Dr. Staci Whitman: the surprising oral causes behind facial asymmetry and how your face ages | part 2

You probably know which side of your face you prefer in photos.

One jawline may look sharper. One cheek may sit differently. One under-eye may look darker. And while some facial asymmetry is completely normal, the way you use your mouth can also influence how the two sides of your face function over time.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Staci Whitman, we look at facial aging from inside the mouth. We get into how one-sided chewing, bite patterns, tongue function, palate width, airway health, and jaw structure can influence facial symmetry and the way changes become visible in the face.

We also explore what adults can realistically do when the issue is structural rather than purely cosmetic. Dr. Staci breaks down the conversations happening around mastic gum, myofunctional therapy, palate expansion, MARPE, oral appliances, and tongue-tie releases, including why changing the way the mouth functions is much more complicated than trying the latest jawline trend online.

Dr. Staci Whitman is a board-certified pediatric dentist and Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner whose work focuses on functional dentistry, airway health, craniofacial development, the oral microbiome, and the mouth-body connection. She is the co-founder of the Institute for Functional Dentistry and founder of Bloom + Brighten.