Some of the common issues people face with their jaws include:
- Shrinking Jaws and Crowded Teeth: A hidden epidemic of shrinking jaws has been identified as a significant factor behind many orthodontic and health issues. This phenomenon is rooted in lifestyle rather than genetics, leading to crowded and crooked teeth, as well as difficulties with breathing and sleeping.
- Chewing and Breathing Difficulties: Changes in human jaws, faces, and oral posture can lead to problems with chewing, speaking, breathing, and even sleeping. Mouth breathing is also highlighted as a significant issue related to jaw health.
- Attractiveness and Jaw Health: The book “Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic” discusses how attractiveness ties into jaw health, emphasizing the impact of modern orthodontics on aesthetic challenges and breathing difficulties.
- Orthognathic Problems: A jaw that’s too small, too large, or crooked can cause problems with chewing, speaking, breathing, and even sleeping. Poorly aligned jaws can result in a variety of issues, including chewing problems, speech problems, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
The book “Jaws The Story of a Hidden Epidemic” by Sandra Kahn and Paul R. Ehrlich uncovers the silent epidemic of shrinking jaws and crowded teeth in the developed world, leading to aesthetic and breathing difficulties. The authors, a renowned orthodontist and an evolutionist, present the biological, dietary, and cultural factors driving this health challenge and propose simple adjustments and an alternative to orthodontics to alleviate the crisis.
Book Summary
The book delves into the causes and consequences of the shrinking jaws epidemic, emphasizing prevention and cure over symptom management. It highlights the importance of jaw health, the impact of modern orthodontics, and the need for simple adjustments to address this major health challenge
Chapter Summary
- Introduction: Discusses the hidden epidemic of shrinking jaws and crowded teeth.
- The Airway: Explores the relationship between jaw size, airway, and breathing difficulties.
- Chewing: Examines the significance of chewing habits and its impact on jaw health.
- Attractiveness and Jaw Health: Discusses the link between attractiveness and jaw health.
- Changes in Human Jaws: Explores the factors causing changes in human jaws, faces, and oral posture.
- Mouth Breathing: Focuses on the implications of mouth breathing for jaw health.
- Personal Solutions: Provides practical tips for individuals and families to address the epidemic at a personal level.
Tips from the Book
- Return children’s diets to chewier foods to promote healthy jaw development.
- Encourage forwardontics, a program focused on keeping the airway open through jaw exercises.
- Emphasize prevention and cure over symptom management for long-term relief.
The book has received praise for its emphasis on educating the public and the dental community on treating and preventing the underlying problems causing shrinking jaws and crowded teeth
However, it’s important to note that the book has also been subject to criticism, with some experts questioning its claims and approach. Therefore, it’s essential to consider different perspectives and critically evaluate the evidence presented in the book.
About the authors
Dr. Sandra Kahn, D.D.S., M.S.D., is a graduate from the University of Mexico and the University of the Pacific. She has 25 years of clinical experience in orthodontics and has been part of the craniofacial anomalies teams at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University. Her graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley was on physical anthropology and human craniofacial growth and development. She practices pediatric sleep apnea prevention and whole-body treatment, addressing body and oral posture to develop stronger jaws which fit all 32 teeth and house large healthy airways. She is an international lecturer, has published two books, Let’s Face It and GOPex – Good Oral Posture Exercises!, and has translated Dr. John Mew’s The Cause and Cure of Malocclusion into Spanish. She is currently the only Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics that practices exclusively Biobloc Orthotropics, and is co-founder of the project zeroto15, which proposes addressing airway growth from pre-conception until 15 years through transdisciplinary teams that foster healthy lifestyles.
Paul R. Ehrlich has been a household name since the publication of his 1968 bestseller, The Population Bomb. He is Bing Professor of Population Studies Emeritus and President of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. Ehrlich is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the Crafoord Prize (an explicit substitute for the Nobel Prize in fields of science where the latter is not given), the Blue Planet Prize, and numerous other international honors. He investigates a wide range of topics in population biology, ecology, evolution, human ecology, and environmental science. Much of his current effort is focused on the mechanisms of human cultural evolution and ways of directing that evolution to ameliorate the human predicament.
Source: Sanford website
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