Interesting Facts About Ancient Dental Practices

If you didn’t have the modern conveniences of a toothbrush and toothpaste, what would you use to clean your teeth? Well back in the day, ancient civilizations had a lot of different methods for cleaning teeth…some more effective than others. Let’s travel into the past to learn some fun facts about primitive dental practices!

Chewing Sticks

Back before soft-bristled toothbrushes, people would use chewing sticks to clean their teeth. Imagine a stick or twig with frayed ends that would act as bristles. The first record of these chewing sticks comes from the Babylonians in 3500 BC, and ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, and Romans also used such tools.

Tooth Worms

Today, we know that those little holes in our teeth called cavities are caused by decay, but popular belief in the olden times was that a tooth worm was responsible for gnawing away at our teeth and causing problems. Thank goodness that that turned out not to be true! To get rid of such small pests, different cultures tried different techniques, including rituals, spells, heated probes, and extraction.

Toothpaste Recipes

We may have some interesting toothpaste flavors on the market now like chocolate and bacon, but they don’t quite compare to some of the ingredients that were once used. Ash, eggshells, pumice, crushed bones, oyster shells, and bark were all once used to make toothpastes. The oldest known recipe for toothpaste, which comes on a papyrus from ancient Egypt, doesn’t sound so terrible though. It called for rock salt, mint, iris flower, and pepper.

Hearing some of these ancient dental practices may make you a little more thankful for the comfort and convenience of today’s oral health care. We’re sure glad times have changed! If you need some help sorting out a dental routine for yourself, whether you need some pointers with technique or some advice with products, feel free to contact the Henson Family Dental team today!