How to Fix a Crooked Jaw
Ethan, who asked not to share his last name for privacy, always thought he had “one good side” but was not conscious of exactly why.
“I just hated taking pictures straight on,” he says.
It wasn’t until the age of 37 that he realized that the problem was not in his head—it was in his jaw. The masseter muscle on his right side had become noticeably larger as a consequence of grinding his teeth, causing a crooked jaw.
Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, is a common response to stress. As an athlete for most of his life, Ethan suspects his overly competitive nature drove him to this habit. Still, he had no idea his need to win could change the shape of his face. “I did not realize what was going on with my jaw, so I ignored it,” he tells me. “Then it started to affect my confidence in relationships.”
As much as this left Ethan feeling isolated, he’s far from alone, says board-certified orthodontist Dr. Jeremy Manuele.
“Many people don’t realize how often bruxism reshapes the face over time,” he explains. The masseter muscle, one of the main muscles in the jaw, is considered one of the strongest muscles for its size. When people grind their teeth, one side can become a little too powerful, causing a “visibly asymmetrical face.”
That said, bruxism is not the only cause of a crooked jaw. According to Dr. Manuele, some people are born with a misaligned bite. When this isn’t addressed with an orthodontist, skeletal asymmetry can influence muscular asymmetry. “This often leads to people chewing more frequently on that side, further hypertrophying the muscle and deepening the asymmetry, a kind of hamster-wheel effect.”
Breathing issues like sleep apnea can also cause an uneven jaw, explains dentist Dr. Yenile Pinto. In those cases, “working with an ENT to improve airflow can make a massive difference—not just in your jawline, but in your overall health,” she says. Once other causes of a crooked jaw are ruled out, both experts agree that stress-related teeth grinding is a likely culprit.
Of course, noticing your face is becoming increasingly asymmetrical is understandably stressful. Symmetry is typically associated with attractiveness across the board, but there’s a unique pressure placed on men to have defined jawlines. Data indicates that a prominent jawline is associated with attractiveness and perceptions of masculinity. Other studies show that more men are seeking out plastic surgery, particularly facial procedures. It’s not surprising that a growing number of guys are asking surgeons for the jaws of Brad Pitt, Henry Cavill, or Jacob Elordi. From filler to “face BBLs,” some men are even willing to break their jaws apart if it means bolting them back together stronger.
Throw in the rise of social media, which has been linked with an increase in awareness of one’s appearance, and it makes sense why more men may feel like they don’t measure up. While certain insecurities can be obscured through clothing, having to wear this inadequacy on your face can be that much harder to take on the chin.
