In today's modern world, there has been a huge upsurge in oral disease. People today complain of numerous ailments like tooth decay, gum disease, gingivitis, caries among others. Most of us dismiss this as a troublesome result of improper care. However recent studies have shown that the true reason behind the chronic oral diseases affecting most of the populace may have something to do with evolution over time of one of the most important aspects of our life: our diet.
Winding back time to the prehistoric era, we see man's evolution from the primitive hunter-gatherer of the stone age to the more social farmer of the bronze age. This change in lifestyle was accompanied by a change in the diet of ancient man. Analysis of the DNA of calcified bacteria on human teeth through ancient times to the modern day has shed light on the health consequences of human evolution over the past 7500 years. Scientists report that there were negative changes in the diversity of our oral bacteria when humans made the transition from hunter- gatherers to farmers. Further changes were observed during and after the industrial revolution.
Chronic Dental Diseases on the Rise
Oral bacteria in modern man are significantly less diverse than those of our ancestors. This is thought to be the reason for the chronic dental diseases plaguing man living in the post-industrial world. Professor Cooper, who has been working on this project for 17 years at the University of Aberdeen claims that the introduction of processed sugar and flour during the industrial revolution has been a key contributing factor to the reduction of the diversity of oral bacteria in our mouths. This dramatic reduction in diversity may have paved way for dominant caries-causing strain to take root more effectively. A disturbing statement drives home his point " The modern mouth exists in a permanent disease state."
This study has opened many new windows of opportunity for further studies in medicine, archeology and genetics. Unlocking the genetic history of diseases that ail humans in modern times may be the key to understanding and finding cures. Genetic analysis of dental plaque can help to provide a more detailed understanding of the impacts of dietary and lifestyle changes, behavioral changes, health alterations and oral pathogenic evolution over a long period of time.
The implications of these new findings are going to resonate in the scientific world. Archeological records may prove invaluable and relevant to the medical community and to the ever expanding field of genetics. Looking back at how far we have come, We are now delving deep into the origins of human evolution and health to find answers to the questions of the modern world.
Dr Sunitha Prasad is a dentist based out of Bangalore, India. Her latest venture, India Dental World seeks to offer comprehensive, unbiased information to consumers, dentists, dental supply manufacturers, and lab technicians about all the aspects of dentistry and dental health. The comprehensive website helps you find a dentist with its extensive dentist directory.
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