‘Mewing’ dentist struck off after claiming treatment can expand the brain

A dentist has been struck off after offering ‘inappropriate and misleading’ treatment recommendations, prompting warnings from orthodontic experts.

The dentist was erased from the General Dental Council (GDC) register after the regulator found his actions fell ‘far short of the standards expected of dental professionals’.

The Professional Conduct Committee heard that he recommended an ‘orthotropic’ treatment course for a six-year-old patient – known as Patient A – in 2016 that included:

• Upper and lower arch expansion appliances
• The wearing of neck gear.

He told Patient A’s parents the treatment would help to to expand Patient A’s upper and lower arches and thereby ‘make way for the tongue, far more than would be required for the teeth’. He also said it would help the patient to ‘gain a substantial increase in nasal capacity’ and ‘improve the midface’.

Popularly known as ‘Mewing’, the technique has gained popularity on social media sites over the years, including Tiktok.

‘Without objective evidence’

In 2018, he treated Patient B, who was also six years old. The dentist recommended that he underwent orthotropic treatment, despite the fact that he had a Class 1 occlusion on a Class 1 skeletal base and normal craniofacial development.

The Committee determined that treatment was not clinically indicated for Patient A nor B as there was no objective evidence to support treatment.

He also posted a video on Youtube in 2017 titled ‘Orthodontics Beyond the Teeth…’. The GDC determined it made ‘inappropriate and/or misleading’ claims ‘in that they were made without adequate objective evidence’. These included:

• Words to the effect, that if you create enough tongue space, and children use that tongue space, that can influence facial growth and the craniofacial structure and ‘expansion of the brain, expansion of the dental arches as well’
• That, ‘…if a patient walks into my office over the age of eight, they’re into the area where it’s going to be compromise, it depends how hard they work. If someone comes in at the age of five, six, I can almost get a complete correction. If someone comes in younger I can give them advice on how they can correct themselves’.

The Committee erased the dentist with immediate effect, stating that suspension was not an option given that his ‘unwavering and longstanding belief in orthotropics meant that it was unlikely that there would be any change in the circumstances of your case in 12 months’ time’.

Proceed with caution

The case has prompted warnings from the British Orthodontic Society (BOS). It urges patients proceed with caution and seek alternative advice, if they are told that a recommended orthodontic treatment or approach will do any of the following:

• Cause your child’s cheekbones to rise or their jaws to change significantly in position – such changes may occur naturally as part of a child’s development but the BOS is not aware of this being achieved as part of orthodontic treatment
• Cure or cause jaw joint problems – there is no evidence for this
• Improve speech – there is no evidence for this
• Improve breathing disorders – there is no evidence for this
• Improve your child’s intelligence –there is no evidence those patients with crooked teeth or sleep apnoea are less intelligent than others.

There is no scientific evidence to suggest patients can change the shape of their face or improve their intelligence by chewing or holding teeth and the tongue in a closed position, it says, or making any other kind of facial movement.

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