# Chewing gum to strengthen jaw muscles?



## Futures (Aug 27, 2005)

My speech ability has really taken a nose dive over the last the last few years it seems. I stutter, slur, and mispronounce a lot of words.

I thought maybe it was because the muscles in and around my mouth don't get enough use from how little I talk.

So I thought maybe chewing gum would possibly strengthen those muscles?? Anyone know if this will possibly help? So far I've been chewing gum everyday for about a week now.


----------



## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

Prehaps reading aloud when you have spare time would be more successful?


----------



## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

I agree. I would practice speaking. Why did your speech develop that way?


----------



## supersoshychick (Jun 4, 2009)

chewing gum causes cavities...and pull out fillings


----------



## Iced Soul (Jan 28, 2009)

I think reading aloud and talking in the mirror will work better than chewing gum.


----------



## brooksac7 (Nov 24, 2009)

*Gum as an effective speech therarpy practice*

Hi John, I'm a senior biology student and just finished my experiment on this very subject. I'm not a speech therapist by any means and the experiment only tested 3 subjects total, so take take this into consideration.

Speech therapist today do actually implement chewing gum as a speech therapy tool. Many of the same muscles that are used in mastication are also employed in speech production. So, by articulating you jaw, lip, and tongue muscles during gum chewing, you are in fact excercising the same muscles used for verbal communication. Weak muscles of these parts often result in slurring and decrease the clarity of speech, so yeah, chew gum! It will help with those mumbles! IT also soounds like it's phsycological thing as well. So, slow down, take a deep breath and good luck!


----------



## caithiggs (Jan 11, 2009)

Doesn't chewing gum prevent cavities? Personally, I would try it, but I wouldn't stop there as your only means to get through your speech problems.

Good luck!


----------



## VanDamMan (Nov 2, 2009)

Singers and actors sometimes do exercises before they go on stage. 

Sometimes it is saying tounge twisters. Somes just exercising vocal ranges. Try looking for some like these.


----------



## SOME (Jul 13, 2009)

I wouldn't recommend it. Alot of gums contian Aspartame and i read that Aspartame can have 92 different health side effects, anxiety and severe slurring of speech being 2 of them. Doing tounge twisters could help.

Please read.
http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html


----------

