Humans are de-evolving. Over the past 250 years, our skulls have changed in concerning and often troubling ways. Our skulls, jaws, and airways are becoming markedly smaller and more constricted as the decades go on and it is happening at a pretty alarming rate. Why? One reason is because we have lost our need and ability to chew daily. We have lost the art of chewing.

How our modern diets impact facial development & oral health.

As a board-certified pediatric dentist, I know that initially, breastfeeding and proper tongue position is what creates ideal jaw and facial development. But this is not always available to all dyads. Once foods are introduced, mastication, or chewing, is key for proper jaw and airway development. Sadly, many kids no longer chew due to hyper-palpable and highly processed foods that require little to no chewing. Think: yogurts in tubes, soft pastas, and fruit snacks—versus nuts and seeds, chewy meats and jerky, and crunchy raw or blanched fruits and veggies.

 

What's more, in the late 1800s, a Canadian dentist named Weston Price became interested in the relationship between nutrition, dental health, and systemic wellness. In the 1930s, he started studying his theories about diet and dental health by assessing groups of humans around the globe who were maintaining the traditional diets of their geographic location. His research covered areas in Switzerland, Australia, and Polynesia and compiled his findings in a book called Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.

Arguably the most fascinating discovery he made was that the facial development of these more traditional humans was far more balanced and ideal than those who had adopted a “Westernized” diet made up of processed and refined flours and sugars. They also had close to no cavities or gum disease, further showing how modern diets can impact oral and developmental health.

But why is chewing so important?

While multiple factors can influence and affect the way a child’s face and skull develops, such as genetics, nutrition, tongue position and breathing, chewing is an incredibly critical one. The amount of time spent chewing (and what we are chewing), significantly impacts the growth, shape, and position of the jaws. In my work, I've learned that people who tend to eat more processed and refined foods have smaller and often underdeveloped jaws than those who eat traditional diets with foods that require more chewing.

As a pediatric dentist, I know if we catch these issues soon in infancy and early childhood, we have a better chance of getting children back on track with proper facial growth, dental development, and breathing. And one strategy to use when trying to course-correct issues is encouraging families to engage their children in chewing more.

Babies and their growing jaws need stimulus at early ages, as their skeletal systems are very malleable and reactive. Chewing helps to strengthen the jaw muscles and initiate ideal bone development by assisting in laying down the bone matrix, thus allowing the jaw to develop to its fullest potential. 

Other factors need to be considered, too, such as mouth breathing and improper tongue position, but working with an airway-focused or functional dentist from early on in your child’s life can help you get to the root causes of issues and will offer guidance to get them back on track

The takeaway

Humans need to chew, especially growing and developing children. It’s a fundamental part of growth and development, and is critical for ideal facial, cranial, and airway health.