Elizabethan England’s Rotten Sweet Tooth

IN ONE OF HIS sonnets, Shakespeare described the reeking breath of his lady love, and the subject came up again in two of his plays. He sets a creepy mood with the “black contagious breath” of the night in “King John” and includes the line “his breath stinks with eating toasted cheese” in “Henry IV […]

History Includes Some Odd Teeth Traditions

The ancient Babylonians had a very peculiar way of treating bruxism (chronic teeth-grinding). They believed the problem was caused by demons, so the solution was to scare the demons away…by sleeping right next to a human skull. Supposedly the grinding habit would leave along with the demon. We suggest consulting a dentist instead. It’s hard […]

Medieval England Versus Bad Breath

You’re probably wondering, what does brushing have to do with Ancient Rome? Well, it kind of doesn’t, but it does have to do with an interesting fact about Medieval England. Let’s start at the beginning. You see, back in the day, people understood much less about cavities or gum disease than we do now. Also, […]