HIDDEN EPIDEMIC (Kahn S, Ehrlich PR. 2018. Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic. Stanford University Press) written for the general public. It should also be useful for health professionals concerned with naso-oro issues both as a tool to give to patients, but, because of its comprehensive bibliography can help specialists in their own work. b Human jaws have been decreasing in size evolutionar-ily for thousands of years, with important reductions as a consequence of the use of fire and the invention of cooking, the agricultural revo-lution and subsequent indus-trialization. However, in the last century, this has acceler-ated with serious health consequences. b Dental Sleep Medicine 74 has established itself as an impor-tant specialty for the mitiga-tion of respiratory problems. Orthodontists, as experts in growth and development of the face and airways, can naturally become the leaders in the prevention of breathing and sleep disorders and promotion of the most effec-tive therapies for them. 75 The position in which the jaws and soft tissues are main-tained during sleep is extremely important for proper growth and being able to maintain a restful sleep and the resultant healthy brain throughout life. b This rest position depends most importantly on the pres-ence of a nose that is free from obstructions and that is functioning properly. Func-tioning properly means breathing exclusively through the nose during rest. When we sleep, 95% of the air should enter through the nose, effortlessly. 76 b A functional nose promotes a restful sleep and this is fundamental for the physio-logical, cognitive and emotional development of a human being. b A closed mouth must be kept totally shut through light suction, both jaws and lips sealed, in a self-sustainable way, and without energy expenditure. b Maintaining the slight negative pressure in the oral cavity, allows the tongue and soft palate to consolidate away from the airway during rest, especially during sleep. b The biofunctional model proposed by Wilfried Engelke, 77 must be deeply understood. The therapeutic management of the functional units, valves and compart-ments of the naso-oropharyn-geal complex is essential to confront the upcoming chal-lenges of our specialities b The transdisciplinary concept conceived by Rangel-Chávez, 78 as evidenced by the authors collaboration in this paper, should be advo-cated by anyone interested in improving health care in our populations. b We need to understand that the floor of the nose is the roof of the mouth. What happens in the nose impacts the mouth as well as the other way around. Malocclusion is only the consequence, not the cause of the problem. 79 b Transdisciplinary work is mandatory throughout the child's development, and every specialist involved must understand its role in the final goal in guiding facial develop-ment. 80,81 b We must change the fact that “Physicians see patients with-out a mouth and stomatologists see mouths without patients” * Transdisciplinary Research is defined as research efforts conducted by investigators from different disciplines working jointly to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and transla-tional innovations that inte-grate and move beyond disci-pline-specific approaches to address a common problem. (Defined by Harvard School of Public Health) ** GOPex app HYPERLINK "http://www.forwardontics.co m"www.forwardontics.com *** Bluetooth Vacuum Activator HYPERLINK "http://www.forwardontics.co m"www.forwardontics.com **** German orthopedic surgeon, described in 1892 his laws of bone development, which establish that the bone of a healthy person or animal will adapt to the mechanical demands to which it is subjected and the traction forces stimulate its growth ***** Power Expander by Juan Carlos Perez-Varela; Surgery by Federico Hernandez-Alfaro https://lab.ortholab.es/ ****** Kahn-Bow HYPERLINK "http://www.forwardontics.co m"www.forwardontics.com REFERENCES 1. IS¸ERI, O¨ZSOY; Semirapid Maxillary Expan-sion—A Study of Long-Term Transverse Effects in Older Adolescents and Adults. Angle Orthodontist, Vol 74, No 1, 2004 2. Mew, J., In favor of semirapid expansion AJO-DO Vol 112, issue 4, P20A-21A, October 01, 1997. Mew JRC. Relapse following maxillary expansion. Br Dent J. 1977; 143: 301-306 3. Banker A.M., Flores-Mir C., Lagravere Vich M., Changes in orthodontic occlusal indices after semi-rapid maxillary expan-sion, Journal of the World Federation of Orthodontists, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2019, Pages 35-39, ISSN 2212-4438 4. Engelke W, Repetto G, Gaertner MM-, Knoesel M. Functional Treatment of Snor-ing Using Oral Shields in Conjunction with the Tongue Repositioning Manoevre. Int. J. Odontostomatol. 2007;1 (2):133–9. 5. Kahn, S., and S. Wong. 2016. GOPex: Good oral posture exercises. Self-published 6. Ceballos G, Ehrlich PR, Raven PH. 2020. Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction. Proceedings of the 28 Winter 2021 JAOS
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