Eat With Your Mouth Closed & Chew Your Food: How the Way We Eat Can Impact Our Health & Development

Have you ever thought about the way you eat? Maybe as a kid you were told to chew with your mouth closed or to not talk with food in your mouth. Although these are ingrained in most of our minds as what is expected in society, we might not have realized there is a functional reason we should be performing these habits while eating. Let’s dive into eating and chewing, and how if done improperly, these tasks can impact our oral and overall health. 

When we eat and chew we should ideally be able to do these tasks with our mouth closed. If we have to eat and chew with an open mouth it could be related to inadequate nasal breathing. There could be dysfunction in the mouth within the muscles. Open mouth chewing could be related to the anatomy of our structures. Additionally, there could be tension under the tongue impacting the way we chew and eat. A myofunctional therapist can help get to the root of the cause and why there are flaws in the way someone is eating and chewing.

Before we dive into it I want to start with a definition of epigenetics. “Epigenetics is a field of dentistry that studies how environmental factors affect the genes that control jaw development. Epigenetics adds a layer of complexity to genetics, which provides the blueprint for facial structure, by showing how external factors like lifestyle, habits, and environmental stimuli can influence how genes are expressed. For example, the way a person breathes, swallows, and chews can impact the growth and development of their jaw and facial bones.”

So why does this matter? If we chew with our mouth open we tend to take in more air leading to more GI symptoms such as: gas, bloating, burping, hiccups, acid reflux, and more. When we limit hard to chew foods, this can impact the way our face and jaws are formed. Our jaws, like the rest of our body, need to be continuously worked. When we feed our children soft foods we don’t work the muscles and jaw as much as they need to be. This reduction in chewing tough foods starts to create narrower jaws in people. Scientists have studied skulls from the stone age to help understand this concept. They discovered the skulls of our ancestors had large, broad jaws and were able to accommodate all 32 teeth including the wisdom teeth. As the scientists compared the jaws to those of today, they noted a significant decrease in size of the jaw. The majority of the jaws were not able to fit all the teeth. Many people in our modern society have to get their wisdom teeth removed due to lack of space. A large number of people are also recommended to have other permanent teeth removed due to lack of space. An entire blog will be written on this; however, when we remove permanent teeth due to lack of space we create a more narrow jaw and subsequently smaller airways. 

What would be the reason that scientists have found this analysis in our prehistoric jaws and jaws of today? There are several reasons, but we are going to specifically speak about chewing and eating tough vs. soft foods. In the days of our ancestors they did not have the capability to soften and pulverize their food like today. Much of what they ate required vigorous chewing. Today we now have the introduction of many ways to soften, smash and create foods that we do not have to chew as much. As early as 4 months we are told to begin giving our babies purees. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for a mix of purees and solid foods. It’s all about a balance. However, when we begin to eat many more foods that we do not have to chew, we start to really impact the way our facial structures are formed and they can be negatively affected. Additionally, we now have many more tools that have made eating and drinking easier, although they can impact our development. This would include tools like sippy cups, bottles and more. 

So what can we do to help? First, if you suspect there is a dysfunction with the way you or someone is eating, begin by scheduling an evaluation with a myofunctional therapist. They can help you get to the root of the cause of dysfunctional chewing and eating. Next, encourage habits that aid in muscle strength and oral development. Breastfeeding has one of the best effects on oral motor development. Breastfeeding may not work or be possible for everyone, so bottle feeding using specific bottles and feeding techniques like “paced feeding” can assist in oral motor development. Once our little ones are ready to introduce solids, following baby led weaning protocols can help progress oral molar function. And when our little ones are ready for tougher foods, encouraging them to eat harder to chew food. Foods such as jerky and fruit leathers are excellent for strengthening our jaws. Additionally, if it is functionally possible to chew with your mouth closed while breathing through your nose, do so. Finally, SLOW DOWN your eating habits. We should be chewing our food at least 20 times after eating before we are attempting to swallow. Lastly, swallow correctly. This is another topic to cover completely, so stay tuned. A proper swallow pattern is critical to our oral and overall health. Hint, if you or someone you know has been told you have a reverse swallow pattern or a tongue thrust, that is not a proper swallow pattern and will lead to many issues. To summarize, begin by introducing proper and healthy functions as early as bottle or breastfeeding. Next, begin to feed your little one solids by following the baby led weaning protocol. Following that, encourage your child to eat tougher to chew foods. Lastly, aim to have proper eating habits such as slow eating while keeping your mouth closed. These practices will assist in less health ailments and reduce improper jaw and facial development.