Evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman notes the pattern in his book, The Story of the Human Body, “Most of the hunter-gatherers had nearly perfect dental health. Apparently, orthodontists and dentists were rarely necessary in the Stone Age.”
Prehistoric humans didn't have toothbrushes. They didn't have floss or toothpaste, and they certainly didn't have Listerine. Yet somehow, their mouths were a lot healthier than ours are today. "Hunter-gatherers had really good teeth," says Alan Cooper, director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA.
Ancient humans had lower loads of harmful disease-causing bacteria and a significantly lower risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease. However, once farming populations expand, there's a massive change. Huge amounts of gum disease and cavities start cropping up," says Alan Cooper, Ph.
Folks in the Stone Age had those larger jaws and beautiful teeth because they lived on a diet of meat and vegetables that they hunted and gathered every day. Eventually, farms came into the picture, and people started to learn different ways to prepare, cook, and store food.
Early hominids may have found those four sharp teeth at the corners of the jaws a handy weapon for taking prey, preventing others from taking them prey and competing for mates. Over millions of years, possibly in response to dietary changes, the teeth became smaller.
The jaws of hunter-gatherers nearly uniformly reveal roomy, perfect arches of well aligned teeth, with no impacted wisdom teeth—a movie star's dream smile, 15,000 years before the movies! Our ancestors did not suffer from crooked teeth to the same extent that we do today.
Tooth decay first ravaged human society 15,000 years ago.
Our ancestors' diets consisted of all-natural, unprocessed foods like vegetables, fruits, wheat, and rice. These foods contained no chemicals or preservatives and were rich in the vitamins and nutrients that make teeth resistant to decay and other dental infections.
Cavemen chewed on sticks to clean their teeth and even used grass stalks to pick in between their teeth. Without the availability of high-quality toothbrushes and toothpaste, however, cavemen's teeth were more susceptible to cavities and decay, even with a healthy, carbohydrate-free diet.
Early humans generally had relatively few cavities, thanks in part to meals that were heavy on the meat, light on the carbs. Then humans invented farming and began eating more grain. Bacteria in the human mouth flourished, pouring out acids that eat away at the teeth.
The researchers concluded that the period saw wood and bone flints shift from use as simple toothpicks to primitive tools for excavating cavities, and that humans' first attempt at dentistry involved “scratching and levering activities,” not drilling practices.
That wasn't the only surprise for the researchers: their analysis also revealed that the people of Pompeii had nearly "perfect teeth," ANSA reports. A low-sugar diet, rich in fruit and vegetables — along with fluorine that was present in a local water source— gave them their pearly whites.
“They had really good teeth – they ate a diet that contained few sugars, and was high in fruit and vegetables,” orthodontist Elisa Vanacore said at a press conference last week.
But recent research suggests this is not the case. In fact, cavities have now been found in tooth fossils from nearly every prehistoric hominin species studied. They were probably caused by eating certain fruits and vegetation as well as honey.
Ancient people who lived in the north were healthier. They had better teeth and less cancer. The most ancient individuals were less likely to have been predisposed to cancer and neurological/psychological conditions.
A systematic review of more than 3,000 mummy analyses reveal ancient Egyptians suffered from periodontal diseases, abscesses and cavities.
Brazilians are the cleanest people in the world. Their personal higiene comes from the native índios. The índios took showers daily and sometimes even twice! There are many stories about Brazilian's showering habits across the world.
Based on the writings of Herodotus, Ancient Egyptians used many healthy hygiene habits, such as washing, and laundry. They also knew to use mint to make their breath fresh. According to Ancient History Online Encyclopedia, Ancient Egyptians always tried to make their bodies clean.
Fibrous Food
The ancient peoples' diet consisted a large part of fibrous foods. Fibrous foods are great for digestion, but also help to keep our teeth healthy and clean. They do this by aiding in flushing away food debris from the surface of the teeth.
Wealthy Brits did not hesitate to indulge their sweet tooth, and it was no different for the monarch, Queen Elizabeth I. The queen was especially fond of sweets, but not so fond of the dentist. Her teeth rotted; they turned black and gave off a foul odor.
Make it to 94 and you done good.
Natural Toothcare. Native Americans cleaned their teeth by using chewsticks and chewing on fresh herbs to cleanse their teeth and gums. Chewsticks were twigs that had two uses: one end was frayed by a rock and used for brushing, while the other end was sharpened and used as a tooth pick.
Multiple cavities pit the teeth excavated from a Viking settlement found in modern-day Sweden. Anyone who survived to adulthood in the Viking Age probably had terrible teeth.
Since animal diets don't contain acids or refined sugars, they don't need to worry about plaque and cavities like we do! Human diets are more carbohydrate-rich, leading to plaque that can turn into cavities and decay if left untreated.
Unlike humans, most animals—especially those living in the wild—don't eat cooked food. This provides their teeth with protection from tooth decay because they aren't eating foods that are heavy on refined sugar.