Inuit dental care has been a subject of some interest for a while. It seems that the Inuit do not brush their teeth at all, and oral hygiene is delegated to a handful of water used to rinse after meals. Yet it is a known fact that the Inuit simply do not suffer from tooth decay. The question that many anthropologists have asked themselves is why.
The obvious first place to lo is at the diet the Inuit live on. There are no processed foods or refined sugars in the Arctic, nor are there supermarket products sprayed with ascorbic and citric acids for storage. The indigenous people of the Arctic live on moss and berries and seafoods mostly, occasionally eating animal fats. These foods are much less likely to corrode teeth, and will not harm tooth enamel either. So it may seem at a glimpse that the reason for this uncanny protection from tooth decay is not genetic, but dietary.
This interesting article also points out that the Maya living on the Yucatan peninsula also do not brush their teeth, and also have no tooth decay, but their diet is very different from that of the Inuit. The Maya eat primarily beans and corn and rice, and live off of a mostly vegetarian diet.
According to Westin A Price, a professor of dental medicine, surface decay of teeth is not the most important thing to lo for. The human body maintains a calcium to phosphorus ratio, and when that ratio is healthy, tooth decay simply does not occur. When, due to a poor diet, the calcium to phosphorous ratio is unbalanced, the teeth start to rot from the inside out.
While a drastic change in diet might be too much to swallow, a few more home cooked meals from fresh ingredients may very well keep you out from under the dentist’s drill just a little bit longer.
FAQs
One museum in Manitou Springs, Colorado, for example, has an exhibit of replica skulls with holes in the jaw bones from advanced gum disease. To fight against tooth decay, ancient Native Americans used chewsticks — twigs that have been frayed by a rock on one end and sharpened into a toothpick on the other.
What tribe has no cavities? ›
To summarise, Inuit populations were almost unaffected by cavities, until the first half of the 20th century. Alaskan Natives had a DMFT close to 1 and a prevalence of caries of 0% for adults and Inuit in Canada had a DMFT of 2 and a prevalence of caries less than 10%.
Why don't wild animals teeth rot? ›
Unlike humans, most animals—especially those living in the wild—don't eat cooked food. This provides their teeth with protection from tooth decay because they aren't eating foods that are heavy on refined sugar.
What country has the least dental problems? ›
Teeth Around the World: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
With a DMFT (decayed, missing, or filled teeth) index score of 0.4, Danish citizens have pretty perfect teeth. Germany, Finland, Sweden, and the UK all have scores below 1.0, making them the five countries with the healthiest teeth.
How do Native Americans clean their teeth? ›
Natural Toothcare Techniques
Native Americans cleaned their teeth by using chewsticks and chewing on fresh herbs to cleanse their teeth and gums. Chewsticks were twigs that had two uses: one end was frayed by a rock and used for brushing, while the other end was sharpened and used as a tooth pick.
How did ancient peoples teeth not rot? ›
Fibrous foods – Ancient humans ate mostly fibrous foods. These are both beneficial for digestion and helpful to the teeth – the fibers act as natural toothbrushes and scrub away food particles, bacteria and plaque from the teeth. A variety of nutrients – Your diet should be rich in a variety of nutrients and minerals.
What cultures don't brush their teeth? ›
It seems that the Inuit do not brush their teeth at all, and oral hygiene is delegated to a handful of water used to rinse after meals.
What is the most secret tribe? ›
The Sentinelese are the most isolated tribe in the world. They live on their own small forested island called North Sentinel, which is approximately the size of Manhattan, and which is part of an island chain that is also home to another uncontacted tribe, the Shompen.
Is there anyone who has never had a cavity? ›
Some people have a higher composition of certain minerals, which can give them an advantage in fighting cavities. We can't all belong to this lucky group. But that's ok—there are things you can do to drastically reduce your chance of getting a cavity.
Which animal has the healthiest teeth? ›
Sharks may have the healthiest teeth in the animal kingdom, it turns out. Scientists just found that their pearly whites contain fluoride, the active ingredient in most toothpastes and mouthwashes. Discovery News reports: “(The surface of) shark teeth contains 100 percent fluoride.
One week without brushing:
After a week, the enamel on your teeth will start to fail. The plaque that hasn't been removed will increase the development of bad breath. Cleaning a plaque-ridden tooth is difficult. If you don't brush your teeth for a week, you're more likely to develop cavities.
Why didn't cavemen teeth rot? ›
The funny thing is though, not all cavemen did suffer from tooth decay, unlike many of us today. Why not? Because they ate all natural foods. Fossil remains from the Stone Age have shown that teeth were generally well preserved as the result of a natural diet!
What countries have the best oral hygiene? ›
Denmark, Sweden, and Japan are examined as the top three countries providing excellence in oral healthcare. The landscape of dental care varies globally, reflecting diverse healthcare systems, cultural nuances, and government policies that interplay strongly within borders.
What cultures have the best teeth? ›
Because diet plays a role in oral health, some countries have healthier teeth than others. These countries have the lowest rate of dental decay: Denmark, Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, the United States and France.
What is the rarest smile? ›
The Charismatic Complex Smile
A complex smile lives up to its name. It's the most complex smile style, and it's also the most rare, found in only about 2% of people naturally.
How did indigenous people take care of their teeth? ›
Native Americans used pine needles as an abrasive material to clean debris from teeth as well as freshen breath. A tuft of pine needles chewed for a little bit will leave your breath piney fresh, and you may get a small amount of vitamin C.
How did people deal with tooth decay before dentists? ›
Recently, archeologists have found evidence that many prehistoric civilizations also had methods to deal with cavities, and some even used advanced tools that did an excellent job of cleaning out the infected tooth. Some of the earliest drills were bow drills like the one shown below.
Did Native Americans have good dental hygiene? ›
This may shock you but early Native Americans had a high fiber diet due to heating large amounts of corn (maize), beans, squash, fish and game. This meant they also had healthy smiles to boot! This left them with very healthy teeth and gums.
What did Native Americans use for toothaches? ›
Native cultures from around the world, including Native American, African, South Asian and Chinese traditions have used prickly ash and related plants to treat toothache, arthritis and pain through topical application for hundreds of years (Foster & Duke, 1999; Pereira et al. 2010).
