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ancient ancestors

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Why Did Early Humans Have Perfectly Straight Teeth?

They never had to suffer the indignity of a night guard.

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Why do we have crooked teeth when our ancestors didn’t? G. Richard Scott Investigates. — Why do we have crooked teeth when our ancestors didn’t? G. Richard Scott Investigates.
Image credit: Dario Lo Presti/Shutterstock.com

Fossil records suggest that ancient humans usually had straight teeth and wisdom teeth. Today, between 25-50 percent of people require some kind of orthodontic intervention. So, what happened? It appears humans having crooked teeth is a relatively recent development. Dentistry isn't cheap, so where did it go wrong for us?

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Credit: TED-Ed

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ancient ancestors

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