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Teeth in skeletons from the Middle Ages seem fine. It is later ones, after bringing sugar back from the Americas, that have lots of cavities and missing teeth.
by rjsw 5y ago
Teeth in skeletons from the Middle Ages seem fine. It is later ones, after bringing sugar back from the Americas, that have lots of cavities and missing teeth.
- ajross 5y agoBoth beets and sugar cane are old world plants, and maize-based corn syrup wasn't used as a sweetener until the 20th century. It's true that refined sugar is terrible for dental health, but it didn't come from the americas.
- Mediterraneo10 5y agoIt wasn’t known that beets could be exploited for sugar until the 16th century. Sugar cane was not known in Europe (outside Muslim-ruled areas of Spain) until post-Colombian times. In antiquity, the sole common means of sweetening food in Europe was honey, and later dulce de leche.
- inglor_cz 5y agoOr extracts from sweet fruit like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powidl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powidl
- BuyMyBitcoins 5y agoOr, something more Roman, lead! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead(II)_acetate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead(II)_acetate
- a9h74j 5y agoCheck out the thesis of the recent bestseller Breath by James Nestor. Native American and other traditional cultures put serious emphasis on nose breathing, strictly avoiding mouth breathing. Apparently, consistent nose-breathing can affect nasal and upper-palate development, favoring a spacious mouth and straighter teeth. It can also help avoid dry mouth at night, apparently favoring resistance to dental caries. There is a book by a 19th century ethnographer who discovered some of this, titled Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life.[1] [1] https://www.consciousbreathing.com/articles/shut-your-mouth-save-your-life/ https://www.consciousbreathing.com/articles/shut-your-mouth-...
- alisonkisk 5y agoThat seems natural and obvious? But unless you have a secret mucus prevention technique, you'll mouth breathe.
- BuyMyBitcoins 5y agoI was born with a deviated septum and for the first 15 years of my life I just assumed breathing through one’s mouth was normal and the nose was just for smelling things. After surgery I started breathing through my nose without conscious thought for the first time.
- mkoubaa 5y agoSame but my septum was deviated by a punch to the face when I was 12. I had the surgery when I was 28 and the pleasantness of my breath, jaw tension, sleep quality, and resting heart rate all improved significantly
- a9h74j 5y agoYes, certainly for heavy congestion. However, for marginal cases, there might be some body adaptation made to help with efforts at nose breathing. .. Nestor avoids giving specific recommendations, given individual variations and needs. But the research seems to point to: there is a lot going on. For example, apparently the nose contains erectile tissue, perhaps helping explain how one can cycle between now one nostril being easier to breathe through, later the other. .. My very limited experience, living where I would usually call myself "always congested," is that given a little effort/intent at nose breathing, I now sense that my congestion is consistently less than before. (But N<1 as evidence, since there could be some seasonal change as well.)
- shoto_io 5y agoA couple of years ago I forced myself to sleep with my mouth shut. It helped undry me mouth. But, through my own pressure I started to be a heavy teeth grinder in the night. That’s definitely worse for me.
- 5y ago
- yborg 5y agoGetting kind of off-topic here, but my recollection is that teeth in the pre-industrial age were often destroyed over time by grit from flour milling that would wear down teeth.
- thaumasiotes 5y agoThere was a Han Dynasty (200 BC - 200 AD) ritual involving feeding mush to 70-year-olds. (Why mush? Because at that age you've probably lost your teeth.) However, I have the impression that this is basically as true today as it was then.