Due to the frequency with which this topic is discussed, it has become a sort of hobby for Dr. Donn to research dentistry and interesting dental facts throughout history. One of the reasons he does this is so he can have a few interesting things to talk about when he has a nervous patient in his chair. Everyone likes to hear about the fact that Queen Elizabeth used to use sugar as a toothpaste.
Speaking of Queen Elizabeth, it just so happens that her reign happens to be one of our favorite time periods in history simply because of her teeth. You might not know this, but queen Elizabeth had famously terrible teeth. With that in mind, we have decided to take a break from our normal articles and tell you a bit about oral health in 16th century England.
Being Wealthy in the 16th Century was Sweet
Literally. Being a part of upper-class Tudor society meant that you were on a constant mission to demonstrate your prolific stance in society by buying and eating copious amounts of sweets. The reason for this was the price of sugar during this period in history. It was wildly expensive. That being said, the more sweets and sugar at your table meant the more money you had and the higher up in society your family was.
Now, consider the amount of sugar and sweets a queen would have access to. If you guess “a lot” you are correct. Queen Elizabeth was famous for her love of sweets and ate them with every meal. She was also very picky about her personal hygiene habits and would use only the most expensive and luxurious items of the time on her body. Seeing as sugar was almost like a currency in itself at this time, it now makes more sense when we tell you that queen Elizabeth used to make a toothpaste out of sugar and brush her teeth with it. we’re willing to bet that this also helps you understand why her teeth turned black and rotted before she ever turned twenty-four.
Queen Elizabeth; Fashion Mogul of the Tudor Dynasty
The habit of people idolizing and mimicking trends made popular by famous people is not by any means a modern thing. Queen Elizabeth was the epitome of glamour in her day and age. This meant that whatever she was wearing or doing, the rest of the commonwealth wanted to wear and do too! When the queen’s teeth rotted and turned black it became a fashion statement for the wealthy middle class. People would actually color their teeth black with soot and other various ingredients to try and emulate the façade of having an ample amount of money and therefore sugary snacks to consume.
Most of our patients find this little fact rather humorous and interesting. We hope you did, too.
Until next time readers, keep smiling.