Does Chewing Gum Help Your Jawline? Facts and Myths
A lot of stories have been told and recommendations made on how to get a well-defined and sharp jawline. One of the most common recommendations is chewing gum. But this and many other recommendations lack scientific backing. So, the question is: Does chewing gum help your jawline? This article will help you to separate facts from fiction.
Does Chewing Gum Help to Improve Your Jawline?
Some people claim that strengthening your jaw muscles by chewing gum can help you to tone up your jaw and make your jawline appear sharper. But the truth is that the main chewing muscles are in your cheeks and neck. Therefore, chewing gum regularly won’t change how your jawline looks.
However, recent studies have shown that chewing gum frequently can strengthen your masticatory muscles. These are the muscles associated with the movement of your jaw (temporomandibular joint). Masticatory muscles are among the main muscle groups in your head followed by the muscles that allow you to make different facial expressions.
A recent study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health revealed that masticatory exercise can help to improve your masticatory functions.
The study concluded that regular chewing of gum can increase your biting force. Another study also revealed that chewing gum strengthens muscles in your tongue and cheeks.
This research further indicated that chewing gum can improve your swallowing and eating functions. But that doesn’t mean that the chewing exercise will have any effect on the appearance of your jawline.
Furthermore, chewing gum will not make your jaw appear bigger o more muscular because most of the chewing muscles are not located in your jaw.
Pros and Cons of Chewing Gums
Many health experts have mixed opinions on chewing gum. While some believe that it helps to strengthen masticatory functions like biting, chewing, and swallowing, others believe that chewing gum regularly can put you at risk of developing various health and dental complications. Here are some of the obvious pros and cons of chewing gum.
Pros
1. Freshening Breath and Fighting Cavities
Chewing gum helps to stimulate the production of saliva in your mouth to wash away plaque and food residue on your teeth. That way, the harmful bacteria in your mouth won’t have anything to feed on and produce acid that causes cavities. Also, saliva contains enzymes that help to fight off various bacteria in your mouth.
With fewer bacteria in your mouth, your breath will remain fresh for a long time. However, you will only enjoy these benefits if you chew sugar-free gum.
If the gum doesn’t have sugar, it will neutralize the pH of your mouth and prevent acid from eating your teeth away and causing cavities.
2. Strengthening Masticatory Muscles
Chewing gum allows you to exercise the muscles of the jaw (TMJ) while also creating some resistance. Like any other exercise, you have to create resistance to help the muscles grow stronger. So, if you want your jaw and its muscles to be strong, you have to exercise them by chewing gum regularly.
However, you have to do it moderately so that you do not put excess pressure on your masticatory muscles. You also need to avoid large pieces of gum or chewing when your jaw is tired because they might injure your TMJ muscles and end up having a TMJ disorder.
3. Relieve Heartburn
Research has shown that chewing gum can help to relieve heartburn. When you chew gum, you produce more saliva that helps to neutralize stomach acid and keep stomach fluids from flowing back to the esophagus.
In fact, chewing gum will help you enjoy more than three hours of relief. However, make sure that the gum you are chewing is sugar-free.
4. Weight Loss
Chewing gum can help you lose weight by keeping your mind off the food, especially when you are idle or unhappy. It also helps you to manage your appetite, cravings, and snacking.
Cons
1. Slackening Your Dental Work
If you have dental retainers, fillings, crowns, and oral appliances, chewing gum will affect their longevity and effectiveness.
For instance, it will loosen your dental fillings, bridges, or crowns, forcing you to replace them before their expected lifespan is over. Therefore, if you have had any dental work done, it is important to seek advice from your dentist before you chew gum.
2. Tooth Decay
Most chewing gums contain sugar that can increase your risk of getting cavities. Remember that the bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar to excrete acid.
Therefore, when you chew sugary gum, you are promoting the growth of bacteria and the production of more acid in your mouth, which will definitely result in cavities and teeth decay. This will also lead to bad breath.
3. TMJ Disorder
Chewing gum constantly can irritate your jaws and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which will lead to TMJ disorder. This is a painful condition caused by damage to the joint that connects your lower jaw to the skull. The main causes of damage to this joint include teeth grinding, accidents, and chewing gum.
8 Tips on How to Get a Sharp Jawline
Even if you are not blessed with a perfect jawline that looks naturally sharp and strong, there are ways to tone it and make it look sharper.
Also, you may have been born with a perfect jawline but your sedentary lifestyle, overdependence on junk food, and lack of regular exercise have left you with a double chin and a swollen face. If this is the case, here are several tips to help you get a sharper jawline.
1. Exercise Your Jaw
Regular exercise is an important step towards achieving a perfect jawline. It will help you to lose the extra pounds of fat on your jaws and cheeks and restore your natural jawline. There are several effective jawline exercises that you can do, including head twists and funny selfie facial expressions.
2. Smile More Often
Apart from making you look prettier, smiling will also help you to tone up your facial muscles. It will also extend your cheekbones.
3. Contouring
This is a simple way of acquiring the kind of facial appearance you desire. It will help you to shape your facial structure as well as your nose, cheek, eyebrows, and lips. Just apply bronzer or contouring powder to the edges of your face and blend it properly.
4. Massage Your Face
Massaging your face improves blood circulation, thus giving you a youthful look. Just run your fingers through your face a few times in a circular motion every day. You can also include a few drops of essential oil to rejuvenate your skin.
Also, rub your cheeks, jaw, chin, and temple for a few seconds when you wake up to refresh your face and tighten your skin.
5. Drink Enough Water
Water helps to flush out toxins from your system, giving you a youthful appearance and a toned face. The more toxins are stuck in your body, the older your face will look.
6. Say the Vowels
Voicing the five vowels (A, E, I, O, U) loudly will help you to lift your neck muscles and extend your facial muscles. Say each vowel and hold that position for about five seconds to, fully, extend your facial muscles. This is a simple exercise that will give you a sharp jawline within a short time.
7. Chin Lifting
This exercise helps you to work your chin so that you can get rid of the excess fat. Just look up towards the ceiling and hold that position for about 30 seconds. You can also pout while performing this exercise to stretch your chin fully.
8. Clench Your Jaw
Try to clench your jaw for about 10 seconds and release it. You will feel a little pressure and sting in your jaw. Repeat this exercise several times every day to get a perfect jawline.
