Teeth in Traditional Medicine: Beliefs and Practices (Historical)

Long before the gleaming instruments and sterile environments of modern dentistry, humanity grappled with the agony of toothache and the mysteries of the mouth. Teeth, essential for sustenance and communication, also became focal points for a vast array of beliefs, rituals, and rudimentary treatments woven into the fabric of traditional medicine across cultures. The throbbing pain of an infected tooth or the unsettling looseness of decay prompted desperate searches for relief, leading to practices that, viewed through a contemporary lens, range from the surprisingly insightful to the deeply perplexing.

The Universal Scourge: The Tooth Worm

One of the most pervasive and enduring beliefs concerning tooth decay was the existence of the tooth worm. This notion, found in ancient Sumeria, Egypt, China, India, and even parts of Europe well into the enlightened 18th century, posited that a tiny worm gnawed away at the tooth, causing cavities and pain. Descriptions varied: some imagined it white, others black; some said it resembled an eel, others a maggot. This belief wasn’t just abstract; it directly influenced “treatments.” Fumigation was a common approach, where the patient would inhale smoke from burning henbane seeds or other substances, hoping to either kill the worm or force it out. Sometimes, the tiny, curled-up structures of henbane seeds themselves, expelled during coughing fits induced by the smoke, were triumphantly identified as the vanquished worms. Other methods involved applying caustic substances or using sharp implements to “dig out” the supposed culprit. The persistence of the tooth worm theory for millennia underscores how compelling a simple, tangible explanation can be for a complex biological process, especially when pain clouds judgment and scientific understanding is nascent.

Beliefs Shaping Treatment

In many cultures, pain was not merely a physical sensation but a sign of imbalance, divine displeasure, or malevolent spirits. Thus, treatments often involved a blend of the physical and the metaphysical. A healer might employ an herbal poultice while simultaneously reciting incantations or performing rituals to appease the offended deity or expel the troublesome entity believed to be residing in the afflicted tooth. The mouth, as an opening to the body, was often seen as particularly vulnerable to such invasions.

Historical texts from diverse civilizations, including ancient Mesopotamia and China, extensively document the belief in tooth worms as the primary cause of dental caries and pain. This widespread conviction shaped diagnostic approaches and therapeutic interventions for centuries. These records provide invaluable insight into early human attempts to understand and combat dental diseases.

Dental Notions in Ancient Empires

The great civilizations of antiquity each developed their own unique approaches to dental ailments, reflecting their broader medical and philosophical frameworks.

Egypt: Magic and Mundane Interventions

The ancient Egyptians, renowned for their medical papyri, certainly didn’t ignore dental problems. Evidence from mummies reveals instances of dental abscesses, periodontal disease, and significant tooth wear from their gritty diet. While they didn’t practice complex restorative dentistry as we know it, there’s evidence of attempts to drain abscesses and even rudimentary bridges made by wiring loose teeth to healthier neighbors. Spells and amulets played a significant role, with specific incantations designed to ward off “the gnawer of the tooth.” Ingredients like honey (a known antibacterial, though they wouldn’t have understood it as such), dough, incense, and various plant extracts were used in dental preparations.

Rome: An Emphasis on Hygiene

The Romans, influenced by Greek medicine, placed a greater emphasis on oral hygiene. They used tooth powders made from materials like crushed bones, eggshells, and oyster shells, sometimes mixed with honey or myrrh. While their understanding of decay was limited, they recognized the value of cleaning teeth. Pliny the Elder and Celsus wrote about dental problems, suggesting remedies like rinsing with wine or, for toothache, using a hot poultice or even the smoke of henbane. Extractions were performed, but often as a last resort due to their brutality and risk.

China: Balance and Energy Flow

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) viewed dental health through the lens of overall bodily harmony, focusing on the balance of Qi (vital energy) and the interplay of Yin and Yang. Toothaches could be attributed to an excess of “fire” in the stomach or a deficiency in kidney energy, as different meridians were believed to connect to the teeth. Treatments involved acupuncture at specific points to alleviate pain and rebalance energy, alongside complex herbal formulas. Arsenic was, rather alarmingly by modern standards, sometimes used in minute quantities to devitalize the tooth pulp and relieve pain, a practice with obvious dangers.

It is crucial to remember that many historical “remedies” for dental issues were ineffective at best and actively harmful at worst. The use of substances like arsenic or lead, or aggressive, unhygienic procedures, often led to worsened conditions or systemic poisoning. These practices highlight the desperation for relief in eras lacking scientific dental knowledge.

Folk Traditions and Herbal Wisdom in Europe

Across medieval and Renaissance Europe, dental care often fell to barber-surgeons, who performed extractions alongside bloodletting and other minor surgical procedures. Tooth pulling was a public spectacle at times, crude and terrifying. For those who could not afford or reach such practitioners, local folk healers and wise women offered remedies passed down through generations. Herbalism was central. Cloves, with their active ingredient eugenol, were widely used for their analgesic and antiseptic properties, a practice that has echoes in modern dentistry. Henbane, belladonna (deadly nightshade), and poppy (opium) were employed for severe pain, though their potent and dangerous nature was a double-edged sword. Sympathetic magic was also common: to cure a toothache, one might drive a nail into an oak tree, believing the pain would transfer to the tree. Touching a dead person’s tooth or carrying certain animal teeth as amulets were other such practices. The intercession of saints, particularly Saint Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry and toothache sufferers, was fervently sought. Her gruesome martyrdom, which involved having her teeth violently pulled out or shattered, made her a powerful symbol of hope for those in dental agony. Prayers and pilgrimages to her shrines were common.

Indigenous Practices: A Connection to Nature

Indigenous cultures around the world developed sophisticated knowledge of local flora for maintaining oral health. Chewing sticks, sourced from specific plants with fibrous textures and antimicrobial properties, were used for cleaning teeth – a practice still seen in some parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Saps, resins, and extracts from various plants were applied to soothe aching gums or fight infections. For example, some Native American tribes used plants like wild ginger or prickly ash for toothaches. These practices were often intertwined with spiritual beliefs, viewing the plants as gifts from nature with inherent healing powers, and oral health as part of a holistic connection to the environment. The diversity of these traditional approaches is vast, reflecting the unique environments and cultural cosmologies of different peoples. What they share is a deep empirical knowledge, gained over centuries of observation and trial-and-error, of the medicinal properties of their local ecosystems.

The Power of Objects: Amulets and Talismans

The belief in the protective power of objects against dental woes was remarkably widespread. Wearing a specific type of stone, an animal tooth (especially from a powerful animal like a wolf or bear), or a small bag containing herbs or written charms was thought to ward off tooth decay, pain, or even the dreaded tooth worm. These amulets often had to be prepared or consecrated in specific ways, sometimes involving rituals performed at particular times, to imbue them with protective efficacy. This highlights the psychological comfort and sense of control such objects could provide in the face of inexplicable suffering. The journey from these ancient beliefs and often harrowing practices to the advanced dental science of today is a long and fascinating one. While we may now understand the microbiological and physiological causes of dental diseases, exploring these historical perspectives offers a profound appreciation for the enduring human quest for relief from pain and the complex cultural meanings ascribed to even the smallest parts of our bodies, like our teeth. It’s a testament to both human ingenuity and vulnerability in the age-old battle against ailment.