How Does Chewing Shape Your Baby’s Oral Development?

Table of contents

1. Why chewing is essential for baby's jaw development
2. How hard foods strengthen oral muscles
3. How do babies learn to chew before their first tooth?
4. Advancing your baby's chewing skills
5. Final thoughts
   

Why Chewing Is Essential for Baby’s Jaw Development

Babies don’t just chew for fun - chewing plays a critical role in jaw development, speech clarity, and healthy oral function. While it may seem like a simple skill, learning to chew properly strengthens the jaw muscles and sets the foundation for eating a wide variety of foods later in life.

According to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, some babies struggle with chewing simply because they haven’t had enough practice with textured foods beyond purees. Introducing different textures between 6 and 10 months helps babies accept a wider range of foods as they grow, helping to reduce risks of food aversion and feeding difficulties.

How Hard Foods Strengthen Oral Muscles

In today’s world, many baby diets rely heavily on soft foods, but introducing firmer textures at the right time is crucial for oral development. Here’s how chewing helps:

1. Jaw Strength and Stability
   Just like any other muscle in the body, the jaw needs regular exercise to grow stronger. Chewing firm foods encourages proper jaw movement and muscle activation, helping babies develop better oral coordination.

2. Improved Speech Development
   The same muscles used for chewing also control tongue, lip, and jaw movements needed for speech. Babies who practice chewing early on often develop clearer pronunciation and better articulation as they grow.

3. Swallowing and Oral Habits
   Chewing and swallowing work the tongue, lips and jaw together. Practising them helps babies build good oral habits as they grow.

4. Digestive Benefits
   Chewing is the first step in digestion, breaking food down and mixing it with saliva to aid in nutrient absorption. Babies who learn to chew properly often transition more smoothly to solids.

5. Jaw Growth and Tooth Spacing
   Researchers are increasingly interested in how chewing affects the way the jaw grows. Some studies have linked softer diets with smaller jaws and less room for teeth, though more research is needed (Boo Gordillo et al., 2024). Giving babies plenty of chances to chew is a simple, natural way to support healthy oral development.

Chewing Without Teeth: How Babies Learn to Chew Before Their First Tooth

Did you know that babies don’t need teeth to start learning how to chew? Chewing is a skill that begins developing between 6 and 9 months. Regular exposure to different textures helps build strong jaw muscles and better eating habits.

Ways to Encourage Chewing Before Teeth Appear

• Introduce a gum brush or training toothbrush – Letting babies munch on a soft-bristled gum brush strengthens their jaw and prepares them for solid foods.

• Offer safe "hard munchables" – Offer resistive, firm foods that do not crumble like teething biscuits, a large raw carrot (not baby carrots, and about the size of a fat marker pen), or a firm teether to encourage jaw movement and introduce them to hard textures safely (see the NHS guidance on hard munchables). These aren’t for eating but for practicing biting and jaw movement.

• Help with food placement – Use a training toothbrush, a clean finger, or your baby’s own finger to move soft food to the sides of their mouth to encourage chewing.

• Provide chewy finger foods – Long, thick strips of chewy foods like crusty bread or dried mango teach babies how to move their jaw up and down.

• Know where dissolvable foods fit – Baby rice crackers and soft wafers melt in the mouth. They can help babies practise moving food around and swallowing, but they give the jaw very little to work on, so offer them alongside firmer textures, not instead of them.

Safety Tip: Always supervise your baby to ensure they handle food safely and do not bite off large chunks.

Teeth for Chewing: Advancing Your Baby’s Chewing Skills

Once your baby has developed basic chewing skills, teeth allow them to break down firmer foods more efficiently. Here’s how to support their chewing development once teeth come in:

• Cut soft foods into bite-sized pieces – Small, manageable pieces encourage chewing while reducing the risk of choking.

• Guide food placement – Help your child move food to the sides of their mouth where chewing naturally occurs.

• Start with soft, chewy foods – Cheese sticks, scrambled eggs, and soft fruits are great early chewing options. As confidence grows, introduce steamed vegetables, pasta, and finely chopped meats.

• Introduce familiar favourites first – Offering chewy versions of foods your child already enjoys helps with the transition to more complex textures.

• Encourage mealtime with peers – Babies learn by watching! Seeing other children eat chewy foods can encourage them to try new textures.

Final Thoughts

Chewing is more than just a step toward eating solids; it’s a crucial milestone for jaw strength, speech clarity, and healthy oral function. By offering a variety of textures at the right developmental stage, parents can help babies build strong chewing skills that support their growth and overall health.

Encouraging chewing early on sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating and oral habits. Whether your baby has teeth or not, giving them opportunities to practice chewing is one of the best ways to support their development!