Orthotropics & Orthodontics

Published on January 30, 2017 | William M. Hang, DDS, MSD – Practitioner & Lecturer | Linked-In Article

Weston Price chronicled physical degeneration and noted dentofacial changes which occurred in children who adopted a Western Diet. The medical and dental communities have never properly explored or appreciated this research and continue to blame “heredity” for long faces and crooked teeth in narrow dental arches.

John Mew, an orthodontist from London, has taken Price’s observations about altered craniofacial growth and proposes that these changes occur due to the way children hold their jaw, lips, and tongue at rest. These changes are often the result of airway issues which result from the diet described by Price or reduced forces of mastication with cooked food as described by Pottenger.

The predominant changes that Price described are really downward and backward growth of the lower face which results in narrow arches and crowded teeth. Ideally the face grows forward into a balanced, pleasing facial appearance. The changes in Western society of such growth are so pervasive that few realize that faces are not meant to grow the way we see so many of them grow today. We can marvel at the physical skills of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, but few mothers would want their children to have what most would consider his very unattractive, long face. Nevertheless, long faces like Michael Phelps’ are quite common in all industrialized societies. Dr. Mew’s theories easily explain why Phelps’ face, and that of millions of others in all industrialized societies, fail to develop into the esthetic balance they were meant to have. Price’s observations are validated with a specific mechanism postulated by Mew’s work.

People are now used to seeing children with “buck teeth” and believe that the upper teeth actually stick out too far in such individuals. In reality, Mew has shown that the upper and lower jaws are actually recessed in such individuals. Indeed, the grand majority of people in Western societies have both jaws recessed even if their upper and lower teeth fit in what orthodontists tell us is a normal occlusion. So, is the only problem with this that we are less attractive? Hardly. Let’s dig a little deeper where this gets really interesting.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is becoming the most common chronic disease in all industrialized countries according to Harvard trained physician John Remmers, M.D.. He further states it wouldn’t exist if the jaws were placed more forward in the face where they were meant to be! OSA occurs when the airway is narrowed and the person stops breathing because their soft palate or tongue falls back during sleep and occludes the airway. The smaller the airway is, the more likely it is that the airway will seal periodically during sleep. Untreated OSA is good for a 20% reduction in life expectancy. Heart attack, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson’s, and most other chronic degenerative diseases are associated with OSA! Most current discussions of the health consequences of eating a Western Diet center on the metabolic aspects of how the body processes the food and the long term disease processes associated with such a diet, but by connecting Prices’ work to that of Mew and Remmers, we can recognize that the airway is narrowed because the soft palate and tongue fall back in direct response to the upper and lower jaws falling back during growth – secondary to adoption of a Western Diet.

The story gets really interesting when one realizes that traditional orthodontic treatment is retractive in nature. Most treatment plans, particularly those involving extraction of permanent teeth and/or headgear wear, will cause both jaws to become even more recessed in the face. What then happens to the airway with children who undergo this treatment? You are free to speculate!

It gets even more interesting when one studies OSA in children OSA is not uncommon in children. A 15 point drop in IQ has been shown in some studies of children suffering from OSA. Significant problems of hyperactivity, ADHD, ADD, and other issues are now being related to lack of proper sleep associated with airway issues. When one understands that the airway and oral posture issues are related to what the child is eating, the importance of diet for proper growth and longevity comes under new light.

The problems of the very young child having OSA due to recessive jaws don’t go away on their own. Most feel that there is no solution. Such is not the case. Using a technique developed by Dr. John Mew, (Biobloc Orthotropics® – which is the exact opposite of traditional orthodontics) we have now shown that it is possible to eliminate pediatric OSA (confirmed with before and after sleep tests). Research on young patients (under age 10) treated in our practice with Biobloc Orthotropics® has confirmed (published in the refereed literature) some dramatic improvements in the airway which we believe leads to better general health over a lifetime!

The point is Weston Price’s work is even more far reaching than many have thought! The good news is that with the knowledge of Price about diet and of Mew about developing the face FORWARD if it has begun to grow downward and backward, children have the potential to have beautiful, well-balanced faces with broad dental arches and airways that can support a healthy life.