the mouth. Over time, your muscles will learn how to place your tongue in the exact mewing form so it becomes second nature. In fact, it’s advised that you mew all the time, even when drinking liquids.

There is a catch with DIY mewing, though. It may take years to notice results.

Maxillofacial deformities are typically improved with surgery or orthodontics. So you shouldn’t assume that you can immediately correct any issues on your own by mewing.

One study examined tongue resting positions to see if any muscle groups were employed as a predictor of long-term memory. In this instance, researchers discovered that the 33 people in the study didn’t exhibit any signs of altered muscle activity.

Should You be Mewing with an Overbite?

Absolutely! Mewing will help you fix your tongue placement. It will also help you breathe properly and get your facial composition in line. However, mewing is not magical and it doesn’t alter the face right away.

Based upon your age, genetics, and other factors, it can take at least six month to see any results. Thus, when having an overbite, you should consult a dentist. You can also opt for a traditional orthodontic procedure.

Final Thoughts

While not essentially dangerous, there’s not sufficient evidence available to support the mewing craze for re-shaping your jawline. If you have any disorders or cosmetic concerns in the jaw area, consult your doctor to discuss treatment options.

You can still try to practice mewing, but be prepared to obtain little to no results. Until mewing is correctly investigated as an orthodontic solution, there’s no guarantee that it will work.

Mewing with an overbite has some uncertainties to it. But, when done properly, you should have no problem. The critical part is to acquire additional dental care to fix your overbite. Don’t expect mewing to correct your overbite because that likely won’t occur.

Don’t even try to do hard mewing. Taking professional help for your overbite will go further than attempting to fix it with mewing.

It is also essential to do mewing correctly. Some features of having an overbite could undermine your ability to mew correctly, which can worsen your condition. And mewing incorrectly could do much more injury than good.

Examine your options and be assured that you are performing all the safety precautions you can. After all, you don’t want to end up like those people who just worsen their overbites.

What are you struggling with?