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“SWIMMER’S CALCULUS” SOUNDS more like advanced mathematics than anything to do with teeth, but it’s actually the term for yellow or brown stains a swimmer can develop on their teeth after prolonged exposure to acidic chlorine ions in pool water. Tooth enamel is so vulnerable to acid that even mildly acidic pool water can increase the risk of stains.

Tooth Squeeze for Scuba Divers

For those who prefer scuba diving over swimming pools, the dental health risk is barodontalgia or “tooth squeeze.” The same way pressure builds in our ears when we dive, it can also build inside teeth, particularly any with untreated cavities or faulty dental work. If the pressure grows enough, it can even fracture the tooth. We recommend pre-diving dental visits to make sure no teeth are vulnerable.

Diving Masks: One Size Fits…None?

A common diving problem is that the so-called “one size fits all” mouthpieces don’t seem to fit anyone well, forcing divers to clench down on the mouthpiece to keep it in place. This puts a lot of strain on the jaws, potentially contributing to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). To anyone who dives multiple times a year, we recommend investing in a custom-fitted mouthpiece.

WE TEND TO ASSUME that people from earlier eras (especially the pre-industrial ones) must have had terrible dental health, but that’s not always true. While we get to benefit from modern dental care, braces, and root canal therapy here in the 21st century, the ancient Native Americans did a pretty good job of taking care of their teeth. So did people in ancient China!

Diet and Ancient American Dental Health

Perhaps the biggest thing ancient Native Americans had working in their teeth’s favor was their diet. The early Native American diet consisted of corn (maize), beans, squash, fish, game, and plenty of fresh fruit and nuts. That kind of high-fiber diet is great for dental health because the harmful bacteria in our mouths need sugar and starch to multiply. High-fiber foods actually help to scrub our teeth clean as we eat them!

Ancient Skulls With Periodontitis

Tooth decay and gum disease might have been uncommon for the early Native Americans, but they weren’t nonexistent. If you ever go check out the Manitou Cliff Dwellings by Colorado Springs, you can see the holes left by advanced gum disease in the jaw bones of some of the replica skulls.

Before the Toothbrush

Aside from diet, early Native Americans used chewsticks and chewed fresh herbs to keep their teeth clean and healthy. Chewsticks are twigs with one frayed end to chew and clean the teeth and one pointy end to use as a toothpick, and herbs like mint, cucacua, and sage were great for fresh breath.

Meanwhile, in China, some people had access to toothbrushes more like what we’re used to, made of animal bone and hair, and they made an early form of toothpaste by boiling honey locust fruit, ginger, foxglove, lotus leaves, and other herbs. The mixture helped reduce gum inflammation, ease toothaches, and remove stains. Having healthy teeth and fresh breath were important qualities — if a little harder to maintain than they are now.

Early Dental Extractions in Ancient China

The ancient Chinese were performing dental extractions and stabilizing teeth with wires as far back as 6,000 BC! They didn’t seem to be very interested in straightening teeth, but they were quite advanced when it came to treating endodontic problems.

Silver and Tin Fillings

Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty developed a toothache in 618 AD, and his tooth doctor recommended a dental filling made of melted silver and tin. It would have been a very painful procedure, but it was over a thousand years before European dentistry reached the same point!

Ancient Mouthwash

In daily life, ancient Chinese people would maintain their oral hygiene by gargling tea or salt water, and it became common practice during the Tang dynasty to chew on a willow twig in the morning after soaking it in water overnight. The twig’s protruding fibers worked a lot like a toothbrush.

Modern Dental Health

As fascinating as it is to look back on the dental health practices of ancient cultures, we recommend sticking to modern solutions, such as brushing twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, cutting back on sugar consumption, and scheduling regular dental exams.

40% OF KIDS WILL develop at least one cavity by the time they turn eleven, which makes tooth decay the most common disease of childhood. That might seem scary, but parents can make a big difference, and that starts with understanding what causes cavities.

Sugary Drinks Cause Cavities

One major culprit is sugary drinks. That doesn’t just mean soda. We think of fruit juice as being healthier, but it’s just as bad! And the worst way to drink it is by sipping it throughout the day. It’s so harmful to the teeth that the results are called “bottle rot.” Baby bottle tooth decay can also happen with sippy cups and even breastfeeding!

If a baby’s gums and teeth aren’t properly cleaned after feeding, the sugary milk residue left in their mouth increases the risk of tooth decay.

So Do Sugary Snacks!

Sugar in solid form is a problem too. Most of the snacks kids tend to love most are loaded with sugar. If they’re snacking on these sugary treats all day, then their saliva won’t get a chance to wash the sugar away and neutralize the pH of their mouths. That means their teeth are constantly bathed in acid, leading to enamel erosion and decay.

We recommend trading sugary snacks for sliced fruits and veggies, especially if your child needs the energy boost from a snack in between meals.

Preventing Bottle Rot

We aren’t here to insist that you never let your child touch a drop of soda or fruit juice again, but we recommend limiting access to drinks other than water to mealtimes. A pacifier will be better for their teeth than continuous access to fruit juice. It’s safe to use a bottle of water after the baby is six months old or a sippy cup of water for toddlers. (Another benefit to water aside from better oral health: no risk of stains or stickiness on clothing, carpet, or furniture!)

With infants, clean out the milk residue after every meal. As soon as their baby teeth begin to appear, start brushing them with a soft toothbrush and only a tiny smear of toothpaste, since babies can’t rinse and spit.

What If My Child Already Has Tooth Decay?

A child who is already showing signs of tooth decay should see the dentist. We can assess how advanced the decay is, deal with the cavities, and come up with a plan with you to prevent further problems. An easy step to take at home is to limit your child’s consumption of sugary treats and drinks while maintaining good oral hygiene habits. We can help protect their teeth with fluoride varnish and dental sealants.

Your child’s healthy smile is our priority!

THERE’S A LOT OF strange stuff buried in the history of dental health and hygiene, but there are a few traditions that really stand out.

Stopping Bruxism With Skulls

The ancient Babylonians had a very peculiar way of treating bruxism (chronic teeth-grinding). They believed the problem was caused by demons, so the solution was to scare the demons away…by sleeping right next to a human skull. Supposedly the grinding habit would leave along with the demon. We suggest consulting a dentist instead.

Mice for Pain Management?

In ancient Egypt, someone who had a toothache could be treated with a pain-killing ointment. One of the main ingredients of this ointment? Mice. We don’t know how effective this was at managing the discomfort of a toothache, but we’re pretty sure we’d rather not find out. You’re much better off scheduling an appointment so the dentist can discover the cause of the pain and recommend treatment.

Pitch-Black Smiles

Modern beauty standards are all about having dazzling white smiles, but that hasn’t always been the case in every culture. Many cultures in Asia historically preferred black teeth instead! In Japan until the end of the Meiji period in the late 1800s, wealthy women and samurai often used the practice of Ohaguro to stain their teeth black. They liked the way it looked and believed it provided some protection against tooth decay. (We don’t advise copying them.)

Sooty Teeth

Thousands of miles away and hundreds of years earlier in England, people were also blackening their teeth. When the sugar trade first reached the British Isles in the Early Modern period, sugar was so expensive that only the nobility could afford tooth-rotting sweets, so black, rotten teeth became a mark of affluence. Sumptuary laws prevented the lower classes from dressing above their station, but there was no law stopping them from using soot to imitate the appearance of a wealthy smile!

Even worse, Elizabethan England thought sugar was a vital ingredient for toothpaste!

Bedazzled Mayan Teeth

2500 years ago, the ancient Mayans would drill holes in each other’s teeth by hand, then use plant sap as glue to attach gemstones inside the holes. They were careful to avoid the nerves in the teeth, but this is still a very risky form of body modification even in modern times. Teeth shouldn’t have holes in them, whether artificial or in the form of a cavity that develops over time, as that’s how bacteria can eventually reach the pulp chamber and cause a serious infection.

What Will Future People Find Weird About Our Teeth?

Can you think of any teeth traditions we have today that future generations might think are very strange? We’re guessing it might be the online (and extremely dangerous) “do-it-yourself braces” tutorial videos or people who follow the Mayan example of embedding jewels in their teeth. We encourage our patients to prioritize their dental health by maintaining good dental hygiene habits, cutting back on sugar, and making it to their regular dental appointments.

Build good teeth traditions!