"Nature" is what comes from our genes, and "Nurture" is what happens to us after we're conceived. This dichotomy is not quite so clear cut since what happens to us can, and does, affect the way genes are expressed, so the two are closely related. But still, we look at issues as being predominantly affected by nature or nurture. The color of our eyes is more Nature than Nurture. Being overweight is probably less Nature and more Nurture, but both play a role. It might be 20:80 for some people. Maybe 40:60 for others.
For many years, when people asked me why they have crooked teeth, I would give them a general answer that favored Nature. I'd say "Well you get your teeth from your mother and your jaws from you father, and they don't match", or "You get one jaw from Mom and the other from Dad", etc. I thought that malocclusion was 70:30 Nature vs Nurture.
I think I was mistaken.
I now believe, as have many throughout the history of dentistry, that most of the common forms of malocclusion (crooked teeth) are not inherited at all. In fact, malocclusion is a relatively modern disease. Findings of skulls from as little as 30,000 years ago show NO signs of crooked teeth and it is believed that our genes cannot have changed since that period of time. Studies of populations that eat natural foods (not processed or sugary) show much less malocclusion. This has been know since at least 1904, and was made clearly know by Weston Price in the 1940's.
Now I'm thinking 30:70 or even 20:80 in favor of Nurture.
So if crooked teeth is not in our genes, what causes it? The answer will surprise you. Have any ideas?
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