Life

Ask the Dentist: Are we really losing the ability to chew?

Eating softer food has over time meant anatomical changes that aren't always for the better says Lucy Stock, dentist at Gentle Dental Care in Belfast

Consider the crunchiness... particularly for children who are developing
Consider the crunchiness... particularly for children who are developing Consider the crunchiness... particularly for children who are developing

FROM 200,000 until around 10,000 years ago we were hunter gathers, foraging for food. The food that we came across required relatively more chewing, which involves forces that stimulated the growth of the facial muscles and bones, giving us bigger skulls.

Then came the invention of the cooking pot which meant long cooking times, softening food. With the 'development' of food preparation techniques we have given birth to today’s modern diet of highly processed, refined, softer foods that are stripped not only of their crunchiness but also of essential nutrients.

Studies looking at the size of the lower jaw have found that over millennia our jaw size has reduced and is continuing to get smaller. A diet based on tougher foods will widen the lower jaw, giving a squarer face shape rather than a long one. Whereas if we eat mainly soft foods the muscles and bones will tend to wither away. Wider jaws have more room for teeth and so the teeth are less likely to erupt overcrowded.

Other studies have discovered that with increased food hardness we chew faster, with greater forces and more chews per bite. It’s a bit like working out in the gym – the more you do it, the more the muscles enlarge, and this also impacts on the structure of the underlying bone, improving bone density and shape.

Jaw development starts when an infant suckles from a breast. This puts the tongue in the correct position in the mouth and stimulates a proper swallowing action which allows for a broad flat palate and if all factors are favourable gives a broad smile as an adult.

But hang on, don’t start going crazy and chewing like a rabid dog. The body likes to work in balance so just as we can under chew we can also over chew, which overloads the facial muscles, bones and teeth.

It's more about eating styles; for instance, if we chew an apple, we get more functionally out of this compared with drinking a fruit smoothie. Considering the crunchiness of foods when preparing food is key, especially for children who are developing as it will help maximise their jaw growth potential.

Crudités at the ready… now chew!