Know the dangers of 'orthotropics' | Letter

Prof Grant McIntyre responds to an article on ‘orthotropics’ and its proponent Dr Mike Tew

I would like to thank the Guardian for highlighting the dangers of “orthotropics” in its interview with Mike Mew (‘There’s no excuse for ugly people’: controversial dentist Mike Mew on how ‘mewing’ can make you more attractive, 17 May). Orthotropics is a form of modern‑day quackery, with the many claims made by Dr Mike Mew having no basis whatsoever in rigorously tested scientific fact, as the British Orthodontic Society states in the article.

There is simply no evidence to suggest patients can change the shape of their face, improve their intelligence or lengthen their life by altering their mouth posture, or that misaligned jaws cause sleep apnoea. There is no such thing as “craniofacial dystrophy”, and malocclusion derives from a complex interplay of genetics, bone growth and muscle development.