JAWLINE EXERCISERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA = A RECIPE FOR JAW PAIN OR WORSE
Did you know that on average, a person’s teeth only come together for just a few minutes a day? While this is true for the average individual, this is not true for the part of the population who clench and grind their teeth at night. Those are the same individuals experience daily headaches, jaw pain, clicking and popping, or worse – dislocation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and/or broken teeth. So why would a product be marketed to encourage such action?
Social media marketing strikes again, this time in the form of “noninvasive facelifts,” “jawline reshaping,” getting that “chiseled jawline look.” The heavily marketed products have the same common pitch: “You work out every other muscle in your body, so why not your face?”
THE PRODUCTS, THE CLAIMS AND THE PROBLEM
The products come in the form of a hard gum, silicone ball, silicone block and the like. “Chew on this (insert product name here) daily for 15-30 minutes per day and you will see the difference in your jawline!”
Since your jaw is already worked out during the day through talking, eating and other activities, it already endures a certain amount of strain. Using jawline exercisers increases that strain on the face and jaw and should be avoided because they have the potential to lead to the development of jaw problems.
WHAT IS A TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ), ANYWAY?
The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) (we all have two) are the joints that connect your lower jaw to your skull. They slide and rotate in front of each ear. These joints, along with several muscles, allow the mandible to move up and down, side to side, and forward and back. When the mandible and the joints are properly aligned, chewing, talking, yawning, and swallowing occur without discomfort. When these joints are not aligned or become inflamed, several problems may occur.
Social media trends are rarely backed by any scientific evidence, so BUYER BEWARE!
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