An educator and author, Mike Mew investigates how the human face grows and how the smallest daily habits – the way a tongue rests, the way breath moves, the way a jaw spends its hours – shape the face over a lifetime.

Mike’s approach to orthodontics blended traditional clinical training with a modern, holistic perspective on health and growth. He completed his master’s degree in orthodontics at the Royal Dental College in Aarhus, then regarded as one of the world’s top programmes for growth and development. While studying there Mike was particularly influenced by the work of two extraordinary researchers: Professor Arne Björk (1911–1996), a world-renowned Swedish orthodontist, who revolutionized the understanding of the patterns of human facial development (also known for his landmark 1947 publication, The Face in Profile); and, Professor Egil Harvold, internationally acclaimed for his groundbreaking research in craniofacial development and now widely famous outside the academic orthodontic community for his landmark 1981 study on oral respiration. And how craniofacial form could be affected by nasal obstruction or modifications in tongue position. Mike firmly stands by the principle that early guidance of a child’s facial development can reduce the need for complex treatments later in life. His work explored the interplay between facial growth, breathing, posture, and overall wellbeing – seeking not only to align teeth but to support function and long-term health. As an orthodontist, Mike has worked extensively with young patients and families, helping them understand how lifestyle, environment, and daily habits can shape growth. He draws inspiration from his father, John Mew, whose pioneering book The Cause and Cure of Malocclusion explored why modern humans so often lack space for all their teeth. (The premise is that our ancestors almost universally had excess space for 32 teeth; today, most people are fortunate to have space for 28. This represents a dramatic change in jaw size and shape may be linked to more than dental crowding (it likely influences much more, including how we breathe, sleep, and how our faces function). A global movement, born organically.