As an orthotropic specialist and full-stack developer who has spent years researching facial structure and growth, I‘m thrilled to walk you through the #1 exercise to expand your narrow palate naturally.
Proper oral posture is crucial for allowing our faces to develop to their fullest genetic potential. By understanding how to properly position our tongues and strengthen the muscles of our jaws and cheeks, we can guide the growth of our palates and arches to be broad and wide. This is the essence behind "mewing".
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll cover:
- What mewing is and its immense benefits
- The implications of having a narrow, high palate
- Step-by-step instructions for the #1 exercise to expand your palate
- Tips to engage your cheeks and tongue for proper technique
- Timeline and milestones to expect
- Troubleshooting common mewing issues
- Complementary habits for facial development
- Concluding thoughts and next steps
So if you‘re looking to unlock the health and aesthetic perks of realigning your oral posture through mewing, you’ve come to the right place! Let‘s get started.
What is Mewing and Why It Matters
Mewing refers to proper oral posture and resting tongue position based on the teachings of British orthotropic specialist Dr. John Mew. The term was popularized through his son Dr. Mike Mew’s YouTube lectures and expertise.
It essentially comes down to ensuring your tongue rests on the roof of your mouth (the palate). More specifically, the tip of the tongue should touch right behind the front teeth, while the back of the tongue lifts to meet the soft palate above it.
When this posture is maintained consistently overtime, it allows our palates to expand naturally. The tongue acts as a natural “orthodontic appliance” gently putting pressure against the roof of the mouth. As Dr. Mike says, by mewing properly “the tongue does all the work”.
The benefits of mewing with an expanded palate are immense:
- Aesthetic improvements like a widened smile, better cheekbone projection, reduced double chin, straight teeth, and forward facial growth
- Respiratory improvements like reduced nasal congestion and optimal nasal breadth
- Enhanced sleep quality
- Proper swallowing pattern without the tongue thrusting forward
- Overall oral health and function
So in summary, mewing reinforces nature’s intended resting position for the tongue which stimulates natural development of broad facial structure. It taps into our genetic potential established during childhood growth.
Now let’s explore why a narrow, high palate is problematic in adulthood – and how we can expand it naturally through mewing exercises like the #1 I’ll teach shortly.
The Problem: Implications of a Narrow Palate
During childhood, our skulls consist mainly of soft cartilaginous tissues with flexibility for growth. The palate specifically develops rapidly between ages 3-6.
But modern lifestyles often sabotage this – excessive pacifier use, mouth breathing during adenoid/tonsil infections, allergies or sleep disordered breathing, tongue thrusting, and inadequate chewing force are all risk factors for developing a narrow palate.
Without proper oral posture and function in youth, the result is often:
1. A high-arched, narrow palate
Also termed a Gothic arch palate referring to the steep, “U” shape. This reduces surface area limiting tongue space.
2. Variable degrees of malocclusion
Meaning a misaligned bite where the upper front teeth flare inwards and lower front teeth flare outwards. This prevents the posterior teeth from fitting properly together.
3. Constricted nasal airways
With the palate forming the floor of the nasal cavity, a narrow arch reduces nasal volume and airflow capacity. This mouth breathes to varying degrees.
The problem is – by adulthood, the skull bones have fused together meaning skeletal expansion is near impossible without surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion with palate-splitting devices.
While mewing aims to guide some skeletal expansion overtime in adolescents…as adults, tissue adaptations via sutural remodeling are relatively modest. Adults have limited growth potential – BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS we absolutely can achieve dental arch expansion and tissue remodelling for big aesthetic and functional improvements!
So read on to understand exactly how and let’s get into this #1 Orofacial Myofunctional Exercise for expanding narrow palates naturally via mewing…
The #1 Exercise for Expanding Your Palate
To summarize, we want to:
- Activate all the muscles of oral posture – chiefly the tongue
- Guide bone remodelling via light, continuous pressure against the maxilla
- Allow adaptive tilting of teeth within the bone
Rather than pushes against the palatal shelves from fixed appliances like rapid palatal expanders, think lifting force from muscle engagement.
The #1 exercise to achieve this is:
Modified “Naked Mewing”
It works by strengthening the tongue to be the dominant muscular force – strong enough to lift against the downward pressure of tight cheek muscles. This guides teeth to naturally tilt outwards while also expanding the underlying bone.
Follow along in these step-by-step instructions:
1. Stand confidently in front of a mirror to observe your oral posture.
Ensure you have adequate lighting and a close-up view of your mouth.
2. Part your lips gently.
Relax your lower jaw downwards with the back teeth slightly apart – imagine holding a small grape in your mouth.
3. Press your thumb pads against the corners of your lips on either side.
Gently tug outwards to release tension – you’ll immediately observe your lower arch width increases with the front incisors tilting outwards! That is dental expansion taking place.
4. Slowly slide your thumbs further back along your cheeks towards your molars.
Continue applying light pressure while advancing your thumbs in a sweeping motion over the buccal surfaces of teeth.
You’ll feel the cheek tension lifting as teeth adopt better alignment simply by reducing restrictive forces from the buccinators. Keep thumbs angled slightly inwards towards midline.
5. Now slide the tip of your tongue slowly along the palate – from incisive papilla behind front teeth all the way to the soft palate.
The middle and back third of your tongue should lift upwards, contacting the ridges along the entire hard and soft palate.
6. Maintain this posture for 2-3 minutes while breathing slowly through your nose.
7. Swallow refreshingly while holding the tongue posture.
You should feel the entire tongue engage in a wave-like motion during the pharyngeal phase of swallowing.
8. Repeat this sequence 3-5x per day for at least a month.
Be patient and persistent seeing gradual dental arch expansion weekly. Then bone and palatal tissue adaptations will follow.
Let’s briefly discuss why this method really awakens the muscular forces capable of expanding our arches naturally…
Why This Mewing Variation is So Powerful
Retraining our oral musculature is invaluable. Genetic potential established during childhood growth can be further awakened in adulthood too – just more modestly and moderately without the assistance of palatal expanders or orthodontics.
The key is understanding these two counterbalancing muscular forces in equilibrium:
1. Cheeks
Via the buccinator muscles attaching from cheek to gumline, these will tighten over time – especially if overactive during speech, playing wind instruments, etc. This narrows arches.
2. Tongue
The strong intrinsic and extrinsic lingual muscles allow it to lift against the cheeks. This expands arches restoring natural width.
So by isolating the buccinators first with thumb sweeping, we’ve diminished restrictive forces. We’ve given the tongue prime opportunity now to engage and perform its expansion work!
During modified naked mewing, conscious focus on oral posture is heightened without lip engagement. This maximizes mind-muscle connection and stacking recruitment of submental muscles is easier without lip tension.
Overtime, resting oral posture improves drastically. The tongue can now withstand persistent cheek forces meaning dental and mild skeletal expansion remains long after releasing this exercise.
What to Expect: Timeline & Milestones
What can I expect in the first week?
- Difficulty holding proper tongue posture for the 2-3 minute exercise duration
- Jaw soreness or cramping initially
- Mild improvements in resting oral posture when not consciously mewing
After 2 weeks?
- Less fatigue/ease holding tongue to palate for longer
- Possible outward flaring of front teeth
- Nasal breathing may feel easier
Within 1 month?
- Comfortably performing exercise 3-5x daily
- Definite dental arch broadening visible
- Enhanced molar occlusion
After 3 months?
- Conscious mewing is nearly automatic
- Further dental expansion and maintenance of new alignment
- Noticeably widened smile
Within 6 months?
- Palatal bone remodelling confirmed on imaging (rarely indicated)
- Optimized nasal airway metric scores
- Integrated habitual mewing 24/7
While this timeline varies between individuals based on factors like genetics, age, and facial type…you WILL see positive outcomes if keeping up consistent oral myofunctional therapy via our #1 palatal expansion exercise.
Trust the process week-to-week and stay motivated knowing every effort gets you closer to broader natural facial form!
Troubleshooting Proper Technique
Let’s address common mewing mistakes to watch out for:
Are my molars fully seated when mewing?
Ensure premolars and molars remain lightly touching – avoid allowing the jaw to slack open.
Is the back of my tongue lifting upwards?
Focus on the posterior 1/3 of your tongue raising to meet the soft palate while the anterior 2/3 touches the front palate.
Am I scowling and tensing my chin?
Relax mentalis strain! Aim for lips gently sealed without excessive tension in chin or lower face.
Are my thumbs pulling laterally enough?
Get slight inward pressure over the dental arches during buccinator releases for maximum expansion effects.
Is 2 minutes enough time?
When starting out, simply hold the posture for time durations you can manage without fatigue. Build endurance over weeks until hitting at least 2 minutes.
Should I be forceful?
NO! All expansion forces should be light and sustained overtime. Simply guide muscles to lift oral structures – no hard pushing.
Be patient with technique, celebrate small weekly wins, and stimulate facial growth naturally by tapping into genetic potential with proper oral posture!
Complementary Habits & Next Steps
While your #1 exercise for palatal expansion is tongue-posture focused, a comprehensive approach optimizes and maintains growth:
Chewing & Nutrition – Tough, fibrous whole foods engage jaw muscles and should make up meals. Avoid soft, processed options. Chew evenly and deliberately – not just on one side.
Body & Neck Posture – Forward head carriage reduces oral cavity space. Keep the neck upright to permit ideal tongue positioning.
Sleep – Ensure nasal breathing 24/7 – even during sleep. Allow orofacial muscles an overnight break from clenching while reaping restorative benefits of unimpeded airways.
Stress-Management – Chronic mental strain manifests physically as jaw tension among other things. Prioritize lifestyle balance via mind-body practices like meditation and yoga.
And remember to check out my other mewing video tutorials highlighting techniques for facial enhancement plus before-and-after transformations!
I commend you for taking action to improve your oral biomechanics. Trust the gradual process of tissue change through simple but consistent oral posture habits. Mewing optimally supports overall wellbeing and I’m excited for you to continue this rewarding journey towards better health and esthetics.