Hey guys. I've been researching orthotropics for a while and have experimented with things like facepulling. Mewing seems to be the cornerstone of this field, but I've always left it off to the side. Until reading all of the compelling anecdotes on this forum. Spent a few hours reading back thru all 1700 some odd posts. Extremely helpful and well informed community you've got here.
Anyways, I began mewing and general tongue strengthening two weeks ago but have been maintaining the posture without closing my teeth. See, I realized that several years ago I developed this habit of subtly jutting my jaw and lightly sucking in the outer corners of my lips. Doing this has made my facial structure look somewhat more attractive, as it gives the appearance of better jaw projection and more chin height, while also pulling some buccal fat inwards to conceal it. So when I read about jaw closure being necessary for proper mewing, I went to see how the whole thing looked in a mirror. I haven't really clenched my jaw in years. But right away I felt incredibly ugly as my chin looks very short, weak, and recessed in this position. Face also appeared fatter as well. I'm the only member of my family with such a poor lower third. I would attribute that namely to development, as most of my teenage years were spent anorexic and likely in a nutrient deficient state. On top of that I was a chronic mouth breather until age 21 (23 now).
So I'm quite unsure of what to do. My main reason for mewing is palate expansion + potential forward growth + asymmetry correction. Now of course the reason we want these things is to improve attractiveness. But I look much less attractive when not performing this strange posture I've developed for myself. I hadn't even realized it until just now. All this time I've been wondering why I look so terrible while smiling or talking, and it's because those things force me out of the position I otherwise maintain. I could of course mew when I'm outside of social environments, which is most of my day, but I wonder if it would be counter productive to alternate between such different postures.
My advice to anyone who is looking to start correcting their tongue posture and bite is to get a basic understanding of their condition. Why? because it's possible that all your effort might go to waist. If you have a very narrow upper arch for example chances are you can't expand it with tongue posturing alone. The tongue just can't find enough space to squeeze in there and do it's job.
Therefore, I recommend finding a good orthodontist to examine you. Have the doctor provide you with a medical description of your case and most importantly take impressions of your teeth. Use them to measure your correct inter-molar width. All this information can help you develop better expectation for what you are about to start.
my story: http://www.aljabri.com/blog/my-story/
While these illusionary postures you've assumed will look better in the short run, the unfortunate reality is they will only further cause your facial structure to deteriorate. The force from your lower jaw projecting into your upper jaw is pivotal for proper skull development. It pushes your face up and forwards and serves as the bedrock for good tongue posture.
My advice: Swallow the red pill and mew properly along with gum chewing and practicing chin tucks. It will serve you better in the long run.
And yeah, what's your intermolar width? Mew states:
"Important note; modern adults (or anyone over the age of 9) tend to have a molar width of 29 to 34mm. Anyone with 35 to 38mm will find it much easier but still very hard to make progressive improvements without any formal therapy, and as a rule of thumb when I finish therapy any one who can maintain 38mm or more without retainers tends to maintain good alignment almost indefinitely, with a minimal effort. During childrens treatment expand to 42mm for a girl and 44mm for a boy, clearly some of this is tipping of the molars. Ancient man had an inter-molar width in the high 40's to low 50's"
While these illusionary postures you've assumed will look better in the short run, the unfortunate reality is they will only further cause your facial structure to deteriorate. The force from your lower jaw projecting into your upper jaw is pivotal for proper skull development. It pushes your face up and forwards and serves as the bedrock for good tongue posture.
My advice: Swallow the red pill and mew properly along with gum chewing and practicing chin tucks. It will serve you better in the long run.
And yeah, what's your intermolar width? Mew states:
"Important note; modern adults (or anyone over the age of 9) tend to have a molar width of 29 to 34mm. Anyone with 35 to 38mm will find it much easier but still very hard to make progressive improvements without any formal therapy, and as a rule of thumb when I finish therapy any one who can maintain 38mm or more without retainers tends to maintain good alignment almost indefinitely, with a minimal effort. During childrens treatment expand to 42mm for a girl and 44mm for a boy, clearly some of this is tipping of the molars. Ancient man had an inter-molar width in the high 40's to low 50's"
I'm not sure. Is there any way to measure accurately without an impression? I seem to have enough space for my tongue but my maxilla is quite asymmetrical. I think this originates in the palate, because on my recessed side the palate is narrower and the tongue has a tendency to drift towards the other side due to lack of space. I'm actually finding it very difficult to mew correctly while keeping the mouth fully closed. The tongue gets bitten if I try to apply pressure on the narrower side (where I need it most). Seems like I need a mechanical expander
Mewing improved my lower third in a manner of months. Your posture frauding on the other hand is just that. Keep doing it, but realize it essentially gets you nowhere .
yeah, dude. grab a tailors tape and a mirror. anything within a couple of mm is fine
looks like it's in the upper 30s. But when I mew I feel it more in the left side of my face because of palate asymmetry. And my right side is really what needs the improvement.
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