The funny thing is though, not all cavemen did suffer from tooth decay, unlike many of us today. Why not? Because they ate all natural foods. Fossil remains from the Stone Age have shown that teeth were generally well preserved as the result of a natural diet!
Dental Care cavemen
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.
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. These lesions were often severe, as in the case of cavities found on the teeth of the newly discovered species, Homo naledi.
A new study published in Scientific Reports has found that early humans have been using primitive dentistry techniques for about 14,000 years. Even cavemen had cavities, and now scientists have discovered that they also took pains – literally – to remove them.
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.
A new study found that humans living in Sudan about 2,000 years ago were actually preventing cavities by eating a plant called the purple nutsedge. Today, purple nutsedge is an aggressive weed that we do everything possible to contain. But back then, it may have been the key to decay prevention.
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.
In the last decade or so archaeologists have found evidence from cultures across the world that bad teeth were scraped, scoured, even drilled and filled apparently to remove decayed tissue.
Tooth decay first ravaged human society 15,000 years ago.
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.
At this time, simple dental drills were used to treat cavities. Text from the Sargonid dynasty of Assyria (which lasted from 668 BC to 626 BC) revealed that tooth inflammation was cured via tooth extraction. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans also used a broad range of cavity treatments.
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.
Vulnerability to predators
Firearms, explosives, protective gear, and other weaponry was not readily available for cavemen, so their ability to be the dominant force in nature was hindered. Predators were a real threat and were a common cause of death for cavemen.
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.
Researchers have long suspected that early humans wedged sticks into their teeth to clean them, Hardy said. Chimpanzees, which are connected to humans via a common ancestor, use sticks and pieces of grass to clean between their teeth.
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.
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.
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.
As long ago as 3000 B.C., the ancient Egyptians constructed crude toothbrushes from twigs and leaves to clean their teeth. Similarly, other cultures such as the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Indians also cleaned their teeth with twigs.
The main reason that medieval Europeans did not have high rates of tooth decay has to with their diet. Refined sugar was not readily available during this time. It was used mainly by the wealthy, and even then it was used as a condiment rather than a main ingredient.
Toothache sufferers could seek relief by drinking an opium syrup, smoking henbane, smoking marijuana or drinking an oil from the plant, smoking tobacco for the nicotine and chewing coca or taking it in liquid form. Colvard said these are still used as toothache remedies today.
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.
Prolonged time without brushing your teeth can cause tooth decay and gum disease to become more advanced, which can lead to receding gums and even tooth loss. Additional issues, including a higher risk for the onset of Alzheimer's disease, can be linked to high levels of unchecked bacteria in the mouth.
When you don't brush regularly, plaque builds up on teeth, can harden into tartar, and provide a nice environment for bacteria to thrive. These bacteria can work their way into your gums and cause an infection.