Modern Diet Has A Huge Influence on Jaw Development

According to a recent study, the orthodontic complications people in industrialized nations struggle with, is mainly due to the modern diet they follow.

This particular study has been run by the University of Kent, and it also brings to light the fact that a soft diet is the one that causes the jaw to grow too short.

Thus, the jaw and the teeth are in a quite disproportioned size and alignment, which brings about several of these orthodontic issues.

According to Dr Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel who conducted the research, it is now made quite clear that transitioning from a hunter gatherer to an agricultural based way of living and consumerism, actually has a direct impact on how the human lower jaw and the skull is developing.

What dr. Noreen did was to compare the shape of skulls and lower jaw sections of 11 different populations from around the world to different models of dietary, climatic and geographic differences.

As a result of this comparison she concluded that the shape of the lower jaw and that of the upper palate as well is directly linked to the dietary behavior of these populations.

The shape of the skull on the other hand, is clearly related to genetic factors of these populations. The shape of the lower jaw is a proof of whether the respective population is a hunter –gatherer in nature or an agriculturist (farming based) one.

All these are clear indicators of the fact that the chewing behavior of people will make the jaw grow differently in different groups/ populations.

The rest of the skull development is not affected in any way by the chewing behavior of people (the dietary model).

The skull development is exclusively linked to the genetic history of a respective population, and this is a statement that has been made clear by lecturer in Biological Anthropology, dr. von Cramon-Taubadel.

Such research studies are extremely important, because they can influence technology in the medical field, and can greatly contribute to more advanced innovations in this sector.