Many dental hygienists across the country visit schools during the academic school year to teach youngsters about oral hygiene. It may be time to teach chewing instead, especially to the younger kids and particularly to young and expectant mothers. A few of the valuable benefits of chewing are listed below.

Chewing can be affected by insufficient nasal breathing (due to enlarged lymph tissue like tonsils and adenoids) and impacts the function of the following:

* Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
* Muscle tension and tone
* Dental occlusion or malocclusion
* Saliva production or lack of
* Neurological or genetic disorders such as strokes, hemiparesis, hemifacial  microsomia, and traumatic brain injury