Hunter-gatherer chewed much more than us. We are designed by evolution to survive in nature like other animals. The jaws are made to chew. Therefore, the enamel of teeth is the hardest material in the body. The masseter muscle is also the strongest muscle in the body. So our bodies are not adapted to the life we live. They are not even made for Agricultural society. The mouth has been the most important tool throughout the history of mankind. We are made to chew as hunter-gatherers do.
Chew like a hunter-gatherer
Skeletons from prehistoric people show that they often have even and smooth teeth. Their tooth surfaces are worn and flat and the front teeth of the upper and lower jaw are often edge to edge. That’s because hunter-gatherers chewed more than us. They used their teeth diligently so that they were subjected to hard abrasion. Our ancestors have bitten roots and bones to bring in us nourishment. They have chewed on plant fiber and animal skin to make clothes, bags and fishing nets. The mouth is adapted for hard chewing, therefore the teeth move in the jaw to give us good chewing surfaces. Wisdom teeth are spare teeth: if we lose a posterior molar tooth, the wisdom tooth moves out and replace it. We have inherited this feature, but we don’t use it.
Dentist Dr Mike Mew and his father John have long argued that chewing has deteriorated in the modern era, and that could be the reason why only humans (and our pets) have crooked teeth, impaired breathing and sunken faces. Father and son Mew have been met not by rational arguments, but by narrow-minded criticism from other dentists for many years. Eventually, science has started to consider their ideas. Their theory is that reduced chewing leads to various dental problems in modern societies that could improve if we used our teeth more. This would mean that the teeth still have the opportunity to move naturally, which means that we can get even rows of teeth and better posture if we obey the Darwinian effectiveness.
Less chewing gives more problems
Now when we don’t use the mouth as much as intended, the parts of the brain that control the jaw region are inactive. When some parts of the brain are bored while others work too much we feel unbalanced. The eyes get overstimulated, we get tired and get headaches. Between 5-15% of the adult population also have facial pain, jaw problems, or grind teeth at night. It may be due to frustrated jaws. JAWPEER is a new chewing tool to stimulate the mouth and jaws based on 10,000-year-old ideas. Hunter-gatherer chewed much more than us. Now when JAWPEER exists, you can chew more.