Ancient cultures often used sticks to clean the surface of their teeth. Some even used early prototypes of toothbrushes with animal hair as bristles. Early dentistry techniques also included the use of powders on their teeth before the invention of toothpaste.
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.
Ancient cultures chewed on twigs or roots to clean their teeth. In the Middle Ages, people believed that dogs' teeth boiled in wine made an excellent mouth rinse to prevent tooth decay. Egyptians used a form of toothpaste over 5,000 years ago.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction Through the Ages
But before the development of surgical dentistry, infected or impacted wisdom teeth had to be removed without advanced techniques or instruments. Originally, patients underwent extraction with imprecise hand tools and had no anesthesia.
Around 1770, the first porcelain dentures were made, and by the 1800's porcelain dentures were the standard for replacing 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.
Often, they would use water and a rough cloth, scrubbing their teeth. Salt and charcoal were often rubbed across the teeth and then rinsed away. However, the most common way of taking care of teeth involved taking a birch twig and fraying the end, making a primitive brush. Dental powders were also used.
Our Early Ancestors Needed Wisdom Teeth
In our caveman days, we didn't have forks and knives to cut up our food, and we couldn't even cook meat. Because early humans needed to chew coarse, hearty foods, they required a broader jaw. Wisdom teeth grew in to give them more chewing power for this purpose.
The problem with these molars, or wisdom teeth, is that there's often not enough room in the mouth for them. This causes them to become impacted or lead to infections, which are both painful and bad for your health. Humans don't need these extra molars anymore because modern, cooked food is simply easier to chew.
This is because there's no proven benefit of doing this and it carries the risk of complications. Sometimes, wisdom teeth that have become impacted or haven't fully broken through the surface of the gum can cause dental problems.
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.
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.
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.
Native Americans and Early Settlers
To treat their toothaches, Native Americans would place a single thorn from the Prickly Ash tree against the gingival tissue near the painful tooth, and within minutes the area would be numb.
To fight against tooth decay, ancient Native Americans used chewsticks — twigs that have been frayed by a rock on one end and sharpened into a toothpick on the other. Chewing on the frayed ends cleans the teeth. They also kept their breath fresh by chewing herbs like sage, cucacua, and mint.
One week without brushing:
As soon as a week goes by, your teeth' enamel will start to break down. The plaque that hasn't been removed will make it easy for bad breath to grow. A dirty tooth will make it hard to clean.
Wisdom Teeth AKA, Your Third Molar!
This breaks down to nearly 25 percent of Americans with European ancestry, 12 percent of Americans with African ancestry and over 40 percent of Americans with Asian ancestry. And strangely enough, Asians do not have wisdom teeth to contend with.
The average person has four wisdom teeth, which are the last teeth to erupt in the mouth. However, it is not uncommon for people to have fewer or more than four wisdom teeth.
Wisdom teeth — the third molars in the very back of your mouth — may not need to be removed if they are: Healthy. Grown in completely (fully erupted) Positioned correctly and biting properly with their opposing teeth.
About 20-25% of the human population is born with 1 to 3 wisdom teeth, and 35% is born without any wisdom teeth at all.
Diet has shaped human jaw bones; a result that could help explain why many people suffer with overcrowded teeth. The study has shown that jaws grew shorter and broader as humans took on a more pastoral lifestyle. Before this, developing mandibles were probably strengthened to give hunter-gatherers greater bite force.
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.
Fibrous Food
They do this by aiding in flushing away food debris from the surface of the teeth. If food debris is quickly removed from the tooth's surface, dental plaque is less likely to accumulate. Essentially, these foods acted as a toothbrush to keep their teeth clean.
Toothpaste in ancient cultures
Ancient toothpaste was used to whiten teeth, freshen breath, and clean teeth and gums as we use it today. However, the materials were more abrasive and not as hygienic. Some ingredients of ancient toothpaste included grounded-up ox hooves' ashes, burnt eggshells, and pumice.
Elizabeth had many lovers - MYTH
We may never know if Elizabeth had non-platonic relationships with any of them, though no evidence has ever conclusively proved that she took lovers or companions before or after taking the crown.