My understanding of the role of the buccinators in chewing is holding the food bolus in position for the teeth to grind up. The tongue can take on some of this function, for example repositioning a piece of gum. However, I think it's not too much of a concern, and if you master correct swallowing technique it will reduce buccinator activation enough to accentuate cheek hollows. I've also wondered if swishing motions for example rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth or the myofunctional exercises where you fill your cheeks up with air and push it from side to side also activate the buccinators and should be avoided.

I developed hollow cheeks while doing lots of chewing so I don't think you have to worry about it. The one catch is that I was doing open mouth chewing, basically you chew without keeping your lips sealed.

There's a thread about it on this forum:

/community/community/main-forum/open-mouth-chewing/

You can also check out the youtube competitive eater Matt Stonie who chews for a living. In his latest videos his buccinators are much more slim and atrophied (even though his job is to be a competitive eater) compared to his older videos. I don't know if he ever said that he started mewing or chewing certain gums but I bet that he found the info somewhere and put it into practice. Also it looks like he is doing more open mouth chewing in his newer videos as well.

So it's definitely possible to develop hollow cheeks while doing lots of chewing. The catch might be having to do open mouth chewing.

also, might it be good to consider possible health risks of over chewing? 

https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-2787,00.html

My ex had wonderful bone structure. Hollow cheeks. Gorgeous.

She could sleep on her back with proper lip seal and as be still as if in a coffin as well! So the airway was clearly good. Never snored, nothing. 

well. Her chewing habit was often chewing with mouth open. Full range of motion.

So there’s maybe something to this all! That’s supporting evidence I have to offer.

Now I once asked her about her chewing technique specifically the  tongue (sneaky sneaky). I wanted to figure it his out 

sorta thought about it and replied yes would bring the tongue up against the palate after each chewing motion. If that helps anyone. 

So there is a correlation there; that is what I thought of. 

That's interesting about the tongue. Maybe the palate is supposed to be a surface to mash food against. That's probably what Mew was getting at when he posted his tongue chewing video. I think I've been doing that (using my tongue to mash up food against my palate) a bit more and more often ever since watching that video. Also good to see that she was doing open mouth chewing too. I really think it is legitimate and the proper way to chew.

Agreed. Open mouth chewing is advantageous. Tongue chewing seems a good utilization of all the concepts, but it isn’t as applicable with all foods. 

Now just to undo the social programming about open mouth chewing in public.. (half-joking.)

but in me I do notice undoing my habits and breaking down the programming is difficult regarding how much I chew, how thoroughly, swallow pattern. There are Times I still slip up!

this is arguably an important addition.

Open mouth chewing is best for achieving our goals, i do believe it. And so public perception shouldn’t get in the way of that goal, up to a point

It’s just going to be a matter of being discerning about it. Yes whilst eating lunch in the park. Perhaps not so much with friends? 

To each their own

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Buccinators are not activated any less by keeping your mouth open. I have hollowed my cheeks significantly and with almost no OMC . Anatomically opening the mouth would affect the orbicularis not the buccinator