For people looking for a chiseled jawline, the solution can be as simple as chewing gum—at least, that’s what some people on social media are claiming.
On TikTok and Instagram, some influencers credit hard gums like Stronger Gum, Rockjaw, and Jawliner Fitness Chewing Gum with helping them develop strong jaws.
“I can definitely only say a few days into what was really going on,” influencer Carson Teagarden said in one TikTok videosnoting that his jaw was “pointier,” “stronger,” and “more defined” after chewing a piece of hard gum. She added, “Chewing this gum definitely helped make it more defined and better.”
But can something as simple as chewing hard gum really change your jaw? And, most importantly, is this practice safe? We followed up with three dentists and an orthodontist for more information.
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There is no exact definition of gum that aims to change your jawline, but it is a category of gum that is hard to chew to build muscle in your jawline. Chewing gum, according to the companies that make them, can help create a stronger jawline.
These gums are usually found in teenagers and men in their 20s. Stronger Gum, for example, has several before and after photos of teenage boys and men who have allegedly used its product. Rockjaw, which is tagged “Say Goodbye to Your Weak Jaw,” also features mostly photos of men.
These aren’t the only products out there that aim to enhance your jawline. The Internet is full of so-called jawline exercisers and jawline trainers, which involve users chewing on something hard, like a piece of silicone, to strengthen the jaw muscles and get a more defined jawline.
Chewing these hard gums can help work the muscles in a person’s jaw line. However, the impact is likely to be minimal, Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhDdean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry, told Health. “Gum could cause the muscles along the side of the face to ‘swell’ – we call them the muscles of mastication,” he said. But Wolff says it “won’t directly change the jawline.”
Michael J. Wei, DDSa cosmetic dentist in New York, agrees. “There is limited scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of facial fitness gum in achieving these specific goals,” he said, referring to the jawline change.
Several companies cite a 2018 study that concluded gum-chewing exercises could improve bite strength, but that study only included 19 people and didn’t focus on jaw strengthening. There is also a mouse study that is sometimes cited that found that chewing on hard things changed the structure of the mice’s jaws, but that study focused on rodents – not humans.
When it comes to your typical chewing gum, Erin Fraundorff, DMDowner and founder of BOCA Orthodontic + Whitening Studio, said Health that it also “may lead to strengthening of the masticatory (chewing) muscles,” as well as improved swallowing. But, he added, “it won’t affect the appearance of your jawline.”
This line of thinking applies to anything “hard, sticky, chewy and gross that works your jaw muscles.” Julie Cho, DMDsaid a general dentist in New York Health.
The doctors interviewed strongly discourage people from trying it. “People do a lot of things in the name of vanity — some have the potential to be very destructive,” Wolff said. “This is one of the most devastating.”
Cho agrees. “This trend is a terrible idea and will do more harm than good,” he said.
“Chewing hard foods or hard gum can break teeth, cause muscle spasms, and injure the tissues of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), resulting in significant pain and possibly permanent damage,” Wolff explained. “Depending on the condition of their teeth, one could break and damage the teeth.”
Cho said there is also the risk of fillings, crowns and bridges being removed. You can even strain the muscles involved in chewing, leading to pain and giving yourself headaches, Fraundorf said.
While there are many suggested solutions to getting a chipped jawline floating around on social media, Fraundorf said none will give you lasting, noticeable results. “The only way to effectively change the appearance of your jaw and its natural anatomy is through plastic surgery or injectables,” he said.
Bottom line: Chewing hard gum may seem like a simple and inexpensive approach to looking better, but doctors agree it’s best to pass on these products. “I’d rather keep my teeth than have a superhero jaw,” Cho said.
