Chinese skull study reveals ancestors had better oral health
Forebears from 4,000 years ago had healthier teeth and jaw alignment than people have today
Our ancient ancestors had better jaw alignment and less tooth decay because they ate more fibre-rich foods, while we eat more sugar and finer food, researchers have concluded after looking at skulls from 4,000 years ago.
The modern-day environment and eating habits have led to a dramatic increase in the occurrence of tooth and jaw misalignment.
People in the past used their face muscles more often in chewing harder food such as roots and leaves, said Dr Zhang Chengfei, clinical associate professor in endodontics at the University of Hong Kong who took part in the Chinese skull study. Endodontics is the branch of dentistry specialising in internal parts of teeth such as roots and nerves.
"We are lazy and don't like to chew hard food," Zhang said. "We should make better use of our jaw, so that it functions better."
The findings did not imply people should adopt ancient diets, but suggested that fibre-rich food would enable more jaw exercise and also give a cleaning effect like brushing the teeth, he said.
Researchers from Peking University and HKU examined skulls from the Xia dynasty unearthed in Henan and Shanxi provinces.