When humans turned from hunting to farming thousands of years ago, they set the species on the road to civilisation. This change, however, had both upsides and downsides. One of the downsides is that the teeth and jaw of modern humans experienced a considerable evolutionary change. In particular, the human jaw shortened and left such little room for the teeth. This has led to not only cavities, but also overbites, crookedness, and crowded teeth, according to studies.

1. Change to a Softer Diet:
To Blame for Today’s
Common Orthodontic
Problems
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2. When humans turned from hunting to farming thousands of years ago, they set the species on the
road to civilisation. This change, however, had both upsides and downsides. One of the downsides
is that the teeth and jaw of modern humans experienced a considerable evolutionary change.
In particular, the human jaw shortened and left such little room for the teeth. This has led to not
only cavities, but also overbites, crookedness, and crowded teeth, according to studies.
The ‘Soft Food’ Theory
Evolutionary biologists, food scientists, and dental researchers tried to explain the phenomenon
and came up with the ‘soft food’ theory. This theory revolves around the idea that due to the
transition from a hunting-and-gathering lifestyle to a farming way of life, the jaws gradually lost
their initial strength and size. The softer food uses less of the jaw muscles, thus making them
weaker and smaller with every generation.

3. This is supported by studies from the University College London and University of Kent, which
show that tooth size decreases by about one percent every 2000 years. The findings apply to teeth
samples from 35,000 to 10,000 years ago – at present, the rate increased to one percent every
1000 years.
The researchers examined some well-preserved samples of human bodies of the Aboriginals and
Kalahari bushmen, who had a hunter-gatherer diet.
More Meat, Tools, and the Discovery of Cooking
The modern diet consists of more meat than that of early ancestors’. This means the teeth process
less course vegetable material, reducing the need for large and herbivorous teeth. In addition,
humans started using tools like knives, fork, and spoon instead of their sharp, large teeth and
strong jaws.
Humans discovered cooking as well, which made meat more tender and easier to chew.

4. Evolutionary biologists, food scientists, and dental researchers, overall, blame this change to a
softer diet for many of today’s common orthodontic problems.
SOURCES:
https://www.freshdental.co.uk/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111122112032.htm
http://itoldyouiwassick.info/2015/05/18/crooked-teeth-malnutrition/