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Bad teeth are a sign of wealth
Today, white teeth are a sign of health and success. But it was not always so. In the Middle Ages, caries was considered a gourmet disease and symbolized wealth. Therefore, it was simply indecent for seniors to have healthy teeth. And this is not the only fact. WDay.ru conducted its historical research.
Caries fashion
In Russia, merchants were very proud of their aching teeth. Caries at that time was considered a sign of prosperity. It’s all about sugar, which in the old days was considered a luxury item. Only relatively wealthy merchants could afford to drink tea with sugar every day. From this, their teeth quickly turned black (a toothbrush had not yet been brought to Russia – in any case, it was not used in the merchant environment). Those people who are poorer teeth were specially blackened with paints of natural origin.
In Japan, it has long been believed that if a girl has bad teeth, it means that she is from a prosperous family. According to custom, before entering her husband’s house, the bride went to her relatives, who gave her a special “tooth” paint for the “first blackening”. Blackened teeth served as a symbol of eternal devotion to a spouse. Initially, the custom concerned only girls, but starting from the XI century. (Heian era), the custom spread among the men of the court aristocracy.
Merchants in Russia were very proud of their aching teeth.
In Sumatra, men and women dyed their teeth black, and in India, brown was popular. On the islands of the Sunda Archipelago, all girls at the time of their majority had their front teeth cut down. But in Vietnam, the custom of staining teeth has been preserved to this day. As well as in some tribes of Central Africa, where for many centuries broken off, filed in the form of a ladder or pointed teeth have been considered a sign of beauty. And especially with triangular holes cut into them.
Of course, it is difficult for a modern person to imagine that a black-toothed smile could evoke pleasant aesthetic feelings. But that was the fashion. However, not only the desire to correspond to fashion trends, people mocked their teeth so much.
On the islands of the Sunda Archipelago, all girls had their front teeth cut down when they came of age.
A black-toothed smile also signified social belonging. For example, she talked about the woman being married. There is speculation that blackening was even considered beneficial for the teeth.
Researcher Olga Sumarokova found documentary evidence that tooth staining was used for hygienic purposes. Japanese women used iron and vinegar for these purposes.
Also, a special broth was used. To make it, they used old pieces of iron and rice husks, soaked them together and put them in a warm place in the summer for 3 days, and in the winter for 7 days, so that the rust stands out.
First, the teeth were applied (a waste product of bees, which contains tannins), and then a decoction of iron. This solution prevented the appearance of cracks and pain in the teeth.
There is speculation that blackening was even considered beneficial for the teeth.
Without going into technical analysis, we can make the assumption that with a lack of many vitamins that support dental health in the Japanese islands, and with a low level of dental care, this ceremony, to some extent, really helped.