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Why do we have crooked teeth when our ancestors didn’t? - G. Richard Scott

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According to the fossil record, ancient humans usually had straight teeth, complete with wisdom teeth. In fact, the dental dilemmas that fuel the demand for braces and wisdom teeth extractions today appear to be recent developments. So, what happened? While it’s nearly impossible to know for sure, scientists have a hypothesis. G. Richard Scott shares the prevailing theory on crooked teeth.

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Orthodontists are the dental specialists who put braces on crooked teeth to get them in proper alignment. Was there a time in human history when orthodontists were not required to fix crooked teeth? What are some of the reasons that parents spend a lot of money to get their children’s crowded teeth properly aligned?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator G. Richard Scott
  • Director Igor Coric, Artrake Studio
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Nirana Singh, cAMP Studio
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Senior Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce

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