Facial Development

Ancient skulls typically show wide jaws, straight teeth, and flat palates, whereas modern skulls more often show narrow jaws, high-arched palates, and crowded teeth. The assumption that facial bone cannot remodel after age 30 is inaccurate; bone can remodel when given appropriate stimulus. A high-arched or V-shaped upper palate rises into the nasal airway and can impede nasal airflow. Crooked teeth are primarily a jaw-size problem: the mouth has become too small for the teeth, not a primary tooth defect. Childhood oral posture, chewing, and nasal breathing can influence facial and airway development. Adult palatal expansion devices can widen the upper palate, increase airway size, and add bone to the face.