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Proff P. J Orofac Orthop 2010; 71: 96–107

The distinctive chin was a characteristic of the Habsburg (Hapsburg) dynasty. But was this the cause of the 'eating and digestive disorders' of Carlos II, the last ruling member of the Spanish Habsburg family? A lack of posterior occluding units 'leads to the premature swallowing of incompletely-chewed particles, to longer chewing, or to the avoidance of foods difficult to chew'. When orthodontic malocclusion is considered, 'only an Angle Class III exhibits a clearly reduced masticatory efficiency'. When looking at associations between such malocclusions and gastrointestinal disturbances, a recent study has showed that 'patients (with a severe Class III malocclusion) reported significantly more severe reflux symptoms than the 20 control subjects'. But taken as a whole, this article gives scant evidence for the much vaunted statement 'the first digestion takes place in the mouth'.