Dental Anatomy in Humans

Regenerative Culture Health, Healing & Movement
#1

I know there are two other threads on teeth, but not one on the shape of teeth.

Why is it that humans, especially white people, don’t have perfect teeth like most of all the other mammals? What I mean by perfect teeth is that they arn’t aligned perfectly. It is because of our diets, or is it genetic? I know that when I went to Samoa, all of the natives had perfectly aligned teeth. Also, many African Americans have perfect teeth as well. Is it because of sucking your thumb as a baby? If anyone had any information I would appreciate it a lot.

#2

There’s a lot of information out there around the idea that refined foods especially flour and sugar actually alter are entire mouth structure. This was started as anthropological work done on the effects of flour and sugar and refined foods on indigenous people. It turned out that within one generation not only did they have cavities and sometimes the first appearance of diabetes there was also the appearance of crooked teeth and transformation in people’s jaws! I think the name of the anthropologist who did the initial research was Winston Price but I’m not sure. Some follow up books include “Native Foods are Your Best Medicine” and “Nourishing Traditions”.

As a side note, I have a friend whose one-year old son was experiencing a lot of very strange dental decay. She followed some Winston Price inspired dietary advice (included a lot of bones and essential fats and organ meats), and his teeth repaired themselves (including cavities).

#3

Yeah, Weston Price. Lots of info available here.

I remember learning that we get about one tenth of the vitamin A of traditional diets (among many other differences!!! :wink: ), and that vit A works as sort of a key to your body absorbing and using minerals and other nutrients (i.e, remineralizing teeth!).

#4

Low breastfeeding rates may have something to do with it as well. Breastfeeding plays a part in normal jaw development of infants.