On 6 November 2024 the General Dental Council struck mewing’s main proponent, Mike Mew, off the UK dental register.
⚡ Quick Answer
Mewing is the practice of resting the tongue on the palate to “reshape the jawline”. There are no peer-reviewed studies showing it works on adult facial bones. The British Orthodontic Society and the American Association of Orthodontists both say it is unsupported by evidence. Mike Mew, the orthodontist most associated with it, was struck off the UK dental register by the General Dental Council on 6 November 2024. There are real ideas about nasal breathing and resting tongue posture that hold up – they’re just not what TikTok promises.
On 6 November 2024, the General Dental Council (GDC) struck orthodontist Mike Mew off the UK dental register. His name is synonymous with “mewing” – the technique promoted on TikTok and YouTube as a way to remodel the adult jawline through tongue posture alone. The promises are bold: a sharper jaw, a fixed bite, a transformed face. The regulator’s verdict was less generous. This piece sets out what mewing actually is, what the evidence really shows, the official UK position, the realistic risks of getting it wrong, and where the genuine kernel of useful science about resting tongue posture and nasal breathing actually sits.
What mewing is and where it came from
Mewing involves resting your tongue flat against the roof of the mouth (the palate), with the lips closed and teeth lightly together, while breathing through the nose. It is named after the British orthodontist Dr Mike Mew and his father John Mew, who developed the broader treatment philosophy called “orthotropics”. Orthotropics holds that facial growth can be guided by postural changes.
The technique exploded through social media – especially TikTok and YouTube – and through the wider “looksmaxxing” community where young men in particular share advice on appearance. Proponents claim it can reshape the jawline, improve facial structure, and even fix overbites or underbites in adults. The appeal is obvious: a free, non-surgical, do-it-yourself fix for facial insecurities.
There is, however, a wide gap between what proponents promise and what the UK’s dental regulator and specialist orthodontic bodies actually say.
What the evidence actually shows
The honest answer is that no peer-reviewed studies show mewing reshapes adult facial bones. The whole claim rests on orthotropic theory, which has been heavily critiqued. A 2019 editorial in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery concluded there is no scientific support for the orthotropic claim that tongue posture can re-route facial growth. The American Association of Orthodontists has said the same.
🔬 What the literature says
Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery editorial, 2019 – and the AAO position.
No peer-reviewed studies show mewing reshapes adult facial bones. The American Association of Orthodontists and the British Orthodontic Society independently confirm there is no scientific support. Viral before-and-after photos are best explained by lighting, posing, weight loss, and normal adolescent facial maturation.
The biology explains why. For most people, significant facial bone growth is complete by the late teens. The maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw) fuse and harden through adolescence. The sustained, low-force pressure from the tongue cannot remodel hardened adult bones. Forces capable of altering grown adult bone are far higher and need to be clinically applied over months to years – orthognathic surgery or carefully designed orthodontic appliances, not amateur posture work.
What about the compelling before-and-after photos flooding social media? They are best explained by other things. Lighting and camera angle. Head tilt and shoulder posture. Body fat fluctuation. Normal facial maturation in teenagers (whose faces are still developing). The difference between a relaxed face and a deliberately clenched one. Weight loss alone can dramatically alter how a jawline reads on camera.
The UK regulator position
The official UK stance is unambiguous. Orthotropics is not a recognised dental specialty by the NHS, the General Dental Council (GDC) or the British Orthodontic Society (BOS). John Mew was expelled from the British Orthodontic Society in 2017.
The most decisive action came on 6 November 2024. The GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee erased Mike Mew from the UK dental register. The committee found he had used approaches “not sufficiently supported by scientific evidence” and “liable to cause harm”, and had made misleading statements about the need for treatment. The case driving the erasure was severe – it involved a six-year-old patient whose treatment led to seizure-like episodes.
⚠️ GDC verdict, 6 November 2024
- John Mew expelled from the British Orthodontic Society in 2017.
- Mike Mew struck off the UK dental register on 6 November 2024.
- Approaches found “not sufficiently supported by scientific evidence” and “liable to cause harm”.
- Driving case involved a six-year-old patient with seizure-like episodes.
This is not a UK-only stance, either. The American Association of Orthodontists has issued similar warnings against mewing. The professional consensus is that the theory behind mewing lacks a scientific foundation, and that promoting it as legitimate treatment falls outside accepted standards.
For real bite or jaw concerns, an NHS dentist is the right first port of call – not a viral video.
The risks of doing it badly
Mewing is presented as harmless self-improvement. In practice, doing it with force or obsessive focus carries real risks.
Forcing the tongue into an unnatural or strained position puts uneven pressure on the teeth. Over time, that can contribute to malocclusion – misalignment that can show up as a new or worsened overbite, underbite or open bite.
Excessive jaw clenching to keep the teeth together can trigger temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems – pain, clicking, tension headaches.
Then there is the diagnostic delay risk. Obsessive checking and clenching can mask underlying issues. If you have a real orthodontic problem or a sleep-disordered breathing condition like obstructive sleep apnoea, focusing on mewing may be quietly delaying a proper diagnosis.
There is also a psychological dimension. The endless before-and-after content fits a pattern often associated with body dysmorphic disorder, where minor or perceived flaws become a source of significant distress. The endless scroll can feed an unhealthy fixation rather than fix anything physical.
What is actually true about tongue posture
There is a real kernel of science under the hype – it just is not what mewing influencers are selling.
First, resting the tongue lightly on the palate, lips closed, breathing through the nose, is the natural neutral resting position for most people. It is what your mouth does without conscious effort.
Second, habitual mouth breathing and a persistently low or forward tongue posture in childhood are associated with abnormal craniofacial development. That is a legitimate research area – it is also distinct from the mewing claim that adults can actively reshape bone through posture.
Third, in adults, switching from chronic mouth breathing to nasal breathing has well-evidenced benefits: better sleep quality, less dry mouth (which helps dental hygiene), better exercise tolerance. Those gains come from the breathing change, not from any skeletal remodelling.
Finally, myofunctional therapy is a legitimate, evidence-based treatment delivered by trained speech and language therapists or specialist dentists. It uses targeted exercises for tongue thrust, swallowing problems and selected cases of obstructive sleep apnoea. It is a clinical therapy for specific dysfunctions, not the same thing as DIY mewing for cosmetic jaw changes.
Where to actually get help in the UK
If you have real concerns, the UK system has proper pathways – and they are usually more effective than anything on TikTok.
For a misaligned bite or jaw position: start with your NHS dentist for an initial assessment. If specialist orthodontic treatment is indicated and you are under 18, NHS orthodontics is available under the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) criteria. Adults usually have to go private unless there is a severe clinical need.
For chronic mouth breathing or suspected obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA): see your GP. They can refer you to ENT if nasal blockage is the suspect, or to a sleep clinic. CPAP machines and mandibular advancement devices (a type of dental sleep appliance) are available on the NHS where clinically indicated.
For tongue thrust, swallowing problems, or speech-related issues: ask your GP or dentist for a referral to NHS speech and language therapy. Private myofunctional therapy is also an option – check the practitioner is properly qualified.
If social media content about facial appearance is causing genuine anxiety or compulsive behaviour: speak to your GP. They can refer you to NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT) for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a recognised mental health condition and there is real, evidence-based help for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
⭐ The Bottom Line
No evidence, a struck-off promoter, real risks if pushed too hard.
Mewing as it is sold on social media – the idea that you can reshape the adult jawline through tongue posture – has no scientific backing, and the UK regulator has acted against its main proponent. The genuinely useful ideas underneath (nasal breathing, a neutral resting tongue posture, getting properly assessed for bite or breathing problems) sit firmly inside mainstream dentistry, ENT and speech therapy – not viral TikTok. If you have a real concern about your jaw, your bite or your breathing, an NHS dentist or your GP is the right first stop.
Related reading: General Dental Council · British Orthodontic Society · NHS orthodontics overview
Last updated: 10 May 2026. Regulatory facts taken from the GDC Professional Conduct Committee determination on Michael Gordon Mew (6 November 2024) and the British Orthodontic Society’s published position on orthotropics.
