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.
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.
Earlier research shows that ancient hunter-gathers had cavities in at most 14% of their teeth, and some had almost no cavities at all. Then, roughly 10,000 years ago, humans learned to farm. Grain and other carbohydrates took over the plate, making the human mouth a haven for bacteria that destroy tooth enamel.
Some of the early techniques in these cultures included chewing on bark or sticks with frayed ends, feathers, fish bones and porcupine quills. They used materials like silver, jade and gold to repair or decorate their teeth.
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.
Many Vikings used picks to clean the gaps between their teeth, and some historian believes they may have also used fibrous hazel twigs and similar tools as a kind of brush. The Viking skeletons discovered over the decades have usually had relatively strong teeth too.
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.
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.
Make it to 94 with all your own teeth intact? You're a record-breaker. Which is precisely what Frank Medina of Stockton, CA has done. According to Ripley's Believe it or Not, Frank Medina is the “oldest man in the world with all his teeth who has never had a cavity."
Cavities, also referred to as dental caries, have caused tooth pain for millions of years. Fossils from the Australopithecus species reveal some of the earliest dental caries from 1.1 million to 4.4 million years ago. Paleolithic and Mesolithic skulls also show signs of cavities.
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.
Teeth Around the World: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
With a DMFT (decayed, missing, or filled teeth) index score of 0.4, Danish citizens have pretty perfect teeth. Germany, Finland, Sweden, and the UK all have scores below 1.0, making them the five countries with the healthiest teeth.
Here is the list of countries whose populations have the healthiest teeth in the world learn more about why that is; Denmark: In the top spot, with an impressive DMFT Score of 0.4 At the very pinnacle of the list have Denmark. The data indicates Denmark has the best oral health of all the countries in the entire world.
“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.
Oral diseases are now very common in most Aboriginal communities due to lifestyle factors including diet and barriers to timely dental care, including the cost, availability and cultural competence of services.
It has been observed that the Egyptians used burnt eggshells, powder of ox's hooves, and ashes, combined using a pumice stone to make a powder they'd rub their teeth and gums with. On the other hand, the Greeks and Romans were more abrasive with their toothpaste ingredients.
In China, a great number of people brush their teeth but rarely gargle or, floss, Liu says. “Protecting teeth by simply brushing and flossing are not enough,” said Liu. “It's really important to do teeth cleaning regularly as well.
There are a number of reasons why her teeth were so discoloured. The Queen Mother was, by many accounts, a party girl! Wining, dining, and cake played a large part, as did gin and cigarettes in her lifestyle. TWO OF THE WORST THINGS YOU CAN INDULGE IN, AS FAR AS YOUR TEETH ARE CONCERNED.
Prior to sugar, Queen Elizabeth's dental care consisted of brushing her teeth with honey. However, when sugar became available, she replaced honey with sugar. In fact, the sugar paste became known as Tudor Toothpaste.
However, Freddy was never ready to get his teeth fixed. Although he could certainly afford it later in his career, Freddie Mercury refused to correct his alignment issue because he believed it contributed to his incredible range. He feared that changing his teeth would negatively affect his singing ability.
The ancient Romans also practiced dental hygiene.
They used frayed sticks and abrasive powders to brush their teeth. These powders were made from ground-up hooves, pumice, eggshells, seashells, and ashes.
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.
Contrary to the depiction of medieval peasants with blackened and rotting teeth, the average person in the Middle Ages had teeth that were in very good condition. This is substantially due to one factor—the rarity of sugar in the diet.
More than 9 in 10 older adults have had cavities, and 1 in 6 have untreated cavities. Older non-Hispanic Black or Mexican American adults have 2 to 3 times the rate of untreated cavities as older non-Hispanic White adults. Untreated cavities and education.