Episode summary
In this episode, Greg Dickens and I discuss recent news around constipation and paternity leave and then dive into a bit more detail about why WEIRD children’s jaws don’t grow enough. We talk about what we learned about changing patterns of jaw deformity in the Amerindian communities in South America, and about what parents can do to set their kids up for straight teeth throughout life.
Topics discussed in this episode
- Why is childhood constipation on the rise, and what’s a surprise contributor? [01:34]
- How does paternity leave affect a mother’s behaviour [05:51]
- Why are our teeth actually scales? [11:24]
- Why is this starting to affect traditional communities? [14:08]
- What can parents do to improve their children’s jaw size? [18:12]
Have you seen any recent articles we should discuss on this podcast? Or any topics you’d love us to cover?
Resources mentioned in this episode
Gut feelings
Constipation is just one of the ways in which our guts can let us down. Want to learn more about how our guts move and what makes them move in the wrong way? Hint - the microbiome's important, but there's a whole lot more here too...
Biting off less than we can chew
Despite all of this ‘tooth trouble’, my teeth were completely normal. They were the perfect shape and size. But my jaws had not grown anywhere near enough to hold them. It sounds like some bizarre malformation, doesn't it?
This bizarre malformation happens to well over half of children in the UK (by some estimates over 70% throughout Northern Europe). In the US, the average cost of treatment of this malformation is around $5000, and the global market is worth almost $20 billion. How has this happened?
- Childhood constipation increasing: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/18/primary-age-child-constipation-rates-up-60-in-england-and-wales
- Elimination communication reduces bladder and bowel dysfunction https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91704-3
- Paternity leave and maternal gatekeeping behaviour: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250220122623.htm
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