Gleeking: What Is It and How Do You Do It?

Gleeking – What is it?

Gleeking is an obscure trick that is fascinating to many. It is a bodily quirk that involves projection of a spray of saliva from the salivary glands present underneath the tongue. Individuals doing this trick may not intend to spit, rather do it spontaneously. This is a unique trick that is often learnt and controlled with repeated practicing.

What is the Science behind Gleeking?

It is essential to understand the anatomy and physiology of salivary glands before delving into its science and related discussions on gleeking. Anatomically, the head and neck have three major pairs of salivary glands: submandibular, parotid, and sublingual glands. These glands produce and release saliva upon receiving food to lubricate and facilitate the process of chewing and mastication.

Gleeking primarily involves the submandibular glands that are located beneath the lower jaw. Upon stimulation, these glands release the stored saliva through ducts that lead to the floor of the oral cavity. Gleeking begins here!

How does Gleeking Occur?

Gleeking occurs when the submandibular glands are compressed suddenly to release the saliva in a splash through its ducts and into the floor of the mouth. It can be an unintentional outcome of moving the tongue, eating certain foods or yawning. While for others, the act of gleeking may be entirely voluntary that is displayed as an amusing skill to charm their friends.

The mechanism and act of gleeking involves the rapid depression of tongue on the submandibular glands or elevating the jaw to compress the glands. This act forces the saliva to release in a spray from the ducts, resulting in a forceful ejection of saliva.

How does the Unintentional Gleek occur?

Many individuals have been gleeking unknowingly and unintentionally while yawning, unintended tongue movements, talking or while eating. The unintentional form of gleeking is often surprising for the people in surroundings and leads to humorous situations in social settings. This article aims to demystify the complexity of mechanics behind gleeking so that individuals experiencing potential awkwardness due to unintentional gleeking may overcome this habit.

What are the Steps to Master the trick of Gleeking?

To master the trick of gleeking, one must understand and practice enough to control the muscle movements surrounding the submandibular glands. Individuals curious and seeking to learn this trick must understand the following steps that can serve as a guide to master gleeking.

1. Adequate Hydration

Gleeking requires abundance of saliva, and abundant saliva comes from adequate hydration. Drink plenty of water to keep the reserves ready for when the trick is intended.

2. Stimulate the Salivary Glands

Eating or licking on to sour and tangy food items such as lemon and sour candies can stimulate and activate the production of saliva in the salivary glands.

3. Positioning of the Tongue

Place the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth, just behind the roots of the upper incisors (upper front teeth). Mastering this position is crucial as it builds up perfect amount of pressure in the submandibular salivary glands.

4. Compress the Salivary Glands

To compress the glands, press the tip of the tongue firmly against the roof of the mouth and try swallowing simultaneously. This action compresses the submandibular glands in an attempt to expel the saliva.

5. Keep Practicing with Patience

Gleeking is a unique trick that needs to be practiced repeatedly with patience. While practicing, one must try and experiment with various tongue positions and jaw movements to adopt what works best in gleeking.

Are there any health and hygiene considerations regarding Gleeking?

The trick of gleeking is safe and harmless, however it is essential to keep health and hygiene considerations in mind. Gleeking involves expulsion of saliva from the salivary glands, thus it is important to consider gleeking only in a controlled environment i.e., away from other people in an attempt to minimize the spread of germs in the oral cavity. Furthermore, individuals who master the trick of gleeking must also maintain good oral hygiene to keep the entertainment both fun and hygienic.

People Also Ask

What are some of the fun facts about saliva?

To appreciate the phenomenon of gleeking, enlisted below are some of the fun facts about saliva.

• An average person produces 0.5 to 1.5 litres of saliva every day.
• Saliva is made up of water that has enzymes, mucus and antimicrobial properties.
• The function of saliva is to lubricate the food bolus for smooth digestion, prevent tooth decay and maintain good oral hygiene with its antibacterial properties.
• Saliva contains growth factors that promote rapid healing and repair of the oral wounds.

What is the difference between gleeking and dribbling saliva?

Gleeking is an intentional and active process where submandibular glands are voluntarily compressed to release a stream or spray of saliva. It involves specific tongue and jaw movements to forcefully project the saliva. Whereas dribbling saliva, also known as drooling, is a passive process in which saliva flows out of the mouth without being intended so. Dribbling saliva occurs to various reasons such as poor muscle control, increased production of saliva, poor ability of the mouth to retain the accumulated saliva or a painful inflammation in the oral cavity. In conclusion, gleeking is a controlled spray of saliva and dribbling is an uncontrolled leakage of saliva from the oral cavity.

Conclusion

Gleeking is a bodily quirk that involves projection of a spray of saliva from the salivary glands present underneath the tongue. Individuals doing this trick may not intend to spit, rather do it spontaneously. Gleeking primarily involves the submandibular glands that are located beneath the lower jaw. Upon stimulation, these glands release the stored saliva through ducts that lead to the floor of the oral cavity. The mechanism and act of gleeking involves the rapid depression of tongue on the submandibular glands or elevating the jaw to compress the glands. This act forces the saliva to release in a spray from the ducts, resulting in a forceful ejection of saliva. The intentional gleeking is fun and often meant to entertain the friends with this trich, whereas the unintentional form of gleeking is often surprising for the people in surroundings and leads to humorous situations in social settings. To master gleeking, keep the salivary glands well hydrated and follow the steps of gleeking with frequent practices and patience.